He Tried Again

He Tried Again

August 2, 2012

Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Whenever the object of clay which he was making turned out badly in his hand, he tried again, making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased.  Then the word of the LORD came to me: Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done' says the LORD.  Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, house of Israel.  Jeremiah 18:4-6

"The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.  When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets.  What is bad they throw away.  Thus it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."  Matthew 13:47-50

Piety

Lord, make me a vessel of your work.  Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.  Spirit of the living God fall fresh on me.  Amen.

Study

What is good?  What is bad?  At the end of your bucket list, will the angels be throwing you into the bucket with the good fish?

How does the work of the potter inspire and teach us today.  "Whenever the object of clay which he was making turned out badly in his hand, he tried again…"  Thus it is with the Lord.  We are given the opportunity to choose good, to do good.  Sometimes (oftentimes), we choose badly.  But the Lord is not done with us. 

The work of the cross is like the work of the Potter.  When we choose badly, the Lord will work with us some more hoping that the next time, we will be shaped into the people he wants and needs to do his work building the Kingdom.  The Lord builds us up so we can build up His kingdom.

Action

Who is the potter in your life?  Whose work opens your eyes to the work of the Lord?  Maybe it can be the life of piety led by those we know who are in consecrated life -- nuns, priests, deacons, monks.  Or is it a layperson who opens your eyes and ears?  Maybe it is the volunteer at the Lamb Center?  Your favorite hairdresser?  The widowed grandmother?  The neighbor who is a veteran struggling to make the transition back to a civilian career?  Those  marching for a consistent ethic of life in front of the White House?  The people who help us with our "transitions" -- counselors, coaches, chaplains?  The adult who is intellectually challenged?  The school children and their teachers helping them get a fresh start in life?  The medical professionals hoping to heal our aching bodies?  The young adults starting out in the world when the economy is not supportive of their early careers?