Today’s readings begin with selections from the book of Ruth. A brief introduction is in order to make sense of this passage, which I find among the most beautiful in all of scripture.
After a famine struck their homeland, Elimelech and his wife Naomi emigrated from Bethlehem to the land of Moab. They had two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, who during their exile married Moabite wives, Ruth and Orphah. But misfortune struck their family, as Elimelech died first and then his two sons after him, leaving the women to fend for themselves.
Naomi kindly asked her daughters in law to go back to their mothers and start a new life among their own people. Orpah reluctantly agreed to return to her own people and to their gods, but Ruth would not do so. Her poetic words are recorded as follows: “[I]ntreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. (Ruth 1:16 KJV).
Now we have two widows, without children and without any kinsmen, living in penury and want in a foreign land. Together they journey back to Bethlehem. Ruth, as a foreigner, might not have been so well received in her new homeland. We see Ruth working humbly and diligently in the fields, gleaning grain, taking a portion of the harvest that was left for those who were poor. The fields they were gleaning belonged to Boaz, a kinsman of Naomi’s husband Elimelech.
The plot thickens. In Ruth’s humility, Boaz recognizes her dignity. He displays kindness and mercy, along with respect for Ruth’s exemplary care for Naomi, who is of his people. This leads to marriage, and ultimately Ruth bears a son who will be in the line of ancestry for King David, and later for our Lord himself.
What a wonderful story of faithfulness and devotion! The Lord shows His love and mercy by rescuing Ruth and Naomi from a difficult situation and incorporating their faithful lives into salvation history. We must also not forget that Boaz was also blessed by the faithfulness of a stranger, who warmed his heart and showed what love looked like, opening a door to the gift of a family that would bless him forever. Love does that quite often. It is amazing!
Today’s gospel provides a wonderful counterpart to this story. Our Lord warns his disciples against those who “preach but do not practice.” It was not that the rules were unimportant. Indeed, Jesus tells us to follow their teaching, but not to follow their bad example. By putting burdens on others without lifting a finger to help them, they were neglecting love and mercy. Moreover, in their pride, they could not see that they needed kindness and mercy, too.
We reserve special contempt for hypocrisy, in which one merely poses as virtuous or pious without a genuine belief. But often we simply fail in the execution of what we know to be true or right, whether out of ignorance, weakness, fear, or other infirmity. In that sense, we are not hypocrites but merely common sinners.
Love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8). We can all do with more practice in loving, forgiving, and living upright and holy lives in the manner to which we are called. Ruth and Boaz gave us wonderful positive examples to follow. Faithfulness, kindness, mercy, and generosity often return to us in blessings beyond our wildest dreams. Thanks be to God.
Edward Morse
Ed Morse is a professor of law who holds the McGrath North Endowed Chair in business law at Creighton. University School of Law. He and his wife Susan are Catholic converts. Together, they operate a family cattle farm in rural Western Iowa.
Writing these reflections over the past fifteen years has helped me to learn and grow in faith. Sometimes it has also chastened me by reminding me of the constant need to practice what we have learned as we live out our faith journey together. I am grateful for feedback and encouragement from my fellow travelers.
