Reflection for Monday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time
(Jer 13:1-11; Mt 13:31-35)
The Prophet Jeremiah used a lot of parables and imageries to convey his message. In today’s readings, the Lord asked Jeremiah to buy a beautiful linen waistcloth and wear it. People saw him wearing it as he moved around. Then, the Lord asked him to hide the waistclothe under the rocks at Euphrates. After a while, he dug out the clothes, but termites have spoilt it. When people saw him wearing the tattered clothe, he said to them, “Thus says the Lord: Even so will I spoil the pride Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.” The prophet explained that as a waistcloth clings to the loins of a man, that was how the Lord attached Judah to himself, but they stubbornly follow their own hearts and worshipped idols. Therefore, they shall be rendered useless like the waistcloth eaten by termites.
Imagine losing one's beauty and usefulness because of stubbornness of heart towards the word of God. The word of God grows in our hearts like the little mustard seed that matures gradually into a giant tree, or the leaven that increases the flour. This is how the Kingdom of Heaven spreads amongst us. Therefore, all who listen to the word of God, and have this heavenly seed alive in their hearts, pay attention to little things and to the little ones! Such a person is useful and can be trusted both in small things and big ones.
So, the word of God makes us beautiful and useful like Jeremiah’s new linen waistcloth. We become attentive to little whisperings of the Holy Spirit within, responding promptly to small acts of charity, and we become sensitive and available to moments of acquiring grace. Our beauty and pride come from our close attachment to God like a waistcloth. Imagine how insensitive people are these days, to their real needs, and to the needs of those around them. When we can no more value and respond to little things, it is a sign that the little seed of the Kingdom is not growing in our hearts. Let the story of Jeremiah and the teachings of Jesus in the Gospel reawaken in our hearts to the growth of the Kingdom Heaven.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Monday July 27th, 2020.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
