16th Week in Ordinary Time (B) : Wednesday 24th July 2024

Jeremiah says little about his vocation. However, he helps us to understand that God’s call is first of all something interior.

At a youthful age, Jeremiah has an intimate encounter with the Lord in the depth of his being: the revelation of being known and set apart for a mission by the Lord.  Jeremiah’s reaction is to draw back on himself; he feels small and incompetent: “Ah, Lord God! I do not know how to speak, for I am too young” (v. 6).  Yet, the Lord assures him not to rely on his own resources; he will be given words to prophesy. Jeremiah obeys and becomes God’s mouthpiece.  Jeremiah, a man of interior peace, is perpetually at war with his own people, kings, priests, false prophets, even with the nation itself.  Though he suffered, he did not turn away. He accomplished the role entrusted to him.

A question emerges in “the parable of the sower” – is there something preventing the nurturing of a call in the depth in my heart? Depth is about space. Can I make room for the necessary attention that God is attracting me? Let’s look at Mary, the mother of Jesus, who magnified the Lord in her heart. Depth is about living from a deeper level, not from passing emotions or the mood of the moment, but at the level of decision and commitment.

Lord Jesus!  You call me into the deep, and speak; may Your assurance nurture my endurance to face the day’s hardship.