THE JEREMIAH EXPERIENCE

THE JEREMIAH EXPERIENCE – 20^th Sunday Ordinary Time, Year C

            We can draw courage and hope from the experience of Jeremiah. What was Jeremiah’s experience? Jeremiah was carrying God’s message to the people that God was going to use the Babylonians to purge and purify the Israelites from their sins. Therefore, they were not to place their trust in weapons. Sounds like a needed message for our day, too, when we are directing billions upon billions of dollars in weapons systems, only a fraction of which can destroy whole nations and endanger our own. That message was about as popular as if one under the Spirit of God was told to deliver the message that God was going to purify the American people through the Russians or Chinese.

            Most Americans wouldn’t believe the message and would react to anyone who delivered it. However, it is not too far from some of the messages delivered by Mary in her apparitions in this century, when she says that wars and oppressions come as a result of sin; and repentance, prayer, and change of life can prevent them, and are a greater means of defense than all the powerful weapons systems we have. Jeremiah told the people that if they turned back to God, they would be saved from the Babylonians. Changing our nation’s trust in weapons systems would be as difficult in our day as it was in Jeremiah’s day.

            To get a better sense of Jeremiah’s mission in his day, imagine that someone rose up in the U.S. and was successful in carrying the message to the American people that only repentance and not our weapons were going to save us from an impending invasion of the Russians or Chinese. As a result, those in the defense arms industries and the nation’s forces lost their morale. The leaders in Congress go to the President and say the one proclaiming such a message ought to be put to death. And, the President shakes his head and says, “I agree. Do with him whatever you want in the interest of national defense”. They then call in the Attorney General and throw the carrier of the message into solitary confinement.

            When Jeremiah delivered God’s Word, that is what happened. “…the princes said to the King; ‘Jeremiah ought to be put to death; he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city, and all the people, by speaking such things to them; he is not interested in the welfare of our people, but in their ruin’. King Zedekiah answered: ‘He is in your power…”’ So, they took Jeremiah and threw him in a cistern. “There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.” Jeremiah no doubt sank into the mud of despair and discouragement too. That is the Jeremiah experience. In time, someone successfully pleaded his case and Jeremiah was taken out of the cistern before he died.

            Now, your Jeremiah experiences and mine are not likely to be as dramatic or severe as that of the prophet. But, anytime we speak, defend or live the truth in our families, in our Church, community, or wherever we happen to be, we may be made to suffer in some way. It may not be anything personal at all. It may simply be the truth in some area that one person or more sees or hears from us that is too painful at the time to accept. Many parents are helped by their children to have the Jeremiah experience. Many Christians in the world are given the Jeremiah experience by non-believers or non-faithful believers. Many priests, preachers, and teachers receive, on various levels, the Jeremiah treatment from those to whom they speak God’s Word.

            The frequent prayer for those undergoing the Jeremiah experience needs to be Psalm 40. “Lord, come to my aid!” The frequent vision in our minds and hearts at such times needs to be “…a cloud of witnesses…” down through the ages and in our own time who have spoken and lived God’s Word in hostile environments. The frequent memory of Jesus who “For the sake of the joy that lay before Him, He endured the cross…” can help us not to sink into the mud of despair or “…grow weary and lose heart”.

            He told us His coming and the fire of His love and truth would at times divide people as one accepted His Word, and another one didn’t at the same time.

Divine Mercy reflection #783

“O my Jesus, transform me into Yourself by the power of Your love, that I may be a worthy tool in proclaiming Your mercy.”