Word to the Wise
Thursday, March 11, 2021 - 3rd Week of Lent - Thurs
[Jer 7:23-28 and Luke 11:14-23]"I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets. Yet they have not obeyed me nor paid heed; they have stiffened their necks and done worse than their fathers. When you speak all these words to them, they will not listen to you either; when you call to them, they will not answer you. Say to them: This is the nation that does not listen to the voice of the Lord its God, or take correction. Faithfulness has disappeared; the word itself has vanished from their speech." [Jeremiah]
Jeremiah is known, traditionally, as the "reluctant" prophet. He complains often about his fate in life. His name has become a word in English: JEREMIAD - meaning a combination of complaints and "woe is me" talk. He not only has to listen to the complaints of the people to whom he preaches, he has to listen to God's complaints as well!! It is not an enviable position to be in! Today's first scripture is a good example.
God tells Jeremiah to tell the people that God is displeased with them. At the same time, God tells Jeremiah that the people are not going to listen! What is poor Jeremiah going to do? He has to persevere in the task. Like it or not, he has been called and his destiny is to be a prophet. At one point the people get so upset at him that they throw him in a well!!
Preachers and leaders of all kinds know well that challenging their constituents to be true to the way of life that they espouse with their lips can result in angry replies. In some cases, these replies can be lethal! In my pastoral experience, many Catholics have found themselves upset when they discover that the teachings of the church are very much at odds with their social and political prejudices and attitudes. The role of the prophet is to shine a light on the "dark side" of our lives and invite us to clean up our act - personally and nationally - and be what God has called us to be. Lent offers us an opportunity to take away Jeremiah's flashlight and shine it on ourselves. AMEN