Remember God’s Motives and Goals
by Fr. David M. Knight

July 12, 2024
Friday of the Fourteen Week of Ordinary Time
Lectionary 387
Hos 14:2-10/Mt 10:16-23
Hosea 14:2-10 seems to repeat a “same-old, same-old” pattern in the prophets: Israel sins, a prophet predicts dire consequences, and then promises that God will forgive, heal, and make things better than before. What are we to make of this?
First, we should remember the “beginning and the end”—the motive God has in creating us, and the goal he wishes to achieve through it. God’s motive is pure, generous, self-giving love; and his goal is relationship: specifically, the relationship of spousal love. Spousal love, on the level of divine life is a relationship between persons that is the same as the relationship of Father, Son and Spirit in the Trinity. (John 17:11-23. See Tuesday, above.)
Spousal love is a commitment to do what is needed to arrive at perfect oneness of mind and will and heart. Between Christians this means union like that of the Three Persons in the Trinity: “equal in majesty, undivided in splendor.” There can be no “higher” or “lower” between people in the Church, and no differentiation in prestige.
This is also true, due qualifications made, between Christians and God. Obviously, there can be no real equality between God and humans. But it is an accepted principle that friendship either finds or establishes equality between two people (amicitia aut pares invenit, aut facit). Classic Catholic theology says our participation in God’s own nature by grace is enough to make possible a true relationship of “supernatural (i.e. Trinitarian) friendship” between God and us. This consists in interacting with Father, Son and Spirit with the fullness, freedom and intimacy of lovers. Jesus even shares his “splendor” with us, promising we will be seated alongside him when he reigns in glory. Scripture calls this mystic marriage. (Wisdom 7:14; John 12:26; 14:3; 15:14; 17:24; Matthew 9:5; Revelation 3:21; 19:7. See Pohle, “Grace, Actual and Habitual,” Blackmask Online, http://www.blackmask.com.)
Second, Hosea calls us, like the God we represent to “forgive... heal... love freely... be like the dew” that causes people to “blossom... strike root... put forth shoots” and “bear fruit.” These are our guidelines for ministry.
Matthew 10:16-23: Jesus tells us we are committed to bring God’s spousal love to others through our ministry even if it means we are “dragged before governors and kings” and “hated by all” because of the unbelievable scope of the Good News we bear. He promises, “You needn’t worry about how you are to speak... for what you are to say will be given to you.” We just need to surrender, in spousal oneness, to the “Spirit of our Father” speaking in us. “Thy will be done!”
Initiative: Be a minister of mystery. Call all to what God calls all.
Reflections brought to you by the Immersed in Christ Ministry

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