Jeremiah Teaches Us To Answer The Call Of God On Our Lives
Answer The Call To Serve – Jeremiah Gives A Blueprint
[simpleazon-image align=”left” asin=”B00DEKNQZE” locale=”us” height=”320″ src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51w1YjyNOsL._SL160_.jpg” width=”224″]On Wednesday of this week, the first reading – a familiar reading – was taken from the Prophet Jeremiah chapter 1. We hear these words, “ Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I consecrated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.”
In this reflection, let us look at what a prophet is. A prophet is a person who speaks for God or on behalf of God. Every baptized Catholic by nature of their baptism, are priest, prophet and King. As we continue reflecting on the theme “answer the call”, many people will interpret this only to mean answering the call to the priesthood or answering the call to religious life. However there is a much more general call that we are being challenged in this reading to answer. This call is to live our lives in Christ Jesus. By virtue of our baptism, all Catholics are called to live our lives in Christ, obeying his law and seeking always to be pleasing to him. It is within this general call that we can hear the deeper call of God upon our lives. Without living out this call, chances of us hearing God will be futile. I like to equate this to a radio station that plays music that you like; unless you first tune into that radio station, you won’t be able to enjoy the musical selections that are being played. By profession, I am an IT Professional, and I have had several calls from persons through the years, that their computer was not coming on. Upon investigation, it was found that the computer was not plugged in. Similarly, unless we are plugged into Christ Jesus; unless we are tuned into Him, we will not be able to receive His power nor hear his voice and chances are you won’t enjoy the blessings that he has in store for you.
As the reading from Jeremiah unfolds, like most of us Jeremiah had excuses – or were they concerns? He felt that he would not know what to say, and he felt that he was too young. Do you too have concerns, or are they excuses? What is your excuse? God is calling you into a deep and active relationship with him, to work more closely with him. He is calling you to a much, much better way of life and living; to a life of substance; a life of value. What is your excuse? What is your excuse for not wanting to receive the “Bread of Life” on a weekend? What is your excuse for not making full use of the sacrament of reconciliation? What is your excuse for not praying as you should? What is your excuse for not being the father that you ought to be? What is your excuse for living a life that you know is wrong? What is your excuse for getting tied up in a relationship that you know will harm you? What is your excuse for hanging out with company that you know will get you in trouble? What is your excuse for being unfaithful to your spouse? What is it?!
There is a difference between concerns and excuses. The Prophet Jeremiah had genuine concerns, and after God had showed him that he would take care of those concerns, Jeremiah submitted himself to God and what a powerful prophet he turned out to be.
When the Angel Gabriel came to Mary and announced God’s plan for her, she too had concerns. But when the Angel Gabriel cleared up those concerns, Mary became the Mother of God and she brought Salvation into this world. This simple peasant girl, answering the call, saying “yes” to God, surrendering completely to him, became the Mother of the Savior of the world; the single event that has transformed history forever! Like Mary, your “Yes” can touch and transform someone’s life. What are you waiting on? The Catholic Church is starving for persons to step forward in service to her people as lectors, alter servers, music ministers, laity, priests, nuns, and a host of other areas in the Church in need of service. I ask again, what is keeping you from answering God’s call on your life? What is keeping you from entering into communion with Christ Jesus? Do you have genuine concerns or are they excuses? Either way, you should surrender them completely to God so that you can experience His blessings and your life fulfilled.
From the introductory part of the first reading, it can be seen that God knew Jeremiah long before he was born. That in itself speaks volumes about when human life begins and we all know that it begins at the point of conception, for God knows every human life before they are born. God knows every human life that is conceived regardless of race, color, creed or class, he knows every human life. Not only does he know every human life but God loves every human life and he has a purpose for every human life. So whether they are perfect in the eyes of man or imperfect in the eyes of man, in the eyes of God every human life is perfect and every human life is valuable and every human life has a purpose. Anyone who says, preaches or teaches anything different is opposing God and that is not a smart thing to do. Every human life ought to be respected and protected from the womb to the tomb.
Any life that is lived without seeking to know God’s purpose for that life is a life unfulfilled. Many seek happiness in material things. Many are constantly seeking happiness in money, in pleasure and the things of this world, only to be disappointed time after time after time. While many of the things that we seek are good in themselves, they are not designed to bring us lasting happiness. True happiness can only be found in God, through Christ Jesus His Son. True happiness can only be found in aligning our will and our purpose with that which God has in store for us – with that which God has had for us before the very start of our existence here on Earth.
So be like the prophet Jeremiah and be generous in your answering the call, for not only does God call us into relationship with him, he empowers us to be all that he is calling us to be. What ever concerns or even excuses you may have, surrender them to God who is more than able to handle them and is exceedingly generous in His blessing upon us when we abide in Him.
