Thursday of Week 14 in Ordinary Time
Liturgical Colour: Green
Year: A (II)
First Reading — Hosea 11:1–4, 8–9
I am the Holy One in your midst and have no wish to destroy.
Thus says the Lord:
When Israel was a child I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt. But the more I called to them, the further they went from me; they have offered sacrifice to the Baals and set their offerings smoking before the idols.
I myself taught Ephraim to walk, I took them in my arms; yet they have not understood that I was the one looking after them.
I led them with reins of kindness, with leading-strings of love. I was like someone who lifts an infant close against his cheek; stooping down to him I gave him his food.
Ephraim, how could I part with you? Israel, how could I give you up? How could I treat you like Admah, or deal with you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils from it, my whole being trembles at the thought.
I will not give rein to my fierce anger, I will not destroy Ephraim again, for I am God, not man: I am the Holy One in your midst and have no wish to destroy.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 79(80):2–3, 15–16
Response: Let your face shine on us, O Lord, and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hear us, shine forth from your cherubim throne.
O Lord, rouse up your might, O Lord, come to our help.
Response: Let your face shine on us, O Lord, and we shall be saved.
God of hosts, turn again, we implore, look down from heaven and see.
Visit this vine and protect it, the vine your right hand has planted.
Response: Let your face shine on us, O Lord, and we shall be saved.
Gospel Acclamation — Mark 1:15
Alleluia, alleluia!
The kingdom of God is near: repent and believe the Good News!
Alleluia!
Gospel — Matthew 10:7–15
You received without charge: give without charge.
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows:
"As you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.
Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with a few coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the workman deserves his keep.
Whatever town or village you go into, ask for someone trustworthy and stay with him until you leave. As you enter his house, salute it, and if the house deserves it, let your peace descend upon it; if it does not, let your peace come back to you.
If anyone does not welcome you or listen to what you have to say, as you walk out of the house or town shake the dust from your feet. I tell you solemnly, on the day of Judgement it will not go as hard with the land of Sodom and Gomorrah as with that town."
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection
There is a striking contrast between how many people imagine God and how God describes Himself in today's first reading. Some picture Him as distant, waiting for people to make mistakes before passing judgement. Hosea paints an entirely different image. God speaks as a loving Father who remembers teaching His child to walk, lifting him into His arms and feeding him with tenderness. Even after Israel repeatedly turns away, the Lord does not speak with coldness but with heartbreak. "How could I give you up?" He asks. It is one of the most moving expressions of God's love in the Old Testament.
That image is important because many of us carry hidden burdens. We replay past failures, regret poor decisions or quietly believe that God has grown tired of forgiving us. Hosea reminds us that while God hates sin because it wounds His children, He never stops loving the sinner. His desire is always restoration before punishment, healing before condemnation. His mercy is not weakness; it is the strength of perfect love.
The Gospel builds on that same message. Jesus sends the apostles into the world with a mission that is both practical and spiritual. They are to proclaim the Kingdom, heal the sick, free those who are oppressed and bring peace wherever they go. What stands out is His instruction: "You received without charge; give without charge."
In a world where almost everything has a price, Jesus reminds His disciples that the greatest gifts cannot be bought. None of us earned God's forgiveness. None of us paid for His grace. We did nothing to deserve His love, yet He gave it freely through Christ. The only fitting response is to become generous people ourselves.
This challenges us in everyday life. We often think of generosity only in financial terms, but many people around us need something far more valuable. A person struggling at work may need encouragement. A neighbour living alone may simply need someone to listen. A family member carrying grief may need patience rather than advice. Sometimes offering peace, forgiveness or our time is far more costly than giving money, yet these are often the gifts Christ asks us to share.
Jesus also tells the apostles not to become discouraged when they are rejected. Not everyone will welcome the Gospel, just as not everyone welcomed Him. That remains true today. We may find ourselves misunderstood because of our faith or disappointed when our efforts seem unnoticed. Christ teaches us not to measure success by results but by faithfulness. Our responsibility is to sow the seed; God is responsible for the harvest.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that God's love is revealed fully in His desire to reconcile humanity to Himself through Christ (CCC 545, 604–605). It also teaches that every baptised Christian shares in Christ's mission to witness to the Gospel through both words and actions (CCC 863, 905). We are not simply recipients of God's mercy; we become instruments through which that mercy reaches others.
Today's readings invite us to pause and consider two simple questions. Have I truly accepted that God loves me with the tenderness described by Hosea? And am I allowing that love to shape the way I treat the people around me?
When we understand that everything we have received from God is a gift, generosity becomes less of an obligation and more of a natural response. We begin to forgive because we have been forgiven. We become patient because God has been patient with us. We extend peace because Christ first gave His peace to us.
One Line to Carry Today
God's mercy is a gift freely received, and His peace is a gift freely shared.
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