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Jeremiah 31: 1-7
At that time, says the LORD,
I will be the God of all the tribes of Israel,
and they shall be my people.
Thus says the LORD:
The people that escaped the sword
have found favor in the desert.
As Israel comes forward to be given his rest,
the LORD appears to him from afar:
With age-old love I have loved you;
so I have kept my mercy toward you.
Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin Israel;
Carrying your festive tambourines,
you shall go forth dancing with the merrymakers.
Again you shall plant vineyards
on the mountains of Samaria;
those who plant them shall enjoy the fruits.
Yes, a day will come when the watchmen
will call out on Mount Ephraim:
“Rise up, let us go to Zion,
to the LORD, our God.”
For thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel.
The Word of the Lord.
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What is your image of God like?
Is he a distant figure, somewhere over the rainbow? Someone you turn to in times of desperation? Or an intimate friend?
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In our first reading, the Lord proclaims through the prophet, Jeremiah, “With age-old love I have loved you.”
God’s love for you is “age-old.”
Literally, “unchanging; without beginning or end.”
Meaning, there’s nothing you can do to earn God’s love, nor anything you can do to lose it.
When we’re stuck in a darkened valley – a rut made from our own sinfulness – God still loves us.
When we doubt his existence; when we live life on our own terms; when we take the wheel and put God in the passenger seat, God still loves us.
When we forget to pray, God does not forget us.
When we cry out in our need; when we serve him in our neighbor; when we praise him in gratitude, God loves us… But no more than those moments when we’ve fallen away.
His love is impartial; unchanging; without beginning or end.
Age-old.
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Perhaps this is something to ponder today: Wherever you are on your journey, God is there… There’s nothing you need to do to bridge the distance; no penance needed to smooth things over; no word to wake him.
Simply acknowledge his love for you, and love him in return.
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Image credits: (1) Sewickley Presbyterian Church (2) Better Place Forests (3) heartlight.org