Thursday 7 July 2022

Today is Thursday the 7th of July, in the 14th week of Ordinary Time.

One Hope Project sings, ‘Abba Father’.
Abba Father breathe on me
Wash me in Your glory
When faith is frail You carry me
In Your presence I am free

Today’s reading is from the Prophet Hosea.
Hosea 11:1-4,8-9

When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
The more I called them,
the more they went from me;
they kept sacrificing to the Baals,
and offering incense to idols.
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
I took them up in my arms;
but they did not know that I healed them.
I led them with cords of human kindness,
with bands of love.
I was to them like those
who lift infants to their cheeks.
I bent down to them and fed them.
How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.
I will not execute my fierce anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
for I am God and no mortal,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.

There is one dominant image in this reading. A loving parent grieves for a rejecting child. What does that image stir up in you as this prayer begins?

Can you recall times when you have been on the receiving end of this kind of love?

Can you recall times when you have shown this kind of love?

As you listen again, look at the different ways in which love for the growing child is shown.

Speak in your own words to the God who loves you as much as he loves the different peoples addressed here.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.