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  Love Letters - Readership

God's Work On My Mind

Fr. Jack Murray

The word of the Lord was addressed to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you came to birth I consecrated you; I have appointed you as prophet to the nation.” I said: “Ah Lord God, look I do not know how to speak, I am a child!” But Yahweh replied, “Do not say, ‘I am a child.’ Go now to those to whom I send you and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them for I am with you to protect you – it is Yahweh who speaks!” (Jeremiah 1.4-8)

At certain moments on our journey of life in Marriage Encounter, we become overwhelmed with a certain kind of fear. It often comes from the realization that God is asking something very special of us. We are often afraid because of the effort required, or because we think we have only mediocre talents for the task. This scripture text from Jeremiah’s calling is a reminder of the fact that God does not call the qualified but he qualifies those whom he calls. We, like Jeremiah, are being called by God to accomplish His work. What God told Jeremiah was that even though he didn’t think he was capable, God replied, telling him that he surely could perform the task he was being assigned – not because of what he was in himself, but because He, God would be with him.

God calls, invites, inspires. We are meant to respond, to cooperate, to open ourselves to the Spirit’s touch and guidance. We all have a part to play, obviously, in accomplishing our Christian destiny. Our success in our relationships is what He asks of us. God who is love has already given us His gift. Whatever He asks of us we can accomplish. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is beyond us if God calls us to do it. So lift up your spirits. Let’s set out to change our world by beginning with our own relationships. We have been given the tools and the motivation. We are not asked to be always successful but only to choose freely to try.

Love,
Father Jack

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