Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12 / Matthew 10:1-7
We may think that in the face of adversity, what will happen will be that people will only want to care for themselves and that it will be survival of the fittest.
Even in the time of the early Church, there were persecutions against Christians and it was thought that Christianity will be eradicated and the Church will crumble away.
But contrary to what was expected, the Church and Christianity grew stronger in those times of adversity.
But when there were no more persecutions and adversities, and there was peace and stability, somehow complacency crept it.
That was similar to what happened to Israel in the 1st reading.
Israel was a luxuriant vine, yielding plenty of fruit. But the more the fruit increased, the more idol altars were built.
The richer Israel became, the more unfaithful it was to God and turned to idol-worshipping.
It may sound rather strange, but stability can lead to complacency, whereas adversity can be turned into fidelity.
May we heed what the Lord said to His people at the end of the 1st reading:
Sow integrity for yourselves, and reap a harvest of kindness. Break up your fallow ground; it is time to go seeking the Lord until He comes to rain salvation on you.
Let us not be complacent, but always seek the ways of the Lord and be faithful to Him.