Ordinary Time
January 24, 2022
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10
‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’
Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.’ But the Lord said to me,
‘Do not say, “I am only a boy”;
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
says the Lord.’
Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me,
‘Now I have put my words in your mouth.
See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.’
One of the few bright spots in our world today is the actions of youth and young adults to make the world we live in a better place. From world-renowned advocates for peace, Malala Yousaf and for climate change, Greta Thunberg, to Amanda Gorman who recited her poem, The Hill We Clime, at the Biden inauguration, young adults are taking responsibility for making the world a better place. There are also those who show up and take charge of the small, community-related issues. I saw a teenager filling holes in the streets in front of his home on TV a few months ago, and youth through their own initiative trying to end school shootings. Jeremiah was one such young adult who accepted the call to warn his nation of its folly. We can learn a lot from the study of the book of Jeremiah, and we can learn a lot from the example of the young people in our world today setting the example for us adults.
Prayer: Lord, let our light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven*. Amen.
*Derived from Matthew 5:16
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.