Responding to God's Call

Homily for Friday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time

Throughout the next few weeks we will continue our traversal of the various Hebrew prophets. Today we hear the last of the readings from the Prophet Hosea. Though he still speaks of the defection of the children of Israel from the covenant relationship, he also speaks in beautiful imagery of the eventual return of those who have strayed. He tells us that those who place their trust in God will blossom and prosper. Not only will they look beautiful, they will also smell wonderful. Those who have visited the northern areas of Israel will immediately think of the verdant area around the Sea of Galilee which blossoms with fragrant flowers in the spring.

In stark contrast to the beautiful images of the first reading, the Gospel offers us dire warnings about what we can expect if we take on the commission he offers us. Who would want this kind of job? Who would willingly face persecution for the sake of the Gospel? Of course, we know that not only was Jesus correct in his warning, there were many men and women who took on the commission and sacrificed their lives for the faith.

Today we mark the feast of Bl. Angelina. She is generally credited with the founding of the Third Order Regular for women, as her religious congregation marked the establishment of the first Franciscan community of women living under the Rule of the Third Order Regular authorized by Pope Nicholas V. She and hundreds of thousands of women after her brought the Good News to the poor, the sick, the hungry and the abandoned peoples of the world. Indeed, all the sisters are God’s success story, for they have accepted the challenge that Jesus offers and have, at the same time, pursued holiness through their own conversion of life. As we receive Jesus in communion this morning we do so with gratitude to God and to all of the women who have answered Jesus’ challenge.

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator