Author: admin

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I’m sure we all know the feeling of being heavy burdened.

When life is hard, our faith can be the first thing that’s tested, which is why the prophet Jeremiah is such an important role model for us. 

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When the Lord first chose him to be a prophet, he was young and idealistic, ready to save the world.

As he once said, “When I read your words, I devoured them, O Lord! They became my joy and the happiness of my heart!” 

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But after several years in ministry, Jeremiah begins to tire, questioning his faith. Is it really worth it? Was this all a mistake?

This is where we find him in our first reading, questioning; tired and distressed.

He’s discovered his own friends are plotting to kill him because he’s criticized their way of living; they hate his message of repentance.

“Let us destroy him,” they say. 

Knowing his life is in danger, Jeremiah still preaches the truth, because the Word of God is like a fire in his bones; he cannot hold it in. 

Even if it costs him his life, he will serve the Lord.

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That’s a man of faith. 

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It’s also what Jesus calls his disciples to be at their very core: men and women of faith who don’t run when life is difficult.

Rather, they dig in and pray.

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There was a trend some years ago where people wore bracelets with the letters WWJD stitched onto them. 

WWJD…….What. Would. Jesus. Do?

That little bracelet was a persistent, public reminder that we Christians are called to act out our faith. Sounds like a great idea.

But the trend faded quickly. 

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Perhaps people realized just how hard acting like Jesus can be. 

I was always too afraid to wear one. What would people think of me if they caught me red handed contradicting my faith, impatiently rushing to the front of the line? Gossiping? Telling a lie?

Perhaps there’s some irony in the fact that now I’m walking around in a priestly collar.

That white tab pressed against my Adam’s apple is like one big WWJD bracelet, a public reminder that I’m called to act like Christ.

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But we all are. 

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That’s the challenge in today’s Gospel.

Jesus criticized the religious authorities of his day because they failed to do so. They spoke eloquently of God but didn’t always act like him.

“Therefore,” he says, “do and observe all the things they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.”

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How well do we practice our faith? Can people see Christ clearly in us? Or is he somehow obscured?

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Although those WWJD bracelets are out of style, they make a timeless point.

We should constantly question, “What would Jesus do?” Then act accordingly.

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I was teaching up the hill at our parish school last week and asked the middle school kids a simple question: “What are you giving up for Lent?”

Answers ranged from, “Every drink except water and milk.” To, “chocolate, candy, and the incessant need to talk in class.”

One student even said, “Instead of giving something up, I’m choosing to pray every night.”

Loved that.

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But the most common answer was nothing. Unsure if they heard me, I’d ask again. Still, many students looked at me like I had two heads. 

“Give something up for Lent? Why do that? I’m doing nothing.”

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That’s not the answer I was hoping for. But if we dig a little deeper, perhaps they’re on to something.

Let’s do nothing for Lent.

But not in the sense they may have intended it; not in the sense of avoiding the Lord or our Christian duty to do penance.

Rather, let’s do nothing by sitting in front of the Lord without any other distractions. 

Imagine being still for 10 minutes a day, just waiting for the Lord to speak. 

No iPhone, no email, no children, no steering wheel in front of you. Just 10 minutes of silence. What might the Lord say?

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Perhaps he’ll clarify some of your future plans or bring to light an area of your life where he may be neglected.

Maybe the Lord will say nothing at all.

But the simple practice of taking the time to acknowledge that God is important and worthy of our time is itself a blessing.

Imagine that, doing nothing for 10 minutes a day during Lent.