Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Our first reading today allows us into the intimate encounter between God and the prophet Jeremiah. We’re invited into God’s call on the life of this incredible prophet. What a privilege to read these words and to be part of this holy summons. It’s awe-inspiring! And . . . AND, God’s call is not for Jeremiah alone. God calls each and every one of us into ministry by virtue of our Baptism. Like Jeremiah, let us today give God our generous YES; let us respond to God’s call whatever our state in life, whatever our vocation.
Jeremiah testifies, “The word of the LORD came to me thus: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” Before God formed you in your mother’s womb, he knew you. Do you believe that? The psalmist David declares, “For you created my inmost being;you knit me togetherin my mother’s womb. I praise youbecause I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful . . . Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordainedfor me were written in your book before one of them came to be (Ps. 139:13-16). Can you trust and believe today that God has ordained all your days, that you were created for some definite purpose?
Circling back with Jeremiah, he said, “before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” You and I were not appointed to be a prophet to the nations like Jeremiah, but God did dedicate each of us for a specific calling, just like him. Might I invite you to listen for God’s voice, saying: “before you were born [insert in your name] I dedicated you, a [insert your vocation/calling/purpose] I appointed you.”
Now some of you may be objecting, questioning your abilities, worthiness, etc. You’re in good company! Jeremiah responded, “’Ah, Lord GOD!’ I said, ‘I know not how to speak; I am too young.’ But the LORD answered me, Say not, ‘I am too young.’ To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.” Whatever your calling, whatever your divine assignment, whatever your vocation, God is with you and will deliver you, safeguard you, lead you, speak to you, give you his heart. We can relax and lean into our calling, because after all, none of it is about us, it’s all about God! Anything we do is only and always by his grace. We fret and fear and worry and resist when we think we aren’t enough, when we question our abilities. All of that dissolves away when we take our focus off ourselves and look to the sacred heart of Jesus, trusting him to be our sufficiency and relying always and only on his grace.
In our Gospel today, Jesus tells us his Parable of the Sower. Consider this verse, “But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” As we live out our vocation, our call from God, our divine purpose, can we trust today that as we plant seeds of the Kingdom of Heaven, that God will bring the increase? It’s so freeing to know, to truly know, that it is God’s work to bring souls to conversion; it is God’s work to heal people; it is God’s work to bring folks to repentance, and on and on. We get to have the fun of being God’s instruments to accomplish his plans and purposes! It’s fun, it’s truly so fun to get out of the way, to take the focus off self and simply love and serve in joyful self-abandonment – to love and serve full of gratitude for all that God has done. When we get ourselves out of the way, God is free to flow in and through us. That’s when the power of our calling is unleashed. That’s when we can be used mightily of God just like the prophet Jeremiah. May God bless each one of us today in our surrender to the Father’s will and in offering our generous YES.
I’ll see you in the Eucharist,
Elizabeth Wells
