February 28, 2024 Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
Memorial of St. Hilary
Daily Readings: Jeremiah 18:8–20, Matthew 20:17–28
Prophet Jeremiah is a reluctant beginner. He is not sure what God wants of him. Once he is convinced that the Lord God has a plan for him in the history of salvation, he embraces his ministry wholeheartedly. It is at this juncture that he faces the wrath of his people, who are hostile and unreceptive. They conspired against him. Jeremiah raises his concern with the Lord. He pleads for justice for himself. He is raising an existential question that many contemporary women and men of God ask: Is evil a recompense for good?
When God is angry, he reminds him of how many times he has pleaded for their cause. Humans forget their pasts easily. Their memory is meager and vague. We cannot expect them to remember what we've done to them for the remainder of their lives. We just have to acknowledge that when we are in a position to do something good, we will do it wholeheartedly, learn to forget it, and learn not to expect anything in return. Like the prophet Jeremiah, we have every right to complain to God. The Psalmist also expresses the same sentiment in Ps 31: "Save me, O Lord, in your kindness!
The Jewish religious authorities do not spare Jesus from their evil conspiracy, while he remains aware of the will of the Father. Unfortunately, Jesus' disciples—in this case, James and John's mother—are not in Jesus' shoes. She requested that her sons sit on either side of Jesus in his kingdom. Jesus tests the disciples to see if they have the ability and willingness to drink the cup of suffering.
When Jesus faces this unexpected turn of events with calmness, the other disciples are angry and display their displeasure. This is the difference between a person who follows the will of God and an undertrained trainee. Jesus closes the episode with a classical statement: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).
Call to Action for Catholic Living: Those who commit themselves to God and His mission in any way will have to face numerous challenges. Knowing it fully, will I still choose to dedicate my life to God and His people?
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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