Monday, July 19, 2021
Of No Avail
What right has my beloved in my house, while she prepares her plots? A spreading olive tree, goodly to behold, the Lord has named you; now he sets fire to it, its branches burn.
Over the next few weeks we will explore the prophecy of Jeremiah, one in which we find “hopes and visions, doubts and hesitations, anger and resentment, arguments and pleading, persecution and rejection, perseverance and bonding”. (Senior 305) Today we look at the simple plea which each of us has uttered in our lives: Why do our sacrifices seem to be of no avail?
God says: I know that you are sometimes discouraged when you “do everything correctly” and still you feel unrewarded. You see many prosper who do not praise me and who, indeed, never even think of me. I see how this causes you pain. I also see that betrayal weighs so heavily on you that there are days when you cannot shift its heaviness. I understand that all of this may bring you sorrow but be patient with me. All is well even though you cannot see that it is. Bring your plaints to me and I will give you rest. Listen to my prophet Jeremiah and hear how he rails against me, and yet I love him still. As I also love you. I see the many sacrifices that you make for me and I assure you that although you believe them to be of no avail, each salvific action you make is in reality a precious moment to me. Your sacrifice is seen, heard, well-noted . . . and serves a greater purpose than you can imagine.
Enter the word sacrifice into the blog search bar and consider who, and how, and what, and why we sacrifice . . . and what we expect form God in return.
For more on this prophet and his prophecy, go to the Jeremiah – Person and Message page on this blog at: https://thenoontimes.com/the-book-of-our-life/the-old-testament/the-prophets/jeremiah-person-and-message/
Senior, Donald, ed. THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990.RG 304-305. Print.
Image from: http://iamthewordthecomforter.blogspot.com/2010/02/jeremiah-prophet-of-bible-warning-of.html
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