So often fear holds us back from becoming the person God intended us to be. Jeremiah felt overwhelmed by his limitations and weaknesses, and he felt that God had made a mistake in calling him to be a prophet. But God would hear none of his objections! He insisted that He was the one who made Jeremiah in the first place, and that He had a plan for him even as he was being formed in his mother's womb. His power and purpose would be inside of Jeremiah. Stand up, prepare for action, and fear nothing! When we feel inadequate or weak in the face of challenges, we would do well to reflect on the one who created us and His purpose for us on earth. With God, we can face anything. We are not alone, nor are we helpless. Fear not!

Paul has been berating his followers in Corinth for their arrogance and competition. They have been forming into factions, following those whom they believed to be endowed with superior spiritual gifts. The community has suffered as a result. Paul insists that there is only one real spiritual gift, and that is love. Everything else will pass away, but love remains. He proposes it as "a better way", a spiritual path that is challenging and demanding. If we are to excel, then let it be in the practice of love. Love is not sentimentality or feelings, but practical actions taken for the well-being of others as well as a refusal to hurt or humiliate another.

People of all religions believe themselves to be special in God's eyes. C.S. Lewis once said that we are special, but so is everyone else! Jesus challenges His audience by pointing to two instances in which God showed compassion and mercy to those who were not Israelites. It is not a message they wanted to hear. God teaches us that no one has a greater claim to God, nor is God controlled or owned by anyone. By the same token, God is not white, male, European, or even Catholic! God is God, and we must let Him be that. Rejoicing in the greatness of our God, we can then find Him and praise Him in all things and in all peoples.