Why oh Why?

By -

So here are two interesting questions that God asks each of us in the Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 2 (Verses 5 & 11):

He wants to know what fault we have found in him that would cause us to walk away from him and go after things that leave us empty.

And, he wants to know why we have exchanged our greatness in having been made in his image to go after useless things.

Wow.  How will you answer these questions?

God tells us through Jeremiah that the "empty idols" we chase after every day will simply leave us empty.  In other words, if we expect to find peace in our lives, the things of this world are not going to supply it.  Ultimately, our separation from God will leave us anxious, worldly, angry, immoral and isolated in a wasteland of drought and darkness!

Since none of that sounds good, we might want to rethink where we are spiritually.  Do we really believe that God exists?  Do we turn to him everyday and count on him walking with us through our decisions, commitments and relationships?

Do we think God is relevant to our daily lives?

Do we join with other believers to help support them and receive the help from them we need to remain faithful? 
Do we reject those things that are tempting but not good for us?
Do we see those around us who are hungry or in need and move to help?
Do we fully support our churches and the ministries they do, sacrificing our own wants to do so?
Do we pray for those who have died, those who are dying, or those in need of comfort and healing?

Once we start letting go of those empty idols we seek, and replace them with acts of true discipleship, an added benefit is that our own loneliness or sense of hopelessness will begin to lift as we begin to help others.

God asked through Jeremiah, "Why?"  "Why have you withdrawn from me?"

Indeed, why would we seek things that cannot satisfy and why would we trade our "glory" to go after "useless things?"  

Why would we remain idle, stagnant in our life?

Only you can answer that for yourself.  I would encourage you to read this chapter in Jeremiah (in the Old Testament) and reflect on your life and where you are searching for fulfillment.  Let God speak to you in the quiet of your heart and raise you up to the glory that you have through him.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.com

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Memorare

By Helen Gonsalves -
Image
This popular prayer, a favorite of many Catholics, dates back to the 15th century and takes its name from the first Latin word of the prayer, "memorare," which means "remember." The Memorare is of unknown authorship, although it has been attributed to St. Augustine (354-430), St. John Chrysostom (c. 347-407) and, with more reason, to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090-1153). St. Bernard's sermons on Mary were famous, and it was his Cistercian monks in the monastery of Citeaux in the 12th century who popularized the name "Our Lady" for Mary. The Memorare has also been attributed to the French cleric Claude Bernard (1588-1641), known as the "poor priest" of Paris, whose homilies contain passages that echo its words. No matter who wrote this prayer, it was Father Bernard who did much to popularize it, teaching it in hospitals and prisons, where Mary's intercession was effective in working miracles of grace. The first manuscript of the Mem
Read more

'Greater Love: Richie Fernando SJ', a joy-filled Filipino missionary

By -
Image
 I haven't been able to post for more than a week as I was giving an eight-day directed retreat to eight sisters of the Missionaries of Charity near Manila. While I had some access to the internet it was rather slow. I had intended to make a post here on the murder of Fr Fausto Tentorio PIME , a 59-year-old Italian priest, in the Diocese of Kidapawan, Mindanao, on Monday 17 October. I will save that post for a later date. As I was looking for a video about Father Fausto I came across one about Brother Richard Michael 'Richie' Fernando SJ, a Filipino Jesuit scholastic who died while trying to prevent a troubled and disabled young man in Cambodia from throwing a grenade. That was in 1996 - on 17 October. Father Fausto gave his life exactly 15 years later. I remember the mixture of sorrow and pride I felt when I read of the death of Brother Richie, pride as a missionary in the Philippines that a young Filipino seminarian had given his life so spontaneously in order to sav
Read more

Why Modesty Is Not Subjective

By -
Image
Hi there, ya'll!  The modest fashion world is one very diverse place.  Even among Catholics, the definition of "modest apparel" can vary greatly from person to person.  Recently I joined a Facebook group that advertised itself as a haven for Catholic women of all ages to share ideas for modest style and makeup and was hoping to learn more about modesty from my fellow Catholic sisters.  After a few days of being a member, though, I sadly left the group feeling a bit discouraged.  No two members seemed to agree on ANY aspect of modesty whatsoever, and the prevailing theme of the whole group was that modesty is subjective, it means something different for each woman and each woman gets to decide what she considers is "modest".  One woman very emphatically declared that she wears bikinis every summer to the beach and doesn't feel that this violates the virtue of modesty in the least.  The same woman also announced that she was never going to caution her d
Read more