"Hesed"

Homily for Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

In the chapter thirty-four of the Book of Exodus, God engages in self-revelation. Atop Mount Sinai, God places Moses in the cleft of the rock and covers his eyes so that as God passes by, Moses will not be able to see God’s face. As he passes by Moses, God proclaims: “The LORD, the LORD, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity…” Thus, God tells the children of Israel that they are loved not because they have earned God’s love, but because God loves all that has been created, especially the human race. The Hebrew word “hesed” can be used to translate mercy, graciousness, love, fidelity, and kindness. Sometimes it is necessary to use a phrase rather than a single word to fully explain the word “hesed,” as in loving kindness or faithful love. While the word is used to describe the very nature of God, it can also be used to describe human love. However, while we might wish to think that it is possible for us to love unconditionally, unconditional love is really an attribute of God only.

Today’s response to the readings finds us proclaiming: “The Lord is kind and merciful.” The Hebrew word “hesed” can be used for both attributes – kindness and mercy. This word appears frequently in the Hebrew Scriptures and has no exact English equivalent. Consequently, we find ourselves using all sorts of words to describe the nature of God.

James uses the phrase in his New Testament Letter. “You have seen the purpose of the Lord, because the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” On the other hand, the Gospel text for today exemplifies the exact opposite of “hesed” – hard heartedness – as Jesus discusses the issue of divorce.

Psalm 103, which we use today as our response to the readings, describes God’s faithful and loving kindness in many different ways. God pardons, heals, redeems, and crowns us with kindness and compassion. Without God’s loving kindness, we would all be doomed to destruction and wrath.

The obvious lesson to be learned from the Scriptures today is our need to respond to God’s love, to God’s faithful and loving kindness. Just as Jesus has left us the sacrament of the Eucharist so that we would experience him in our midst each day, we need to lift our voices in praise and thanksgiving for the wonderful gift that we have in God’s love.