Family ties

Mothers-in-law in some cultures are the frequent subject of jokes and indeed not every married person has a wonderful relationship with their in-laws.

Today’s first reading tells a very different story: the first part of the familiar story of Ruth (from the book of that same name) in which Ruth forsakes her homeland and pagan religion to accompany her mother-in-law and embrace her mother-in-law’s faith – faith in the Lord God of Israel.

Ruth’s mother-in-law had not been intent on converting her – quite the contrary – and yet it was through her that Ruth came to know the Lord.

It is an example to us of how the simple witness of our lives can prove to be the instruments by which others – even our own family members – can be brought deeper into the faith.

Although clarity about faith in charity is important, arguments about religion are usually counterproductive, especially with relatives. The simple witness of a life fully lived in Christ, however, can be a much more effective instrument of grace – for the stranger we meet as well as for the ones we know and love.