THE LORD HAS SEDUCED ME

XXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Jr 20:7-9

Jeremiah is a tragic figure, who puts across his personal experience, as he carries out the mission entrusted to him. Like other extraordinary personages of the Old Testament, he comes through as a real human being, even though touched by the divine, the God who shaped his life.

Jeremiah, the prophet

In his own person, he is a prophecy of Jesus Christ. In him we see the faithfulness to his mission, in spite of his life being endangered. He always went straight to the point, spoking openly and courageously, be it in front of the the king and the powerful of the land or in front of the crowds gathered for the religious festivals. He denounced the evil and corrupt ways of the ruling class, of the wealthy and of the common people alike. He challenged everybody and called them to conversion. He warned of incoming disaster and he threatened people with the suffering of war and the long march of slaves going into exile.

We may thing of Jeremiah as a prophet of doom, but that is very far from the truth. He announced a new era lived in a new covenant, a covenant written in the hearts of people, who recognise God’s saving love and walk in faithfulness to his word.

Jeremiah read correctly the political situation

During Jeremiah’s time, the international political situation was in turmoil, with new powers arising and subduing all the surrounding nations, be they big or small.   Babylonia had become a superpower, threatening all countries in the region. Jeremiah, being a prophet with his feet well grounded on the soil of the political reality, was able to read the situation correctly. Judah, his homeland, was a very small and insignificant country, tossed around by the big powers, and now it should dance at Babylonia’s tune in order to survive. However, the political and religious leaders of the country were living in a dream world, unable to see the threat coming from Babylonia and putting their trust the gods they worshipped and in an alliance with Egypt, as if Egypt could protect and defend them from Babylonia. 

Jeremiah saw the hand of God at work in the political turmoil surrounding him and his nation, and he read the situation with God’s eyes, seeing in it a call to conversion and to put all trust in God alone. Accordingly, he advised the leaders to accept Babylonia suzerainty, as the less evil.  And he warned that a different policy would bring the destruction of the nation and the exile.

The leaders would not believe him, but rejected him, accusing him of treason. However, Jeremiah’s warnings and prophecies came to be true.

Jeremiah’s personal experience

In this Sunday’s first reading, Jeremiah looks back at his vocation. Called while still very young, he tried to give excuses, saying: “I am only a boy.” (Jr 1:6). But God does not accept excuses, and Jeremiah became a prophet. He felt seduced by the Lord, and he was not able to resist. In a way, he was convinced that God overpowered him, and forced him to become a prophet. And he complains for the role that he has been forced to play. 

Seeing his people going to destruction, his hearts pains and bleeds. He would prefer to announce peace and merriment, like the false prophets did, and receive people’s applause instead of their scorn. But he could not cheat himself and cheat the people, and so he speaks of war, violence and ruin. He thought of abandoning his mission and run away, turning his back on the Lord, but he could not do it, because he could not quench the fire that set his heart ablaze with love. And he went on proclaiming the truth, mindless of the dangers he had to go through.

Jeremiah was able to see beyond the impending catastrophe and to proclaim a new covenant (Jr 31:31). In the darkest moments of our lives, we must look forward with hope, seeing the bright light of a new future, prepared for us by the Lord.

JESUS IS THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD

XXI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Mt 16:13-20

For the past two thousand years, the Church has been proclaiming in all possible ways the truth that is the reason of her existence: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. And all Christians agree on this proclamation, be it Catholics, Orthodoxes, Protestants or Pentecostals.

The belief that Jesus is the Son of God is the only reason for the existence of the Church, and it is the only reason for the existence of thousand of martyrs throughout these two thousand years of Christianity. This belief sets us apart and makes us different. It is not a belief which comes from human wisdom, be it traditional wisdom, philosophy or scientific investigation. This belief is the fruit of an encounter with Jesus Christ who establishes with us a personal relationship of love, which gives meaning to our human life and destiny. As we walk the paths of life with him, we come to recognise that he is the Saviour and the giver of life. In him we find life, because he came so that we may have life, and life to the full (Jn 10:10).

Going through the same experience as Peter, we are able to proclaim as he did: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16). This faith is the rock upon which the Church is built, and we can find this proclamation of faith repeated through the writings of the New Testament. Mark begins his book with this title:  “The beginning of the good news (gospel) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mk 1:1). In the gospel of John, the proclamation made by Peter is made by Martha, who said: “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world” (Jn 11:27). And in his first letter, John makes it clear: “God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God.” (1 Jn 4:15), and again: ”Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 Jn 5:5).

When we reject Jesus or consider him only as a man of wisdom with a revolutionary mind, we fall back into the traps of this world, leading a hopeless life with no other future but death. Only Jesus, the risen Lord, being the Son of the living God, can create us anew. He is the resurrection and life (Jn 11:25), and in him we can find life.

A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL PEOPLES

XX SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME:

The Israelites were always a very nationalistic nation,  who jealously kept their culture and their religion, avoiding to get mixed up with others and loose their identity. They considered themselves as the chosen of God and object of his special predilection. They saw themselves as the only ones destined for salvation, and God would set them up as a kingdom over the kingdoms of the earth. 

With the prophets, it came the awareness of the universality of God’s design and plan of salvation. Anybody from any nation can belong to the people of God, once they recognise YHWH as their Lord and God and once they are ready to keep his commands and follow his law.

Isaiah makes it very clear: 

“Foreigners who have attached themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love his name and be his servants – all who observe the sabbath, not profaning it, and cling to my covenant – these I will bring to my holy mountain. I will make them joyful in my house of prayer.” The house of the Lord “will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” (Is 56:6-7).

Jesus would use this same proclamation (Mk 11:17), when he cleansed the Temple. The house of the Lord is open to all and all those who listen to the Lord are most welcome in his kingdom. God is not a chauvinist, and Jesus ordered his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all peoples and nations (Mt 28:19).

It was difficult for the people of Israel to understand this universality of God’s plan of salvation. In his ministry, Jesus did not go much out of the borders of Israel, but sometimes he crossed to the other side of the Jordan and he went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. There, seeing the extraordinary faith of a Canaanite woman, he healed his daughter. Although Jesus is presented time and again as the Saviour of the world, in this passage (Mt 15:21-28), he says that he was sent only to the House of Israel. However, his mission to the House of Israel was to set the foundation for the new Temple, and to widen the horizons that would become universal. In the House of the Lord, all are welcome, if like the Canaanite they clearly express their faith in Jesus, the Christ.

DO NOT BE AFRAID!

XIX SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Mt 14:22-33

Jesus sent his disciples ahead, while he remained behind with the crowds, waiting for them to disperse. When he remained alone, he went to a quiet place to pray.

Meanwhile, the disciples were on their own, alone in the boat, battling with a heavy sea. It was dark, and the boat moved very slowly ahead, because of head-wind.

When Jesus finished his prayer, he went to meet them in the middle of the lake, walking on the waters. The disciples cried in fear, seeing a ghost instead of recognising Jesus. Our world is full of imaginary ghosts that terrorise people, just because they are not able to recognise Jesus Christ. The fear of the unknown and of darkness fills the hearts of so many people, that all of us are in need of the reassuring word of Jesus Christ: “Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.” (Mt 14:27).

In this part of Zambia, where I live, people are dominated by the fear of witchcraft, and they imagine to see or to discover witches everywhere, whenever they encounter suffering. Their hearts are always full of suspicion that someone may bewitch them or that they may be accused of witchcraft.

I always tell people that the ones who accuse their relatives or their neighbours of being witches, they are the real witches, because their hearts are full of hatred, and their minds full of suspicion, bringing division and hatred in the family and in the community.

This fear of witchcraft that dominates the hearts of so many hinders development and forces people to a semi-sedentary life. When death occurs, they will move somewhere else, as if death will not find them there.

All of us are in need of the reassuring words of Jesus Christ. And the Church must tirelessly proclaim this good news that bring comfort and peace to our hearts. We need to bring peace in the hearts of people and peace in the relationship with their neighbours.

The power of witchcraft is a joke, when in front of Jesus Christ, who is the Lord of lords and the King of kings. If we recognise Jesus Christ and turn our hearts and minds to him, witchcraft cannot have power over us.

Do not be afraid! Jesus is here. He is among us. Even when feel abandoned, he is just near us, ready to rescue us.

NOTHING COMPARES WITH THE LOVE OF CHRIST

XVIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Romans 8:35,37-39

When Paul says that “nothing can come between us and the love of Christ” (Ro 8:35), he is speaking from his own experience. He had been a persecutor, doing all in his power to eradicate Jesus’ name. And then a special encounter with Jesus took place, which turned his life upside down. He fell from the horse of his pride and selfrightness, blinded by the light that cured and transformed him. In his encounter with the risen Lord, Paul did not face condemnation for his crimes, but experienced the greatest love of his life, the love of Jesus, who left his heart in fire, burning with that infinite love. And with the love received from Jesus, he was able to pass through hardships, sufferings and persecutions, and he realised that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. In the darkest moments of our lives, Jesus is by our side, leading us to resurrection and life.

The call of Isaiah echoes through the centuries and can be heard today: Come! Come to me! You need no money. Why to look for joy and peace in things that cannot satisfy your hearts? Come. Listen to me and you shall live (Is 55:1-3).