Sometimes, we need to tell God that is not easy to carry the cross. Want to know the right size for you to be in discipleship? When it is difficult to carry the cross.
In last Sunday’s liturgy , we saw that the prophet Jeremiah was in a whimper, that he had been seduced by God. As the prophet is murmuring or complaining, inside is the love of God who seduced him. For Jeremiah, it was not easy. The context of the book of Jeremiah is terrible because he went through great conflicts, yet he says, “you persuaded me, Lord, and I let myself be seduced; You were strong, you had more power. I became the target of derision all day, all scoff at me “(Jeremiah 20.7).
God’s silence hurts. If there is something that makes us suffer in life and that makes us wonder, it is the silence of God. Praying is not taking something from God, but predisposes us for what God has for us.
How many times have we passed the same difficulty that Jeremiah encountered from not being understood by people. But God understands us. Nobody builds a spiritual house from one moment to the next.
The silence of God is not when I don’t have the answers which I want now. God gives the answers. Silence does not mean absence. The spiritual edifice is built gradually. We were already seduced by God, but where do we need to persevere? We are all called in our vocations.
When I was a seminarian every day was a tremendous struggle. We should pray, “Lord let me be seduced by you.” In our weakness, God does not despise us. God alone was the Lamb without blemish. But remember, whoever is not seduced by God, becomes a person without faith!
Jeremiah was devoted. To serve God is to put oneself at the disposal of the Lord without requirement. Sometimes we approach Jesus and we begin with our demands. Whoever wants to serve God must put himself on the cross. God did not come to do my will, but am I to put myself in God’s will.
In the desert the devil appeared to Jesus, he also disguises himself as what is most mundane to help us to stray from the plan of God.
The friends of God suffer more because the enemy does not want to lose us. Evil strives to disturb the intimacy of communion we have with God. I know many people that when they come to church and they encounter difficulties, they say: “Lord, it seems my life has worsened.” But God is not the enemy. It’s time to say: “Seduce Me Lord”.
In last Sunday’s Gospel Jesus says: “Go away Satan.” We also need to have the courage to say: “Go away from me jealousy! Depart from me omission! Depart from me Satan! “
St. Peter was used by evil because he let himself be led by the logic of the world and not be led the logic of God. Where is our logic? Are we letting ourselves be seduced by the world? It’s time to pray with our truth: “Lord us not easy to be live our vocation”
Jesus says: “If anyone would come after me, take up his cross!” If someone is without a cross, how will he will follow Jesus? People say they want to follow Jesus, but do not want to suffer, do not want to renounce sins, much less confess or change their lives.
If you are walking behind Jesus without the cross, Jesus is not who you are following. Take up your cross! Some young people go to seminary to acquire power, and there are even catechists go to church just to get out of the house. We can not use the Church to satisfy our ego.
Are you willing to give up the project you created thinking it was of God?
Have the courage to renounce selfishness, renounce the positions of the Church to promote yourself. Priest, seminarian layman if you have not offered yourself to God in sacrifice, you are not living your vocation. If you want to grow in the spiritual life, offer your life in sacrifice. You might think: “I have nothing more to offer.” But we always have two fish and five loaves to offer. I give you a spiritual direction: confess at least once a month, to see if you doing the will of God, seek the sacraments.
Father Reginaldo Manzotti
Rector do Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe – Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
Portuguese Transcription and adaptation: Jakeline Megda D’Onofrio