Reading of the Word of God

Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory

Whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.

Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory

Jeremiah 11,18-20

Yahweh informed me and I knew it; you then revealed their scheming to me. I for my part was like a trustful lamb being led to the slaughterhouse, not knowing the schemes they were plotting against me, 'Let us destroy the tree in its strength, let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name may no longer be remembered!' Yahweh Sabaoth, whose judgement is upright, tester of motives and thoughts, I shall see your vengeance on them, for I have revealed my cause to you.

Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory

If you believe, you will see the glory of God,
thus says the Lord.

Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory

The prophet Jeremiah was called by God--when he was still a young man--to the task of calling the people to return to the Lord. The prophet does not speak on his own from himself, not even his reflections. With God's eyes on history, he interprets the condition of the people. Denouncing Israel's sins and the subsequent betrayals of the covenant, God reveals to the prophet which he will have to say to the entire people. The prophet's preaching obviously arouses strong opposition. This is true for all prophets of yesterday and today. Jeremiah was hated by many for his words. Weighed down by his own people, an innocent victim, Jeremiah compares himself to a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter; an image present also in the fourth song of the Suffering Servant (Is 53:7) and referred to the Messiah who will be also persecuted. Jeremiah, though prostrated by suffering, continues to entrust his cause to the Lord. He knows that God is a righteous judge who "tries the heart and mind." These words and the example of Jeremiah help us to understand Jesus. In him we see all the prophets of yesterday and today who--despite the opposition of the evil one--continue to witness love and preach peace even at the cost of their lives.