Tuesday of Week 14 in Ordinary Time
Liturgical Colour: Green
Year: A (II)
First Reading — Hosea 8:4–7, 11–13
They have sown the wind; they will reap the whirlwind.
Thus says the Lord:
They have set up kings, but not with my consent, and appointed princes, but without my knowledge. Out of their own silver and gold they have made idols, which are doomed to destruction.
I spurn your calf, Samaria; my anger blazes against it. How long will it be before they cleanse themselves, the sons of Israel? A workman made the thing; this cannot be God. The calf of Samaria shall be broken into pieces.
They sow the wind and they shall reap the whirlwind. Their standing grain shall yield no harvest; if it should produce flour, strangers shall swallow it.
Ephraim has multiplied altars for sin, and they have become to him altars for sinning. Though I wrote for him my countless precepts, they were regarded as something strange.
As for my sacrificial offerings, they sacrifice flesh and eat it, but the Lord takes no delight in them. Now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins; they shall return to Egypt.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 113B(115):3–10
Response: The house of Israel trusts in the Lord.
or: Alleluia.
Our God is in the heavens;
he does whatever he wills.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
Response: The house of Israel trusts in the Lord.
They have mouths, but cannot speak;
eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear;
noses, but cannot smell.
Response: The house of Israel trusts in the Lord.
They have hands, but cannot feel;
feet, but cannot walk.
Those who make them become like them,
so do all who trust in them.
Response: The house of Israel trusts in the Lord.
O house of Israel, trust in the Lord;
he is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
he is their help and their shield.
Response: The house of Israel trusts in the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation — John 10:14
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the Good Shepherd, says the Lord;
I know my sheep and mine know me.
Alleluia!
Gospel — Matthew 9:32–38
The harvest is rich but the labourers are few.
A man was brought to Jesus, one who was possessed by a demon and unable to speak.
When the demon had been cast out, the man spoke, and the crowds were amazed, saying, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."
But the Pharisees said, "It is by the prince of demons that he casts out demons."
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.
When he saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
"The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest."
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection
The readings today confront one of humanity's oldest temptations: replacing God with something of our own making. Hosea speaks to a people who outwardly maintained religious practices while inwardly placing their confidence in political power, wealth and idols. They wanted the blessings of God without surrendering their hearts to Him. The prophet's warning is sobering: "They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind." Every choice has consequences, and a life built apart from God eventually reveals its emptiness.
The Psalm provides the remedy. While idols are lifeless and powerless, the Lord is living and active. Those who trust in created things gradually become like them—spiritually unresponsive and unable to recognise God's presence. By contrast, those who trust in the Lord discover Him to be their help and their shield. Faith is not merely believing that God exists; it is entrusting our lives to Him above every competing allegiance.
The Gospel reveals the heart of Christ. Jesus encounters people who are physically afflicted, spiritually oppressed and emotionally exhausted. Rather than condemning them, He is filled with compassion. His miracles are signs that the Kingdom of God restores what sin has damaged. He looks beyond individual needs and sees an entire humanity searching for truth, purpose and hope.
Then Jesus turns to His disciples with a challenge that still echoes through the Church. The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. The mission of the Church is not sustained by human strength alone but by God's grace working through willing hearts. Every Christian receives a vocation to participate in Christ's mission, whether through ordained ministry, consecrated life, marriage, family life or faithful witness in daily work.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that idolatry "consists in divinising what is not God" (CCC 2113). It also reminds us that the Church exists by her missionary nature because Christ continues to send His disciples into the world (CCC 849–856). Today's readings invite us to ask two questions. What has become an idol in my life? And where is Christ calling me to labour for His Kingdom?
The answer begins not with extraordinary achievements but with faithful trust. When we place Christ at the centre, He transforms both our hearts and the lives of those we encounter.
One Line to Carry Today
Trust the living God above every idol, and be willing to become a labourer in His harvest.
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