Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14-16, 22 / Matthew 22:34-40
Ruth befriends Naomi; "Wherever you go I will go. "
The film Brian's Song is based on the true story of a deep friendship between two professional football players: Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo of the Chicago Bears. One of the things that made the friendship even more beautiful was that Gale was black and Brian was white. When Brian became fatally ill, Gale did everything possible to be at his side. And there was nothing Gale wouldn't do to help and his family. When Brian died, Gale took a trophy he had just won, pasted Brian’s name on it, and had it buried with his friend.
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How loyal are we in our friendships? Are we like Ruth in today's reading? Do we remain loyal in good times and bad? "A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure." Sirach 6:14
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Against the rather narrow nationalism of Judges and Ezra-Nehemiah the small book of Ruth gives a romantic, idyllic example in Ruth that even non-Jews can become integrated into the Jewish people. Ruth figures even in the genealogy of Jesus.
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The Book of Ruth, only four chapters in length, is one of the Bible’s most charming. It has a calm and engaging domesticity, telling the story of one of David’s ancestors. Ruth, a Moabite girl of non-Jewish origin, marries the son of Naomi. After ten years of marriage, Ruth’s husband dies, as did her brother-in-law and, at an earlier time, her father-in-law, Naomi’s husband. Urged by Naomi to join her sister-in-law in returning to her own country, Ruth, realizing that Naomi is now quite alone, refuses to leave and so remains with the widowed in-law. “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” It is a beautiful expression of generous love.
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It is unlikely that a person can come to know God and love God as an isolated individual. Because it is with others and from others that we come to know what kindness and compassion is, what love and forgiveness is, what truth and beauty is. And we would want to believe in what they believe in, so that we too can radiate the goodness they radiate. In the 1st reading, it would certainly be alright for Ruth to return to her people just as it would be alright for Naomi to return to her people.
Yet Ruth chose to follow Naomi and go to a foreign land and be a stranger and a foreigner, although she was not obliged to. A possible reason for her to do that was because she saw the goodness of her mother-in-law Naomi. Subsequently she can even accept Naomi's people as well as the God that Naomi believed in.
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The story of Ruth is simply an account of what the love of neighbour means. Ruth was not about to return home and leave her widowed mother-in-law alone. It is a touching story of self-giving and makes of Ruth a worthy forerunner of David. If charity begins at home, our relatives should not be overlooked.
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As Christ gives us the Great Commandment as the summation of the Christian spirit, Ruth stands out as an example even though she lived almost a millennium before Christ. The neighbour whom she loved was her own mother-in-law. In comedy fare today, relatives are often belittled, especially in-laws. They are the butt of jokes. To live in Italy is to realize the respect that is had for relatives. They are frequent guests at Sunday dinner; for children, in-laws are part of the extended family.
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At the Last Supper Jesus said: “At this people will know that you are my disciples, that you love one another” (Jn 13:35.) He is speaking not just of any love, but the love by which he loved his disciples, that is, a love that goes to the end, that sets no conditions, that sacrifices everything if necessary for the sake of others. This is the love “with one’s whole heart and mind and soul” and as strong as, or stronger than, self-love, of which today’s gospel speaks. This is a tremendous task that will never end. Is it this kind of love that moves us?
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Prayer
Lord, mighty God, to a world that is divided and struggling against dehumanizing forces, to a Church that is confused and often discouraged, you speak a message of hope. With your grace, call us out of our weary sluggishness, breathe your Spirit of vigor and love into our dry bones, that hope may fill our hearts and love may move us forward on account of him who came to make everything new, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
