27 July 2020
Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Strange and memorable is the image of covenantal relationship found in the reading from Jeremiah today: a loincloth. Tunics, shawls, shirts, these are all articles of clothing which could convey the closeness of relationship between God and the People. But all of those articles of clothing could rather easily be passed on, sold, or shared with another person. Like today’s toothbrush, the loincloth stands in contrast to shirts and shawls as uniquely belonging to one person, not to be sold, shared, or passed on. So, too, the Chosen People whom Jeremiah addresses are to see how deeply they have a unique claim on the heart of God.
Furthermore, just as clothing requires personal care and attention in order to stay in good shape, so too the Chosen People need the personal and caring relationship which God offers in the covenant. When Jeremiah hides his loincloth in the rocks beside the waters of the Perath, the loincloth is a goner. The rocks won’t keep it clean. The nearby waters only provide the conditions for mold to grow. When Jeremiah comes back, the loincloth, separated from his personal care has now rotted.
The key difference between the People and the cloth, of course, is freedom. The garment has no say in where it is placed, or how close it stays to the person. We, on the other hand, have the awesome power to draw closer to, or further from, the Lord. Let us ask for the grace to choose what leads us closer to the Lord, what gives Him the glory in our lives, so that we might be open to the deep personal care and love which He offers to us.