As part of my journey through the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius, I was asked to read and reflect on three individual bible passages: Mark 10:46-52, Jeremiah 1:4-10 and Jeremiah 29:11-14. As I reflected on each one of them, I realized that these three passages, when run together, speak to a beautiful message of God’s unending love. What follows below is my interpretation of these three passages and what they reveal about God’s unending love. Before you read my interpretation, please read each of the passages yourself.
Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. I gave you your calling and I appointed you as my own.
What did I say in response, “Ah, ah Lord; you see, I do not know how to speak, I am only a child.” Translation – Ah, Lord, I am not worthy, I can’t do it, I am too weak, call someone else; I have infinite reasons why I can’t do what you ask, what you created me for.
You say: Do not say that, trust me, you will see, you will do all that I ask and command. See, I have put my words, my courage, into your mouth and heart. Don’t be afraid of going forth, I am always with you and I will protect you.
For surely I have plans for you. Plans that I knew before you were in the womb. Plans for your welfare and good, not plans for your harm or destruction. I have plans that will give you hope. Hope that when you come to me and pray, I will hear you. When you search for me with all your heart, I will make sure that you find me. I will gather you up from wherever you have been scattered and I will bring you home.
And then when you are lost and blinded by this world, sidelined on the road of life, and you call out to me, I will give you faith to come to me, and when you are near I will ask you what I can do for you, and because of the faith I have placed within you, you shall have it. This is my promise to you.
So, when you seemingly have lost the trail of faith, and find yourself wondering what the purpose of life is anyway, perhaps these three passages can help you remember that while the trail may have become dim, you were never lost.
Question for reflection: Were these three passages written for Jeremiah and Bartimaeus, or for you and I?
A Closer Walk 