In both readings today we get a glimpse of loneliness in the life of a prophet. The first reading is alluding to what happens to a prophet who preaches God’s message to people who don’t want to hear it. Jeremiah had witnessed what God was asking of the people, “Come out of your comfort zone and show love for your God by respecting and caring for the people of God.” Actually, those words describe the role of the prophet.
But, who of us wants to get yanked out of our comfort zone? Jeremiah is enduring pain and isolation because he is preaching God’s word. In today’s gospel, we see that Mrs. Zebedee certainly wants no suffering for her boys.
As prophets, we are asked to offer love with no conditions. When I listen to the daily news, I realize that our contemporary issues of political, nuclear, and verbal war are no different from the times of Jeremiah, Ezechiel, Hosea, or Isaiah. Circumstances and weapons of war and words differ, but the root of all the capital sins is fleshed out in open hostility. So, where do these issues leave us in 2024?
According to Jesus’ response to Mrs. Zebedee’s request of honor for her sons, we are asked to share in the pain of those suffering from indignities and injustices. “Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” Later, Jesus lists those sufferings in the works of mercy. So, what is our role as 21stcentury prophets?
· Being faithful in our prayer to discern how God wants us to respond with
wisdom, patience, and a just anger
· Feeding our minds with unbiased truth based on Jesus’ teachings
· Understanding individual personalities and backgrounds before making
choices
· Listening to what we need to hear instead of what we want to hear
· Reaching out to and helping the emotionally, spiritually and physically
hungry
Our takeaway from today’s Scripture readings is to sit face to face with God and ascertain where we need to step up in fulfilling our call to be prophet.