Sometimes, You Just Feel Like Jeremiah

“Jeremiah” was one of my nicknames early on in my formation. A priest, whom I deeply respect and admire, began to call me that. He explained that Jeremiah complained a lot and that I reminded him of the prophet. Sometimes, we all feel like Jeremiah in the first reading. He was following God’s instructions to go and preach about the imminent destruction of Jerusalem. It was not a popular message. For his trouble, they sent him down a cistern. At the bottom of the cistern, he had to wallow in mud. To top it all off, he risked dying of starvation. It was a miserable situation. Sometimes, we can all feel like Jeremiah.

Jeremiah was saddened by his troubles when he focused on himself. We all have the temptation to do the same. One of the dominant characteristics of our society is to have a victim mentality. We think “woe is me” and come up with a series of things we can complain about. As human beings, we tend to be finicky. We can complain about everything. It is always too hot, too cold, too muggy, or too dry.

Settling for Less

Recently, I heard a story about a Protestant church in England. They noticed that attendance was dropping and wanted to figure out what to do about it. So, they brought in a media company, which left a series of suggestions. They needed to change out the pews for theatre seating. The pews were too hard and unwelcoming. They needed to install air conditioning. People were getting hot during the sermon, and that was driving them away. Finally, they had to get rid of the large cross hanging in the front. The cross, sacrifice, abnegation… these were all concepts from the past and needed to be swept away.

Jeremiah’s audience didn’t want to hear hard truths, and often neither do we. But the words of Jesus destroy our excuses.

Enthusiasm From the Cross

How different it could be if we knew what the message of Jesus on the cross means! We are not a movie theatre. We don’t come to Mass looking to be entertained, as if it were the latest Superman movie. The problem is that we are missing motivation. Jesus is not an interesting preacher with a fascinating message. He is the savior of the world.

We can catch some of that enthusiasm by getting into the meaning of the Gospel.

I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! (Lk. 12:49)

Jesus has passion in his voice. He shows his motivation. Jesus came to earth for one reason: to rescue you and me from Hell. He is not a guru or a wise man or anything like that. He is our Savior. His Cross stands between us and perdition. For him, it is no joke. It is not a part-time occupation. It is everything.

More than a Superhero

Every superhero that we get to know pales in comparison with Jesus Christ. He gives everything to save us from eternal death. Jeremiah seems pretty dejected in the first reading. Even though Jesus had to suffer much more, we never get the same impression of him. He is fully dialed in to the mission of saving us from sin and death.

We need to have some of that fire in our belly. We need to live in such a way that there is passion, excitement. Have you caught on to the fact that Jesus saved you from a horrible fate? If not, think about it. Come to the realization of what he did and why he did it. Then, go out into the world and preach with your example to others. We should all be able to repeat the words Jesus proclaims in today’s Gospel.

I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! (Lk. 12:49)

Pope Leo XIV, our great missionary, shows that he has a special place in his heart for the missions and for missionaries.

The promotion of apostolic zeal among the People of God remains an essential aspect of the Church’s renewal as envisioned by the Second Vatican Council, and is all the more urgent in our own day. Our world, wounded by war, violence and injustice, needs to hear the Gospel message of God’s love and to experience the reconciling power of Christ’s grace. In this sense, the Church herself, in all her members, is increasingly called to be “a missionary Church that opens its arms to the world, proclaims the word … and becomes a leaven of harmony for humanity” (Homily, Mass for the Beginning of the Pontificate, 18 May 2025). (Pope Leo XIV, 22 May 2025).

News of wars, violence, and hunger can dishearten us. Yet as Christians, we must always remember the great mission that we have to preach Christ in this world. Even if you feel like Jeremiah in the mud, let the fire of Christ burn in you – and set the world ablaze.

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