Reading I
Jer 20:10-13
I hear the whisperings of many:
“Terror on every side!
Denounce! let us denounce him!”
All those who were my friends
are on the watch for any misstep of mine.
“Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,
and take our vengeance on him.”
But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.
In their failure they will be put to utter shame,
to lasting, unforgettable confusion.
O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,
who probe mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.
Sing to the LORD,
praise the LORD,
For he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the wicked!
Gospel
Jn 10:31-42
The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.
Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father.
For which of these are you trying to stone me?”
The Jews answered him,
“We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy.
You, a man, are making yourself God.”
Jesus answered them,
“Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, AYou are gods”‘?
If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came,
and Scripture cannot be set aside,
can you say that the one
whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world
blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me;
but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me,
believe the works, so that you may realize and understand
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
Then they tried again to arrest him;
but he escaped from their power.
He went back across the Jordan
to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.
Many came to him and said,
“John performed no sign,
but everything John said about this man was true.”
And many there began to believe in him.
Meditation: Jeremiah 20:10-13
Have you ever felt like people were out to get you?
Or maybe you have felt as though someone has worked to undermine or mock you. Well, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re in good company. All three of today’s readings show heroes of the faith—Jeremiah, David, and Jesus—responding to public smearing, threats, and betrayal.
So how do you respond when you find yourself in a situation like this? Do you echo Jeremiah’s plea: “O Lord of hosts … Let me witness the vengeance you take on them” (Jeremiah 20:12)? Or do you follow Jesus’ words: “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:44-45)?
Place yourself in Jeremiah’s shoes. He had been given the heavy task of proclaiming prophecies of judgment on his wayward family, friends, and countrymen. He prayed to the Lord to have mercy, but the people repaid him with plots to kill him. In fact, Jeremiah’s prayer in today’s first reading follows the discovery of a second plot to kill him!
Although Jeremiah adds a sharp, vengeful little request in his prayer, he nonetheless exemplifies an admirable response to injustice and malice. He takes his broken heart to God. And this sign of trust pleased the Lord deeply. He comforted Jeremiah, gave him strength for his task, and even rescued him from “the power of the wicked” who were out to get him (Jeremiah 20:13).
Do you believe that you can go to your Father in just the same way? It’s true. It won’t upset him to hear your frustration. And it’s much better to let it out than to keep it inside. God knows your heart, and he is always ready to give you his heart as you pour out yours to him.
As you try this open, two-way approach, you will begin to see your prayers of anger and frustration turn into prayers of compassion and mercy. Give God the time, and he will transform you!
“Father, I trust that you will be patient with me when I share my heart with you. Please hear my prayer, and teach me the way of love and forgiveness.”
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