Homily for Thursday, Week 17 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
Week 17 of Ordinary Time

Aug. 1, 2024
Jer 18: 1-6
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

According to the 2d creation story in Genesis—we’re less familiar with it than with the 1st, the famous 6 days of creation—“The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being” (2:7).

Japanese pottery booth
Denver, Cherry Blossom Festival, June 23, 2013

Jeremiah’s action parable in our 1st reading, then, is apt.  The Lord compares “the house of Israel” to clay in his hands, being shaped according to his own purposes (18:4,6).

So it is with each human being.  God’s handiwork is a slow, diligent process as he shapes us into better images of Christ his Son.  You may remember an adage that was popular in the 70s:  “Be patient with me.  God isn’t finished with me yet.”  That God wasn’t finished with us certainly was true when we were 50 years younger, and it’s still true.  God’s still working on us:  pressing, shaping, moistening, and smoothing, “making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased” (18:4).

So—be patient with yourselves, brothers, and let the divine potter continue to work on you.  And be patient with one another.

Addendum: Today’s Scripture reflection from America magazine by Valerie Schultz takes the potter’s work to indicate that God readily gives us second chances to become more pleasing to him.