23 Mar 2011, Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent

Reading 1
Jer 18:18-20

The people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem said,
“Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah.
It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests,
nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets.
And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue;
let us carefully note his every word.”

Heed me, O LORD,
and listen to what my adversaries say.
Must good be repaid with evil
that they should dig a pit to take my life?
Remember that I stood before you
to speak in their behalf,
to turn away your wrath from them.

Ps 31:5-6, 14, 15-16
Responsorial PsalmR. (17b)

Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
You will free me from the snare they set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
I hear the whispers of the crowd, that frighten me from every side,
as they consult together against me, plotting to take my life.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
But my trust is in you, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
In your hands is my destiny; rescue me
from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.

Gospel
Mt 20:17-28

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem,
he took the Twelve disciples aside by themselves,
and said to them on the way,
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests
and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death,
and hand him over to the Gentiles
to be mocked and scourged and crucified,
and he will be raised on the third day.”

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She answered him,
“Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.”
Jesus said in reply,
“You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
He replied,
“My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left,
this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Meditation: Jeremiah 18:18-20

“Remember that I stood before you to speak in their behalf.” (Jeremiah 18:20)


God sent Jeremiah to the people living in Judah, who had turned far from him. He called Jeremiah to urge the people away from worshipping other gods and to remind them that they belong to him alone. For his trouble, Jeremiah endured contempt and ridicule. He lost his family and friends. And he even suffered attempts on his life.

Treachery, deceit, and betrayal are painful goads that can provoke us to self-pity or a lust for revenge. But rather than follow these paths, Jeremiah entered into a series of intimate conversations with God (Jeremiah 12:1-17; 14:10-22; 17:12-18; 18:18-23; 20:7-18). Sometimes he ranted. Sometimes he complained. But he stayed humble as he asked God for wisdom and strength. And God didn’t mind that Jeremiah was so blunt and open with him. He could tell that Jeremiah wasn’t turning away from him&mash;he just needed some answers (20:12).

This was the kind of relationship with the Lord that Jeremiah urged the people of Judah to pursue. He wanted them to be just as open and honest with God as he was&mash;and as obedient. He wanted their relationship to be fluid as well, with thoughts, desires, and promises flowing back and forth between God and themselves. This kind of relationship could sustain them in difficulties, allow them to withstand temptation, and encourage them to stand firm.

As with so many other Old Testament stories, the story of Jeremiah speaks to us today as well. It describes the kind of relationship that God wants to have with us: open, honest, fluid, and intimate. He wants us to feel comfortable telling him everything&mash;just as we should be willing to hear everything he has to say to us.

So don’t be afraid to be yourself with God. Share your ups and downs, your complaints, doubts, and grumbles, with him. He won’t be offended. Just be sure that you are open to hearing his answers! Your Father cares about every detail of your life. Even now, he is waiting to talk with you about everything and anything!

“Father, I want to talk to you as Jeremiah did. Let me hear your voice and experience your presence today.”