Thus says the LORD:I will allure her;
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.
The stories of Jesus’ healing of an elderly woman and a little girl take on new meaning in the light of Hosea’s words about God’s passionate love for Israel. Jesus’ care is not the dispassionate ministration of a doctor. A doctor, at best, can offer a return to stable health, which often includes life with a chronic illness. Rather, in the scriptures we see God restoring and making whole his gorgeous bride. She will be, as Saint John says in Revelations, “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” In another sensuous passage, Saint Paul goes further, saying:
Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind—yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish.
The Apostle was a passionate man and sometimes he got carried away as he imagined the Lord bathing his drop-dead beautiful wife. She would emerge from his bath with nubile, radiant desirability.
Twenty centuries later some might suppose the Church has lost some of its charm – and they would speak from experience! Not only is its history chock-full of scandal and crime, its current state is muddled and muddied with human frailties. But Saint Paul was well acquainted with sin, scandal and uncertainty in the Church. He could have written a first century book about Saint Peter and Saint James and their cautious leadership and called it, A People Adrift.
But Saint Paul prayed, spoke, acted and thought from a much deeper place than today’s critics. Nor was he, like a starry-eyed idealist, seeing the potential of the church. What he saw was very real. We might even say he saw with the eyes of God.
His vision is still there for us, especially in the sacraments and liturgy. As clear-sighted as we might think we are, it means nothing if we cannot see reality through the apostolic vision which comes to us in prayer. That vision must animate our attitudes and actions. It must make justice happen through the baptismal washing of water by the word. 
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.