THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Wednesday of 18^th Week in Ordinary time, 2022

Jer. 31:1-7

(Ps) Jer. 31

Matt 15:21-28

I have loved you...

Dear friends in Christ, the love of God does not depend on anything we can give in return. God loves because it is the very nature of God to love. St John puts it rightly by saying, 'God is love.' Anyone who abides in love, therefore, abides in God and God in him. This is however a big challenge. How do we respond to the love of a God who just continues to lavish love without end on us?

Our first reading today (Jeremiah 31:1-7) continues the message of hope in the book of Prophet Jeremiah. Even after the fall of Jerusalem, God did not stop loving his people. They lost everything including their land and the temple which signified the presence of God in their midst, but God did not cast them off. "At that time, says the Lord, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people." God, again and again, pledged His love for Israel without ever asking for anything apart from their faithfulness. "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you." God does not fail. This relationship is what we see in the life of Jesus, who gave himself freely and totally for the sake of his bride the church. This is what is expected of every Christian marriage when the knot is tied with the beautiful words of the exchange of consent, "I...take you...to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." This love is unconditional, it is not merited. It is not a matter of, ‘if you love me, I will love you.’ It is that I will always love you.” That is the challenge of love. God's love is everlasting. He loves us even beyond death because we are invited to spend our eternity with him also. 

In the gospel of today (Matthew 15:21-28) Matthew presents the encounter of a Canaanite woman with Jesus. This was the first of such missions to the district of Tyre and Sidon. The Gentiles were not welcome by the Jews for obvious reasons and were often referred to as dogs. Jesus confronted his disciples with a situation that demanded their response to this Gentile woman. Her request was not beyond Jesus, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” This loving concern of a mother for her daughter was not answered by Jesus, which prompted the disciples to say, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.” When Jesus said he was sent to the lost of the house of Israel and that it wasn't right to give what belongs to children to the dogs, the woman responded with even greater faith which surprised everyone, “Yes Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table.” Her faith won. The love of God extends to everyone, Jews and Gentiles alike, it does not discriminate based on race or color, or religion. He causes his sun to shine on altogether. If God has loved us that much, how else can we respond but love him back? We should love him back and manifest it in our love for others.

Let us pray: Thank you Lord for loving me. Help me by your grace to love you and to love others for your sake. Amen. 

+Remain blesed