August 9, 2024 – Life on the Chrism Trail

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Mass for the Convocation of Teachers of the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Fort Worth

August 9, 2024
St. Mark Catholic Church
Argyle, Texas

Hosea 2:16bc, 17cd, 21-22
Psalm 45:11-12, 14-15, 16-17
Matthew 25:1-13

In today’s first reading from Hosea we hear, “I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart. She shall respond there as in the days of her youth, when she came up from the land of Egypt.” These words of the prophet Hosea refer to God’s Chosen People of Israel, calling them to return to fidelity to the covenant that was struck by God with them through the chosen leadership of Moses. The characteristic of the “desert” is not that it is arid and hot, but rather that it is an uncharted wilderness and requires trust on the part of the traveler to navigate the journey.