Lent is facing rejection

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40 Shades of Lent by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday in the Second Week of Lent, 28 February 2024
Jeremiah 18:18-20     <*[[[[>< + + + ><]]]]*>     Matthew 20:17-28

Lord God our Father, 
your words today are too heavy, 
so difficult to grasp 
as they seem to be totally 
unrelated with each other 
until they showed me 
a frightening reality -
that Lent is facing rejection,
of hearing our enemies
speak strongly against us.

The people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem said, “Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah. It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests nor of counsel from the wise nor of messages from the prophets. And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue; let us carefully note his every word.”

Jeremiah 18:18

Like Jeremiah, 
so many times 
we have cried to you 
his very same words, 
"Must good be repaid 
with evil that they should dig 
a pit to take my life?" 
(Jeremiah 18:20).

In the gospel today, 
the other ten disciples 
heard the mother of James 
and John asking Jesus 
to sit her sons on his right 
and his left in his kingdom,
making them "indignant"
of their fellow disciples 
baring their selfish plans 
before their faces
to supersede them, 
to outsmart them.

Many times, 
O Lord, 
it happens to us, 
when before us 
those we consider as friends, 
as colleagues have motives 
of getting ahead of us, 
of dominating us, 
of ruling over us.

It is painful and sickening 
of how people are preoccupied 
with themselves 
like the enemies of Jeremiah 
and the brothers James and John!

Remind us, Jesus, 
that we only share 
in your grace of being saved, 
of being redeemed 
as beloved children of the Father; 
when we hear harsh, 
nasty words against us; 
when people are so hard 
against us for whatever reasons; 
when people compete with us 
if there is no competition at all; 
when we are face-to-face with rejections, 
let us hold on more  to you, 
Lord; in your kindness, save us!

Help me, Jesus, 
to be your faithful servant, 
called to serve not to be served; 
called to ministry 
not to me-nistry of popularity; 
most of all, 
let me be anchored in your Cross, 
of being like you, 
obedient to the Father 
for his glory.  
Amen.