20260718 Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

[그리움하나]

(Mi 2:1–5; Mt 12:14–21): Growing to Resemble His Poor Love

“Actions without words” often convey a much deeper message. A “poor nakedness” that abandons everything and lowers itself becomes, instead, a vivid testimony of authority. A patient waiting that does not give up until the perfect will is accomplished will lead us along the path of love—a path that will be filled with grace and peace far surpassing our human understanding. On this path of fulfilling God’s will, neither the temptation of vanity—the desire to reveal oneself—nor the radiant praise that may follow means anything. Reaching that pure path of God is already an entire purpose in itself. And that path is simply about loving every single one of us here, so that we may become people of salvation.

In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 12, verses 15, 16, and 20, we are told:

“He cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known... A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Just like these words, which contain the message of the Prophet Isaiah concerning the "Servant of the Lord," our Lord’s identity is not found in the radiant glory He could display as the Son of God. Rather, He appears as the Lamb who lays down His very life so that those who are broken and have nowhere to lean may once again look toward eternal hope. That is the complete love the Lord reveals for us.

Perhaps this resembles the heart of a parent who bears everything in this world for the sake of a beloved child. A line from a drama once said, “Even if a parent’s sin is as small as a single grain of sand, if it is placed on a child’s back, it feels like a thousand-pound boulder.” Yet, if it is the child’s pain, it becomes a wound in the parent’s heart heavier than the weight of the entire world. At the same time, it becomes a "destiny" intertwined with the mystery of "life"—one that the parent must embrace, even to the point of completely abandoning their own pride.

Through His silent "acceptance" as He walks toward the Cross—motivated by His love for each and every one of us here and His desire to open the door to eternal salvation—we learn the greatness of the poverty that can empty itself because of love. We gaze upon how His true glory, meant to be lifted up to God's side through this "lowering," causes even His wretched appearance—having lost everything—to shine brightly.

Let us move forward, believing that this very image is the most beautiful conclusion we must ultimately seek after we finish our given journey on this earth. No matter what process of life we are given, it will be placed upon the path of growing to resemble the Lord, guiding our steps. Amen.