I was preparing for my homily on today’s scriptural readings at Mass when St. Paul’s words really struck me. “For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). In a world where we often take back the love we have given, specially when we have not been loved in return or when we have experienced betrayal, God’s love is a bright beacon of faithfulness. God’s faithfulness comes from Himself and does not depend on our faithfulness.
This brought be back to a reflection on human freedom. God created humanity with the freedom to love Him back or not. Regardless of man’s response, God continues to love humanity. Sometimes it seems like God is wasting effort when the world is full of evil and humanity continues to be cruel. The beauty of it however comes out when we see from God’s perspective of love.
Today’s Gospel reading reveals this mystery. If we take Jesus’ words literally to invite to banquet only those who cannot repay us back (Luke 14:12-14), the fiestas of the Philippines would be radically different. The invitation for the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind to banquet is actually an invitation to love without measure and to love without expecting anything in return.
In a way, it is an invitation to love like God.
Disobedience, the bitter fruit of human freedom, is met with mercy. “For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all,” is a declaration that in front of God, no people have been obedient, no people have been perfect. In His respect for human freedom, God has not forced Himself on humanity but has extended His mercy that He may be revealed for who He truly is.
To love like God is to be merciful. God’s mercy coaxes our freedom to become like Him as we have received mercy from Him. In the end, mercy is the fulfillment of human freedom – for when we are merciful, we have become like God.
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