Dear friends,
Almost all of us in one or another way can relate to Jeremiah’s feeling in today’s first reading. On mainstream news, on the streets, and almost everywhere, we experience the tension as if the world was going to collapse. Fear, worries, anxieties, and stress, all these surround us. We feel like about to be crushed or destroyed like in the time of Jeremiah when God’s people were on the verge of being destroyed by the Babylonians. To accept to be a prophet at that time was like signing one’s own death certificate. No one wanted to listen to warning from God. And the prophet was right to ask a human being, “who will listen to me, O Lord”?
Today, in our world the challenge of discipleship is obvious. Like Jeremiah, we complain, and we ask, “who will listen to us, O Lord”? Like Jeremiah, we have the very unpopular job and mission of warning God’s people that they have to keep their part of the covenant with God, which means keeping God’s commandments. Unfortunately, the obvious truth is that people do not like to be told they are behaving badly. Like with Jeremiah who faced death threat, the disciples of Jesus Christ will face every kind of rebuke; they will be insulted, disparaged, and even given names. Jeremiah’ words in today’s first reading reflect the pain and misery every disciple should expect for being faithful to the mission of speaking God’s words.
However, Jeremiah’s experience would be incomplete if we stopped there. The answer to his worries and fear is given us in the gospel reading into which the first reading leads us. As we can remember, today event is to be seen in connection with what we read last Sunday: Jesus had just chosen his twelve apostles. Now he prepares them to send them out as missionaries. He is bold with them as he warns them that their message will not always be popular; that they may even suffer and die for it, but they must preach with courage and not be afraid of what might happen to them if they meet rejection.
As parish community, we are on the journey of discipleship, especially through our Rebuilt Program. We know why the Lord called us, namely, to be his witnesses, his disciples. Worries and fear start here. We wonder what and how we can respond to this call to discipleship and to be living stones. Here is what the Lord wants you to know: “you do not need to be a genius to serve me”, says the Lord. Just let your heart be open to my grace. I will transform you to a courageous and fearless disciple, able to make a difference in the lives of those around you as well as those far off. “Be not afraid”, means rely on the Lord. You may start hesitating; yes, it is normal, but do not stick there. Move on and listen to the voice of the Lord resonating within your heart with these words of encouragements: “Be not afraid.” I am besides you, and you are never alone.
Let us continue to pray for one another and for our parish family.
Fr. Emery