Newton Basumatari csc –
Readings: Jer 1: 17-19; Mk 6: 17-29
I believe that when we listen to God and follow his statutes, he will never abandon us. However, at times we feel that God has abandoned us, especially when we face problems and challenges in our lives, when our family members are in a critical situation in the hospital, when we are misunderstood by our friends and people around us, and when we face economic problems. These are the moments when I felt that God abandoned me.
But the first reading of today gave me an assurance and courage to face the challenges in my life. God is assuring Jeremiah that he will be with him, and that God will deliver him from all the challenges that he will face in his journey. Similarly, in the gospel, we see John the Baptist who stood for truth, challenged Herod’s evil deeds, and had to face death. Very often in our society, we suppressed the people who stood for truth.
Sometimes it is difficult to accept the truth and we ignore it. Today we are invited to stand for the truth because God will never abandon us when we stand on his side, as he had promised Jeremiah.