3 February 2019 - Fourth Sunday in ordinary time - Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19; Luke 4:21-30

      I have a notebook in which I write down different sayings and Bible passages that I use for reference, especially in writing homilies.  I wrote a note several years ago of a saying that I noticed scrawled on a whiteboard in the chapel of the federal prison in Yazoo City where I served as the Catholic chaplain.  It said this – “Do not judge today based on the harvest that you reap – rather, look at today based upon the number of seeds that you sow.” 

          I can imagine this saying having a particular meaning to the prophet Jeremiah and the circumstances of today’s first reading.  Jeremiah feels destined and called to be a prophet.  God told Jeremiah that even before he was formed in his mother's womb, God knew him and chose him to be a prophet not only for the people of Israel, but also for all the nations.

         As comforting and hopeful as God’s message sounds to us today, of choosing Jeremiah as a prophet, God warns Jeremiah of the opposition and resistance his prophetic message will incur from the people. God tells him to prepare himself and arise, to tighten his belt and to get ready for action.  What a frightening message for Jeremiah to hear.  However, God tells him that he will protect him in the midst of this, that God will make him a pillar of iron, a fortified city able to withstand the enemy attacks.  God promises Jeremiah that his enemies will not prevail, that Jeremiah will be delivered. 

       Jeremiah continued to sow seeds in the lives of the people, even in the midst of difficult circumstance. He brought God’s message to the people and proclaimed the kingdom of God to all.  We, too, are called to sow seeds with our lives, to have God’s message affect how we live in the world, and to have that message change and renew the world in both little and big ways.

       Last week, we spoke about the Catholic service appeal. Our contributions to the Catholic Service Appeal sow a lot of seeds in our parish and throughout our Diocese.  If you have already given to the appeal this year, we thank you.  If you have not, please consider contributing to the Catholic Service Appeal in the next few weeks.