“The
LORD is gracious and merciful, slow
to anger and of great kindness. The
LORD is good to all and
compassionate toward all his works.” The Lord shows us His graciousness, mercy and compassion in
both Hosea and the Gospel of the day.
The
book of Hosea has a fascinating premise.
In its beginning, God commands Hosea to marry a prostitute named
Gomer. He obeys and then
experiences the horror of Gomer’s infidelity to him. This was all a symbolic lesson for the Israelites as they committed adultery against God (the
Groom) with foreign gods. Nevertheless,
God’s fidelity remained: “Thus
says the LORD: I
will allure her; I will lead her into the desert and
speak to her heart. She
shall respond there as in the days of her youth, when she came up from the land of
Egypt.” This premise is the analogy of God as the Groom and His people as the Bride.
In
the Gospel according to Matthew Jesus cures not one, but two people. (And one of them had reportedly
died!) He cures intentionally and
what looks unintentional. These
miracles themselves go beyond this woman and girl—they point to God continuing
to care for His bride the Church.
We pray for the grace of the Groom to take our hand and bring
us to new life both today and at the moment we pass from death to life.
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