Friday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
(Ruth 1:1.3-6.14b-16.22; Matthew
22:34-30)
RCIA groups
usually have a few participants engaged to a Catholic. These men and women desire to enter the
Church, but they might never make the effort if it were not for their fiancé. For a similar motive Ruth in today’s first
reading wants to remain a Jew.
Ruth has a
reciprocal relationship of care with her mother-in-law Naomi. Naomi wants Ruth to return to her native
people where she is more likely to find a husband. Ruth, however, does not want to abandon her Jewish
mother-in-law without anyone to help her.
For this reason, she commits herself to both Naomi’s care and her God. It is not a decision made without costs. Jewish laws are filled with dietary
restrictions which inhibit many candidates to Judaism from full conversion.
Ruth’s love
for the Lord may not supersede her love for Naomi at the moment. However, if she cultivates that love by
recognizing God’s hand in everything that is good, she will come to love Him as
Jesus dictates in today’s gospel. She,
and we as well by the same means, will love Him with full heart, soul, and
mind.
