Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Hosea 8:4-7.11-13; Matthew 9:32-38)
Two very different dispositions are seen in today’s
gospel. On the one hand, there is Jesus’
concern for the people who come to him with various kinds of problems. He casts out the demon to allow the dumb man
to speak. Then he proceeds to proclaim
the Kingdom of God’s love by working more cures.
On the other hand are the Pharisees. Jealous of their authority, they criticize Jesus
for his care of others. They make the
absurd charge that he casts out demons by being in league with them. In time they will collude with other Jewish
authorities to have the Roman government execute him.
But they will never be able to stop Jesus. He will rise from the dead to launch a worldwide
movement of justice and love. We have
hitched ourselves to it. Let us pray
that we be laborers who work faithfully and well to bring Christ’s peace to all.
