Readings:
Jeremiah 20:10-13
John 10:31-42
Reflection:
As we draw closer to Holy Week and Easter, our daily readings intensify on the theme of suffering and rejection. It is difficult not to be overwhelmed by the terrible situations both Jeremiah and Jesus find themselves in. The thought of facing such a tirade takes my breath away. Of course, so does the thought of war, abuse and even road rage. So, I needed to look at these readings more deeply to see that Jeremiah’s and Jesus’s responses were positive. Each could see the hand of God in their situation, not causing it but redeeming it.
Jeremiah states simply, “I have committed my cause to you (God),” and believes that he has been delivered from the hands of the evil ones. Jesus, similarly, eludes the evil, proclaiming, “The Father is in me, and I am in the Father”. In the midst of these difficulties, Jeremiah praises God, and Jesus continues to go about doing good. This speaks to me of a profound sense of God’s presence in their sufferings and challenges.
The next week’s readings will continue to challenge us to find God in difficult situations, in the challenges that we face, large and small. Rather than being overwhelmed we are called to a great sense of God’s presence in our lives, journeying with us towards the wonderful event of Easter.
Margaret Bentley is a Salesian Sister and is currently the Academic Manager at the English Language Studies for Pastoral Ministry (ELSPM) begun by the Passionists in 2014 to enable their students to learn English before continuing to the Novitiate or theological studies.