From Fr. Tom,
I think it was Mark Twain who said that a speech must have a good beginning, a definitive end, and be as close to one another as possible! Personally as priest at mass, I would rather be called a homilist rather than a preacher because the word “preacher” contains somewhat of a self-righteous connotation. In our first reading from Jeremiah, he claims he was tricked by God to deliver (preach) his message, and now because of it, he is being made fun of and ridiculed by his listeners. Oh well…that’s the price you pay for preaching God’s word! Parents know this feeling all too well when they correct their children for doing something wrong. Now, after Jeremiah complains, he returns to prophesying because he just can’t NOT do it…doing the will of God is a desire inside of him he is unable to fight against. So may it be for all of us, too! Today, take a moment of extra prayer and ask God to bless and help those entrusted with preaching the Gospel, namely, our Holy Father, priests, deacons, bishops, male and female religious leaders, spiritual advisors, and the like. It is getting harder to do given the distractions and noise of today’s world.
