God's Unmerited Love

Reflection on Today's Readings, 14th Week in Ordinary Time Year II, Thursday 09th July, 2020
Texts: Hos. 11:1-4,8-9; Ps. 80:2-3,15-16; Matt.10:7-15
It is possible to see the Bible as the history of Israelites with God, but from the standpoint of faith, it is the history of man with God; it is our history with God. In the pages of sacred Scripture, we how much God loves us and how we have disappointed him severally. Today's first reading tells us about God's unmerited love for us; he loves us, not minding whether we merit it or not. The reading reminds us of God's invitation and love for us, and how we continuously reject the call and waste the love. It says, "Thus says the Lord: 'When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them, the more they went from me; they kept Sacrificing to the Baals and burning incense to idols". We can give up on God but he will never give up on us. We may close our hearts to him, he will never stop knocking the doors of our hearts. It is written thus: "I will not execute my fierce anger, I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not man, the Holy one in your midst, and I will not come to destroy".
Today's gospel takes further the message of invitation and love. Jesus sent his apostles to continue  the works of invitation and love: preaching the kingdom of heaven, healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the lepers and casting out demons. Jesus Christ displays his love by meeting us at the point of our misery.
He lavishes his love upon us freely; his love is a free gift to us all. whatever we receive from him is given free and we must do likewise to others; being given without cost, we are give without charge.

Lord our God, inspire us to give without charge, to love without condition. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke