EVERGREEN

Meditation for Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Hos 14:1-9; Mt 10:16-23)

At the end of the illustrations and messages, the prophet Hosea says that what the Lord wants is for the people to return to Him. “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.” First, the people must acknowledge that they have sinned, and repent. Then, they should ask God to take away their iniquities, and accept that which is good from them. Secondly, they should not build their lives on false hope, faulty foundations that cannot sustain them. When people are ruled by wrong ideas and false sense of security, they may begin to presume more than necessary, and neglect the right directions they are supposed to take. Finally, those who want to return to the Lord must trust in His faithfulness and mercy. “They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow, they shall flourish as a garden; they shall blossom as the vine, their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon.”

Hosea explains that the Lord is like an evergreen cypress that produces fruits in all seasons. His ways are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them. So, in sending forth the apostles, Jesus ensured that they remain focused on Him. He explained to them the dangers ahead, and the difficulties they would face. Their patience will be tested, but he who endures to the end will be saved. The man who endures to the end is one who is focused on Jesus and the mission entrusted to him. Such a one will not give up in the face of challenges, but will continue to make progress and flourish like an evergreen cypress.

 

At the end of our meditation on the Book of Hosea, we are reminded to retrace our steps back to our relationship with God. And this is the reason Jesus sent forth the apostles. So, the mission of the Church is fulfilled in us when we repent of our sins. Now, having heard the prophetic message, and received the apostolic mission, we are sent forth to become ‘missionaries’ to ourselves, to constantly adjust our lives according to the commandments of the Lord. This unstoppable internal missionary movement will eventually keep us evergreen despite the challenges of life. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Friday July 8th, 2022.

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