First reading Hosea 10:1-3,7-8,12
Seek integrity and reap a harvest of kindness
Israel was a luxuriant vine
yielding plenty of fruit.
The more his fruit increased,
the more altars he built;
the richer his land became,
the richer he made the sacred stones.
Their heart is a divided heart;
very well, they must pay for it:
the Lord is going to break their altars down
and destroy their sacred stones.
Then they will say,
‘We have no king
because we have not feared the Lord.’
But what can a king do for us?
Samaria has had her day.
Her king is like a straw drifting on the water.
The idolatrous high places shall be destroyed –
that sin of Israel;
thorn and thistle will grow on their altars.
Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’
and to the hills, ‘Fall on us!’
Sow integrity for yourselves,
reap a harvest of kindness,
break up your fallow ground:
it is time to go seeking the Lord
until he comes to rain salvation on you.
Responsorial Psalm 104(105):2-7
Constantly seek the face of the Lord.
O sing to the Lord, sing his praise;
tell all his wonderful works!
Be proud of his holy name,
let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.
Consider the Lord and his strength;
constantly seek his face.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, the judgements he spoke.
O children of Abraham, his servant,
O sons of the Jacob he chose.
He, the Lord, is our God:
his judgements prevail in all the earth.
Gospel Matthew 10:1-7
‘Go to the lost sheep of the House of Israel’
Jesus summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows:
‘Do not turn your steps to pagan territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’
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Sow integrity
Today’s first reading, the prophet Hosea says, “Sow integrity for yourselves, reap a harvest of kindness, break up your fallow ground: it is time to go seeking the Lord until he comes to rain salvation on you.” To “sow integrity” means choosing what is honest and right in everyday situations, whether in the words we speak, how we manage our finances, or in our relationships with others. God sees our hearts and appreciates the daily efforts we make to live according to the Gospel values of justice, truth and faithfulness. When we sow integrity, we will “reap a harvest of kindness”, as our lives begin to bear good fruit of love. God’s presence will rain on lives, softening our hardened hearts, healing what is broken and making growth possible in areas where it seems there is no life.
In the Gospel, Jesus sends us out to a world hungry for kindness, truth and love. However, the mission begins in the fields of our own hearts. We cannot effectively share His message unless God has first changed our lives, preparing the soil of our hearts and planting seeds of His truth, justice and love within us.
Reflective question:
What is the one concrete way that I can sow integrity today, trusting that God will bring kindness in my life and relationships?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
