DISPOSED TO RECEIVE GOD’S POWER
The
dramatic account of the prophet Jeremiah’s call by the Lord in today’s
First Reading contains a noteworthy detail. After his protestations
regarding his being young, incapable and undeserving, God extended His
hand and touched Jeremiah’s mouth, saying, “See I place my words in your
mouth!”
The Gospel, on the other hand, is the familiar Parable of the Sower.
God, the Divine Sower, never fails to scatter the seed of His Word upon
our hearts. It all depends on our openness and receptivity, but the
important thing in the first place is God’s indefatigable effort plus
the seeds’ innate power to overcome every obstacle. The seed may meet
with resistance and reversal of all kinds, yet it still yields a rich
harvest.
Our own feelings of unworthiness to join church organizations to be
involved and to serve, or our accusations of hypocrisy versus
churchgoers in general (a convenient excuse for us to skip our own
religious obligation of church attendance) are exactly just that:
feelings and excuses. In other words, while they may have a point, they
are still not valid. All the more reason there is for the likes of us,
sinful and undeserving people, to dedicate ourselves in humble and
docile dispositions.
We would do well not to entertain such feelings and excuses, or much
less, to use them to justify our non-commitment. We have to let go of
our false pretenses. The Lord will not be moved by them. The inherent
potential of both His Word and His action knows no obstacles. The
openness and availability we have before the Lord will be enough for Him
to empower and commission us as workers in His fold, as He did to
Jeremiah: “This day I set you over nations and over kingdoms, to root up
and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant.” Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB
REFLECTION
QUESTIONS: Do you tend to make excuses when invited to prayer
gatherings or other religious events? When will you make yourself
available to God?
Grant me an open heart, Lord, to get involved in building Your Kingdom on earth.
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