Homily: 16th Wednesday of Ordinary Time

Homily” 16th Wednesday of Ordinary Time (Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10) “Speaking the Truth is Costly”

Jeremiah had a sense of being chosen. We can do great things when we have a feeling that those who have authority over us have faith in us. If we don’t have that feeling it can be deflating. We can start to second guess ourselves and our decision making.

Jeremiah was not affirmed very much in his life by other people. He saw the corruption of the government of Judah. He was of the priestly class, so he had a platform to call for reform. He warned the government of Israel against compromising principles in order to protect the status quo. He asked people to trust in the protection of God. He predicted disaster if people did not.

Jeremiah was ridiculed for the prophetic messages he uttered. He was beaten and thrown into a prison. He was also pitched into a muddy cistern for days on end. He finally was sent into exile.

Jeremiah predicted the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon. He also predicted that the temple would be destroyed. Finally, he said that the people of Jerusalem would be taken in to exile for 70 years. All his predictions came to pass. He did not want to make all these predictions, but he felt compelled to say what he said.

It would have been easy for Jeremiah to play the politician and to temper his predictions. Many of the religious leaders and prophets of his day did this. They affirmed people where they were at. This kept them safe, but it was disservice to Jerusalem. Jeremiah is the perfect example of what happens when some speaks truth to power. There is a price to pay. Most people do not want to pay it.

What enabled Jeremiah to be a courageous? It was the fact that he believed he was chosen by God to share the message he did. At times he struggled to believe in his mission. He never was rewarded for being true to his vocation. But he is remembered today as an example of what it means to be a person of principle.

Reflection Questions:

1.    Have I ever been chosen to do a difficult task? What was it?

2.    Did I persevere? What gave me the strength?

 Dear Parishioners,

           This Sunday we will be having a bingo fund raiser. The fun will begin at 1 p.m. at Culemans Hall. This fund raiser is meant to help us offset the cost of heating our buildings last winter. As we all know the price of natural gas skyrocketed.

          The hot summer is also driving up our utility bill. We would appreciate any help that we might receive. If you want to support this effort but cannot come Sunday, you can drop an envelope in the collection marked “bingo.”

          We hoped that doing something fun and raising money at the same time would be a good combination.

          May Our Lady of Peace prayer for us.

          Fr. Mark