Readings
Jeremiah 14: 17-22
Matthew: 13: 36-43
Reflection
It is easy enough to have and proclaim faith when everything is going right! This is what the tempter said to God about Job. “Will he still have faith if you take away all that has pleased him and led him to praise God?” It is easy enough to proclaim faith when everything is going right! This is true in every generation and age.
Jeremiah faced a time when Jerusalem was experiencing severe famine. People in the countryside were being killed and people within the city were starving. The priests who would normally have relied upon the people for assistance, were themselves seeking food.
Jeremiah asked God , “Why have you struck us down, so that there is no healing for us? Remember us and do not break your covenant.”
Where do people look for hope at such a time? There was no deep freeze in a supermarket to provide food; no one to ensure personal safety. This was a time for ultimate faith.
Can we imagine ourselves in such a situation. The psalmist asked “I look towards the mountains, from where will God’s help, come?”
Using the image of the gospel today, where has the sower’s seed fallen? Is my faith rooted in rich soil, or did the seed drop on the path or amongst the weeds and thorns? Can I stand strong in times of great difficulty? There are everyday challenges – weeds that will choke growth.
Let us stand firm “in good times and in bad” and contribute what we can to a full harvest, not only for ourselves, but for others.
Brian Traynor CP has been involved in faith formation for many years especially in the form of parish missions and through the Passionist Family Group Movement. Brian is a member of the Passionist community at Holy Cross, Templestowe.