27 July 2022
Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Among the most common critiques of religion is that piety pacifies believers into their lot in life, to make as comfortable as possible those who would otherwise find this world too hostile. Certainly, believers can be tempted toward this aberration of their faith, but the readings today show authentic Christianity breaking that mold.
For Jeremiah, the Word of God doesn’t give tranquility but a summons so great it agitates to the point of making its reciever groan. The prophet cries out, “[u]nder the weight of your hand I sat alone because you filled me with indignation. Why is my pain continuous, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become for me a treacherous brook, whose waters do not abide!” The Lord shows us our vulnerability, does not mollify our need but makes it more ardent.
The Gospel takes this same pathos-filled principle but in the direction of joy. The Kingdom of God is so destabilizing, so raucous that any level-headed person would sell everything they have to attain it. The best possible thing any possession of ours can be is an accessory, enabling us to receive the Kingdom or serve it more faithfully. Today’s readings asks us to prayerfully discern what makes our life more comfortable so that, if necessary, we can repurpose it or even rid ourselves of it without hesitation in order to serve the Lord, the One who is the principal and foundation of our life.