you are a just judge - 4th week lent saturday

Our first reading is the referred to by commentators as the Confessions of Jeremiah.  This is called the confessions because like the book, the confessions of St. Augustine this passage speaks of the deepest feelings of the prophet.  It is a prayer of trust where the prophet opens his heart to the Lord and pours his deepest emotions and inner complaint to God.  The prayer expresses to God the confusion of his heart when he sees the wicked prosper and thrive, while he who did what he could to serve God, he who served God all his life, suffer many hardships and trials. And if we continue reading this passage in our first reading we will see God’s reply.  And it would seem that God shows little sympathy to what Jeremiah felt.  Instead of giving the prophet consolations God said something like, “Ok you are suffering, don’t worry, more sufferings will come, so brace yourself.”

Many times we idealize prayer saying, just pray and God will console you, God is tender and loving, he will surely help you.  But many times in reality it does not happen that way.  Well at least it did not happen to Jeremiah.  And so how do you explain that? 

You could not.  Jeremiah could not and thus his confusion.

This season of lent we have attuned our ears to words like dying, suffering, passion, death, cross, ashes, blood, lashes, thorns.  These are not pleasant words.  These are not consoling words.  These are confusing words to people who came to religion precisely for comfort and consolation.  We do not pretend to have an explanation for everything. We can only affirm our faith like Jeremiah – you are a just judge, you are the searcher of heart and mind, to you I have entrusted my cause.