Dear Brothers and Sisters,
St. John Paul II made February 2nd the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple 40 days after his birth, a World Day of Prayer for Consecrated life consecrated life twenty-six years ago, and it’s working. At least for the Carmelite nuns in Morristown who are cloistered where there used to be five of them in their 80’s and now they there is fifteen and another house in Malta. They spend their day in silence and in prayer. Behind closed doors, eating only what people bring to them. And you couldn’t find a more cheerful bunch of nuns, young women mostly in their twenties.
These words of God to Jeremiah speaks to all of us but in a special way speaks to them. God says to them and us: before you were conceived I knew you, I chose you, I predestined you, I consecrated you, which means I set you apart for something fabulous, totally unique. If you read this first chapter of Jeremiah, now you hear only four verses, you’ll see that he had many objections: I’m too young, I’m too inexperienced, find somebody else. And yet he turns out to be one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament. So think about these words, brothers, they are words for you and me!!. You’ve been called by God today.
It’s wonderful how in the Bible the word tomorrow does not exist. Give us today our daily bread, not tomorrow. If you hear his voice, today not tomorrow, do not harden your hearts. Jesus says to the good thief today you will be with me in paradise, not tomorrow. To Zacchaeus he says, salvation comes to this house today, not tomorrow.
Yes, God speaks to us today now! And how is your today, how is your reality? Is there something you cannot accept, is there some resentment in your heart that you can’t let go of?? Some anxiety that never seems to leave you?? God comes for us today, we can meet him today, at this moment month, if you believe this.
He also comes for the poor as we heard last week. Who were the poor ones? The ones were lacking something. Maybe they see they can’t love, or they can’t forgive, or they have no gratitude, or they have no peace. Offer our Lord your weaknesses. That’s all he wants. What else do we have?
This week we offer a series of catecheses, of talks, to help us to see our reality, and to know that we are loved by God. No matter what we’ve done in the past or what we did today or yesterday, we are loved by God. Take advantage of this, brothers and sisters, and common listen, come and listen like Namaan. God tells him through a prophet to do something very simple: to wash in the Jordan seven times. At first, he refuses but then he goes and his leprous skin becomes like a baby’s. God never asks us to do anything difficult; he tells us today to come and listen. And little-by-little you will see your life changes that has been our experience!
