Ministry is Vulnerability

July 23: Wednesday of Week 16 of Ordinary Time, Year A-II:

Jeremiah 1:1, 4-10; Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15, 17; Matthew 13:1-9 (Cf. 15^th Su. July 13)

Thoughts to help us surrender to Jesus expressing himself through us in ministry.

“See, I place my words in your mouth!” Jeremiah 1:9

Isaiah (6:7) was afraid to speak because he had “unclean lips.” Now Jeremiah says, “I know not how to speak; I am too young.” We all give excuses. We are afraid to give expression—physically, and especially publicly—to the faith in our hearts. To our divine hope. To the love we feel for God. We aren’t even good at expressing love for others.

We are afraid to expose ourselves. It makes us vulnerable. We hide our emotions. Spontaneity is giving up control. Crying is weakness. Showing religious enthusiasm is inappropriate. Joining in celebration is losing ourselves. That is the real reason people won’t sing at Mass! Parents won’t even tell their children what they feel about God.

It began when Adam and Eve clothed themselves in Eden. Guilt = shame = vulnerability = fear. Jesus reversed it, naked on the cross, his heart laid open by a spear. Being Priest made him Victim. To be “priests in the Priest” we must be “victims in the Victim.”

Ministry is surrender to Jesus in us wanting to express himself through our bodies: his truth, his love, the hopes he has for others. Making our invisible faith, hope and love visible is sharing life. But we don’t give life without risk.

PRAY: Stand before a crucifix. Say, “Lord, give yourself with me, give yourself in me, give yourself through me.”

PRACTICE: Practice expressing love in every interaction with others.