FRIDAY AUGUST 16, 2024
FRIDAY OF THE NINETEENTH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME B
St Stephen of Hungary (Opt. Met.)
EZEKIEL 16:1-15,60,63
MATTHEW 19:3-12
ABANDONING GOD’S ORDINANCES AND LOVE
Ingrates are those who never acknowledges and appreciative of the favours shown them. And being ungratefulness is always embarrassing to the person doing the good for others.
In the first reading of today, God laments the great ungratefulness exhibited by man against all the favours and blessings shown to man and by extension to the people of Israel. From the day, God created man, and from birth, God took care of man, cleanse, adored and clothed them with honour and glory, the result God gets back is unfortunately, abandonment of God, neglect of his covenant with them, and departure from him. Instead of returning love and showing gratitude, man became egoistic, promoting self importance, pride and abandoned their maker. This is embarrassing to God.
Notwithstanding, God promises and professes his unalloyed love and forgiveness, and in keeping to the covenant, God is still expectant that man or Israel will think again and return to him and he is ready to forgive and reestablish the covenant of love, care and everlasting union with man.
God’s anger never last forever, but he turns away and comforts his people. That is the responsorial psalms response today. It means that even though man forgets and abandons God, and forgets God’s goodness yet God never abandons man. His care and love is everlasting.
In the gospel, Jesus again restates the mind of God in the marriage covenant. That God made them to be man and woman. That God establishes marriage as a union of love, indivisible, stable and does not admit of divorce. That husband and wife becomes one entity, one person.
Jesus therefore establishes the intentions of God at creation. And cautions against all forms of reasons given even by Moses for permitting divorce or separation. That these were not intended by God.
Jesus is invariably cautioning us against going against the ordinances and precepts of God. He warns us against taking to our whims and caprices. Our thinking and projections are not put into consideration in creation as much as our adherence to the will, desire and ordinances of God.
And Jesus goes ahead to establish that because of the seriousness of marriage, that God made it so that other options may be undertaken either by becoming celibate, single or married. One is at liberty to choose the life suited to his or her state as called by God rather than disregard the ordinance and precepts of God.
We are therefore called to accept God’s ordinances, never to disregard them but always to foster them, and live within the domain of God’s covenantal love and care. That is the only way to show gratitude to God for all the good things he has given us.
Heavenly Father, you created the world by your wisdom, and ordered all for our good and your glory. Grant that we may respect and keep your ordinances, help to foster your divine design and never distort, or disorder your beautiful plan in creation. Continue to show us your goodness, care and love in our lives, in all our endeavours and may your plans in our lives lead us to appreciate more your goodness and follow your everlasting covenant through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
