Homily: Fifth Friday of Lent
Fifth Friday of Lent (Jeremiah 20:10-13) “The Risk of Speaking Out”
The Prophet Jeremiah is said to have had a life story that is very similar to the life story of Jesus. He prophesized to the people of Judah before the city of Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians in 650 B.C.
The rulers of Judah were desperately trying to save the city. They thought if they capitulated to the demands of the Babylonians, they could save themselves.
The people of Jerusalem were also committing the sin of idolatry. Jeremiah pointed out the people’s disloyalty to the one true God. He warned that Judah would be lost if there was not religious revival in the land. He was very pointed in his criticism. He thought that God was telling him to proclaim this message.
When preachers point out the sins of their congregations, they are not usually very popular. The people grew angry with the nagging of Jeremiah. He was threatened, insulted, ridiculed, beaten, imprisoned and thrown into a cistern. He could have stopped preaching. At times he wanted very much to do so. But each time he felt God prodding him to speak. He could not help himself.
Jesus warned of the destruction of Jerusalem as well. He warned against injustice and the abuse of power. He criticized those who were selfish and ignored the poor. Jesus, like Jeremiah, was not very popular with those who ruled the City of Jerusalem and the Land of Israel.
Jesus was prompted by the Father to speak. He could have turned a deaf ear to the promptings of the Spirit. He could have saved himself, but he chose to continue to preach.
We will feel this inner tension of Jesus as we live through Palm Sunday and Holy Week. At times we want to say to Jesus, just be quiet and save yourself. But we know that he would not listen to such voices. Jesus, like Jeremiah, sacrificed his own selfish interests in order to follow God’s designs. Our challenge is to try to follow God’s plan rather than our own as well.
Reflection Questions:
- Have I ever wanted to stop someone from making a big personal sacrifice in order to help others? Who was that and what was the circumstance?
- Has someone tried to talk me out of a course of action which would have been a risk to my personal security? Were they right in the end?
Dear Parishioners,
This weekend we will be able to have a Palm Sunday procession for the first time in two years. We will really have two processions. One will be during the 4 p.m. Mass on Saturday and the other will be at the 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday. We will meet in the Memorial Garden and read the story of Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. We will also bless the palms before we march to the church.
At the 9:15 a.m. Mass we will be asking the children to process around the church with the altar servers and priests at the beginning of the service. I hope that many people will be able to take part in these activities as we enter into Holy Week.
May our Lady of Peace intercede for the people of Ukraine this day.
Fr. Mark