Today's Ornament of Grace for Sunday of the Third Week of Advent is Jeremiah the Prophet.
James 5:7-10
Be patient… until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer awaits the precious yield of the soil. He looks forward to it patiently while the soil receives the winter and the spring rains. You, too, must be patient. Steady your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is at hand… As your models in suffering hardships and in patience… take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Jeremiah, because he had a tender heart and cared about his people, is sometimes called the “Weeping Prophet.” He did weep before the Lord as we might in challenging times, but he did whatever God asked of him. When the Chosen People did not listen to God’s truth, Jeremiah patiently waited in great suffering for God’s redemption.
Born into a priestly family around 650 BC in a town just northeast of Jerusalem, Jeremiah heard God’s call as a young man. He felt that call as if it were a burning fire within him. Trying to resist, he told God he was too young and could not speak for Him. But God assured young Jeremiah that He would put His words into the prophet’s mouth; so, Jeremiah accepted his call, trusting God.
Jeremiah lived during a period of transition in the Near East. The Assyrians had been the world power for about two hundred years, but, as with all world powers, their empire declined. Tiny Judah, which had been under Assyrian control, realized a brief bit of independence. Babylonia, which includes present-day Iraq and parts of Syria, emerged as the strongest power in the region.
The Babylonians had been decent to Judah, though they expected payment because they provided protection from other invaders. During the reign of good King Josiah, the tribute arrangement worked out. After Josiah’s death, his son Jehoiakim refused to pay tribute to the Babylonians. Jeremiah told the King to pay tribute and all would be well; the prophet also warned that, if Jehoiakim did not pay tribute, Judah would be destroyed.
The King did not listen, but he died before he saw total disaster. His son then assumed the throne and also refused to listen to God’s guidance through Jeremiah. So, the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem; the King of Judah surrendered and went into exile with many of his subjects. The lucky ones died in the battle. Jeremiah’s word had proved true. Yet, the faithful prophet had to live through the attack, watch Jerusalem be destroyed, and see his people taken into captivity,
For forty years, Jeremiah suffered intensely to bring God’s message to all who would listen. Early on, his own family wanted to kill him. Over and over, he was beaten, attacked, threatened by kings, mocked, thrown into jail, and even left to die in an empty well. God rescued him, not from suffering, but from death, and Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry continued – alone. God had commanded him not to marry or have children, so even that comfort was denied him.
Though he argued with God, weeping before Him many times, Jeremiah continued to urge the people of God to listen to their Maker. Moreover, he gave them hope for the future. He wanted them to wait for the refreshing rains that would pour salvation into the world. He told them, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
OBSERVING THE BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS
How can the virtue of Hope help us to patiently prepare the soil of our
Learn More
Heart to Heart, a Catholic Media Ministry: htoh.us
420 W County Line Rd, Suite 200
Barrington, IL 60010
Submit a prayer request: htoh.us/prayers
Support our ministry with a financial gift: htoh.us/donate
