Breaking up the Fallow Ground

Reflection on Today's Readings, 14th Week in Ordinary Time Year II, Wednesday 08th July, 2020
Texts: Hos. 10:1-3.7-8.12; Ps. 105:2-7; Matt. 10:1-7
The people of Israel were asked to break up their fallow ground and to seek the Lord. The fallow ground, here, is the area of their life that they left abandoned. They had abandoned the ways of the Lord. Hence, it is said, "It is time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain salvation upon you".    The more God blessed the people of Israel and made them fruitful, the more they multiply their sins. Instead of the blessings to make them aware of God's presence and goodness in their life, they rather played him and paid allegiance to other gods. Then, God promised to make them face the consequence of their guilt. It was the right time to seek the Lord, for God was about to visit them, not with blessings anymore, but with the reward for their sins. Hence, it said, "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruits of mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain salvation upon you".
Sometimes God's blessing comes to us not because we are righteous but because he wants us to leave our sinful lives and to return to him. However, many a time we attribute such Blessing to our effort. Hence, we are more blinded and continue in our sinful ways. This calls for another measure no other than to make us face the consequence of our guilt.
Dear friends, we are reminded today that we should not wait till God visit us with the reward for our sins before we change. The time is ripe for us now to seek the Lord and walk in his ways. When we walk in his ways, he will show us mercy and wipe away our sins.
The same message continues in today's gospel: "And preach as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand'". It is time to seek the Lord, for he is about to visit us. It is a call to repentance, to break up our fallow ground.
The heralds of the kingdom of heaven are given authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every diseases and every infirmity. The giving of this authority shows that Jesus Christ is aware of the reality of sickness, infirmity and evil spirits in our world. This calls to mind that we are to be very careful of the spirits that rule the world. The authority over evil spirit, diseases and infirmity is exercised in the Church in the forms of exorcism and anointing of the sick. Exorcism is performed during baptism and also at another time. We need both spiritual and bodily healings, and our world needs to be dispossessed of evil spirits.

Lord Jesus, may we always recognise your presence and goodness in our lives and we beg you to turn our hearts to you. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke