Call Upon the Lord

Today’s readings exhort us to call upon the Lord. In the first reading, we see Jeremiah’s enemies plotting against him. However, Jeremiah’s faith is intact – he trusts that God will save him. The psalm tells us to hope in the Lord – to ask God to save us. IT is okay to be afraid, we are only humans. However, we should remember that no enemy is powerful enough to defeat God. That’s something we should remember as we fight the battle with Him.

Jesus in the gospel shows us how we should live our lives. We cannot just call upon God if we live our lives not pleasing to Him. If we continually sin, that is tantamount to saying that we do not need him, that he is not God in our lives, that we are rejecting him… that’s why we cannot call upon him if our lives are far from him. Jesus wants us to live our lives serving other people. He wants us to be his arms and legs in this world. He wants us to make his love be felt and alive in this world. This is why he wants us to serve other people, to put them first, so that through our lives, people can see Jesus working and alive.

In times of trouble, what is my initial reaction? Am I terrified? Do I call upon the Lord, or am I proud that I think I can handle things myself?  Am I willing to be changed by God? Am I willing to serve others as my way of professing my love for God?

May we always call upon God when faced with challenges, and live a life pleasing to him, not only when we need him, but always.

Sharing an inspiring psalm by David (http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/16)