Thoughts and Reflection
Today we read about Jeremiah who is also a priest. He spends most of his life and prophetic ministry in Judah. He is known as the weeping prophet. He has a sensitive heart for the people and he is sensitive to the Lord. God tells Jeremiah that the people will not listen to him. God knows each of us even before we are formed and gives us a call for our lives.
Jeremiah is reluctant at first, but fully accepts God’s call. He is a good example of doing what we must do and what is asked of us no matter what. Jeremiah is not married and walks alone through the world.
About This Project
For the year 2022, I decided that my New Year’s Resolution was to read the whole Bible following the Bible in the Year plan presented by Fr. Mike Schmitz. It is a big and bold undertaking. You can follow along by subscribing. Feel free to look at previous day’s post and comment. It’s something we can all learn from together!
Daily Readings
Jeremiah 1
1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests living at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
2 The word of Yahweh came to him in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign;
3 then in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the deportation of Jerusalem, in the fifth month.
4 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying:
5 ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you; I appointed you as prophet to the nations.’
6 I then said, ‘Ah, ah, ah, Lord Yahweh; you see, I do not know how to speak: I am only a child!’
7 But Yahweh replied, ‘Do not say, “I am only a child,” for you must go to all to whom I send you and say whatever I command you.
8 Do not be afraid of confronting them, for I am with you to rescue you, Yahweh declares.’
9 Then Yahweh stretched out his hand and touched my mouth, and Yahweh said to me: ‘There! I have put my words into your mouth.
10 Look, today I have set you over the nations and kingdoms, to uproot and to knock down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.’
11 The word of Yahweh came to me, asking, ‘Jeremiah, what do you see?’ I answered, ‘I see a branch of the Watchful Tree.’
12 Then Yahweh said, ‘Well seen, for I am watching over my word to perform it.’
13 A second time the word of Yahweh came to me, asking, ‘What do you see?’ I answered, ‘I see a cooking pot on the boil, with its mouth tilting from the north.’
14 Then Yahweh said: ‘From the north disaster will come boiling over on all who live in the country,
15 for I am now summoning all the families of the kingdoms of the north, Yahweh declares. They will come, and each will set his throne in front of the gates of Jerusalem, all round, against its walls and against all the towns of Judah.
16 I shall pronounce my judgements on them because of all their wickedness, since they have abandoned me, offering incense to other gods and worshipping what their own hands have made.
17 ‘As for you, prepare yourself for action. Stand up and tell them all I command you. Have no fear of them and in their presence I willmake you fearless.
18 For look, today I have made you into a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of bronze to stand against the whole country: the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests and the people of the country.
19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you, Yahweh declares, to rescue you.’
Ezekiel 27
1 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,
2 ‘Son of man, raise the lament for Tyre.
3 Say to Tyre, “City enthroned at the gateway of the sea, agent between the peoples and the many islands, Lord Yahweh says this: Tyre, you used to say: I am a ship perfect in beauty.
4 Your frontiers were far out to sea; those who built you made you perfect in beauty.
5 Cypress from Senir they used for all your planking. They took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast above you.
6 From oaks of Bashan they made your oars. They built you a deck of cedar inlaid with ivory from the Kittim isles.
7 Embroidered linen from Egypt was used for your sail and for your flag. Purple and scarlet from the Elishah islands formed your deck-tent.
8 The people of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen. The sages of Tyre were aboard, serving as sailors.
9 The elders and craftsmen of Gebal were there to caulk your seams. “Every sea-going ship and crew frequented you to guarantee your trade.
10 Men from Persia, Lud and Put served as warriors in your army; hanging up shield and helmet in you, they displayed your splendour.
11 The sons of Arvad with their army manned your walls all round, while the Gammadians manned your towers; hanging their shields all round your walls, they completed your beauty.
12 Tarshish traded with you because of your abundant resources and exchanged your merchandise for silver, iron, tin and lead.
13 Javan, Tubal and Meshech traded with you. For your merchandise they traded slaves and bronze artefacts.
14 The people of Beth-Togarmah traded your horses, chargers, mules.
15 The people of Dedan traded with you; many islands were your customers and paid you in ivory tusks and ebony.
16 Edom traded with you for the sake of your many manufactured goods, exchanging garnets, purple, embroideries, fine linen, coral and rubies for your goods.
17 Judah and the land of Israel also traded with you, bringing corn from Minnith, pannag, honey, oil and balm.
18 Damascus traded with you, for quantities of your manufactured goods and other goods of all kinds, furnishing you with wine from Helbon and wool from Zahar.
19 Dan and Javan, from Uzal onwards, supplied you with wrought iron, cassia and reeds in exchange for your goods.
20 Dedan traded with you in saddle-cloths.
21 Arabia and all the sheikhs of Kedar were your customers; they paid in lambs, rams and he-goats.
22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; they supplied you with the finest spices, precious stones and gold for your merchandise.
23 Haran, Canneh and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad traded with you.
24 They traded rich clothes, embroidered and purple cloaks, multi-coloured materials and strong plaited cords for your markets.
25 Ships of Tarshish sailed on your business; you were full and heavily loaded far out to sea.
26 Out to the open sea your oarsmen rowed you. The east wind has wrecked you far out to sea.
27 Your riches, your goods, your cargo, your seamen, your sailors, your caulkers, your commercial agents, all the warriors you carry, and all the passengers who are aboard will founder far out to sea on the day of your shipwreck.
28 When they hear the cries of your sailors the coasts will tremble.
29 Then the oarsmen will all desert their ships. The sailors and seafaring people will stay ashore.
30 They will raise their voices for you and weep bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes;
31 they will shave their heads for you and put sackcloth round their waists. With heartfelt bitterness they will weep for you, bitterly wail.
32 Wailing, they will raise the lament for you, they will lament over you: Who is like Tyre, far out to sea?
33 When you unloaded your goods to satisfy so many peoples, you enriched the kings of the earth with your excess of wealth and goods.
34 Now you have been wrecked by the waves, by the depths of the sea. Your cargo and all your passengers have foundered with you.
35 All those who live in the islands will be stunned at your fate. Their kings will quake with horror, with downcast expressions.
36 The merchants of the nations will whistle at your fate. You will be an object of terror, gone for ever.” ‘
Proverbs 14:5-8
5 The truthful witness tells no lies, the false witness lies with every breath.
6 In vain the mocker looks for wisdom, knowledge comes easy to the intelligent.
7 Keep well clear of the fool, you will not find wise lips there.
8 With people of discretion, wisdom keeps a watch over their conduct, but the folly of fools leads them astray.
