Tuesday of the
Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Hosea 8:4-7.11-13; Matthew 9:32-38)
A religious sister who worked with poor women in Ciudad
Juarez used to teach that injustice is the result of broken relationships. The
biblical stories of creation and of the fall reveal the truth of her statement. After breathing life into the man, he and his
partner walk with God in Paradise. But their mistrust of the Creator’s goodness ruptures
the friendship. God’s subsequent interrogation
reveals that the sin has also fractured their relationship with each other. Finally, the due punishment breaches human rapport
with nature.
In time some of the closeness with God that the first humans
enjoyed is restored. Most notably, God
leads the Hebrews through the desert for forty years forging a new covenant
between God and humanity. But the people
always return to evil ways. Hosea and
the other prophets point out their fickleness.
They describe how the nation dallies with metal idols and scandalously satiate
their passions.
In today’s gospel passage Jesus enables a deaf mute to speak
as he has previously restored the sight of the blind and raised the dead. These healings show God approaching the
people in a personal and definitive way.
In short order Jesus will establish the unbreakable bond between God and
humanity with his death and resurrection.
Now he points out the need to pray that the coming redemption will be
announced throughout the world.
