Today in the first reading, we begin a journey through the book of the prophet Jeremiah. At the opening of the book, we read about the call of Jeremiah. Our Gospel reading is from Matthew 13, a chapter that is filled with the parables of Jesus. Today we read the parable of the sower.
When God calls Jeremiah, he instantly comes up with a couple of excuses as to why he cannot accept the assignment as prophet. “I know not how to speak; I am too young!†exclaims Jeremiah. But God sets him straight right away. “To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak.†Sorry, Jeremiah…you lose this argument.
Jeremiah, like Moses and many of the other prophets, simply didnâ€
t feel qualified to take on task that God had set out for him. Sound familiar? “Sorry, God, Iâ€ve got a job and a family. No time now!†“But Lord, Iâ€m such a sinner. Who would ever listen to me?†Have you ever heard the phrase, “God doesnâ€t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.†Itâ€s true! So answer His call, and heâ€ll make sure youâ€re qualified.
Father, we thank you for calling us by name. Help us to stop making excuses, and to more readily say yes to you when you call. Amen.
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