Thursday, July 10, 2014

Hosea and the Hound of Heaven: Daily Mass Homily--Thursday, July 10th, 2014


            There is a somewhat famous poem called The Hound of Heaven by Francis Thompson.  In it, God is portrayed as a relentless hound whose footsteps are consistently heard chasing the author.  The author, while being pursued, continues to flee but is unable.
            I thought of this imagery when hearing the words from Hosea: “The more I called them, the farther they went from me…Yet, though I stooped to feed my child, they did not know that I was their healer…My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred…I will not give vent to my blazing anger…For I am God and not man, the Holy One present among you.”  God demonstrates His unrelenting fidelity to the Israelites, even when their infidelity was so bad it was called adultery.
            And notice that when Jesus sends out the apostles, he does not wait for the sick, dead, lepers, possessed or sinners come to him.  Jesus, through the apostles, goes to meet them.
            We focus many of our spiritual energies trying to get closer to God.  Yet our readings today remind us that it is not so much about us searching for Him, but allowing us to be found by Him.

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