CLAY IN THE POTTERS HAND…

Jeremiah 18:1-6 
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:2 “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.”3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel.
4 And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.5 Then the word of the LORD came to me:6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? says the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

Matthew 13:47-53 

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind;
48 when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad.
49 So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous,50 and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.51 “Have you understood all this?” They said to him, “Yes.”
52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there,

MEDITATION

JEREMIAH is instructed to present himself to the pottershouse to witness the methodology of how clay pots are moulded, formed and tested to ensure that it is perfectly shaped without any defects. Out of shape and spoiled pots with cracks are reworked and remoulded into another shape prior to it being tested in a furnace untill it meets the potter’s quality standard.

THE GOSPEL READING: Christ tells a parable that describe the sorting process that shall take place prior to judgement day to separate the different kinds of believers.To be clear, both good and bad believers will appear before God on the day of judgement when He shall discard the bad believers who refused to submit to His will in the living,ipmying that our say so that we are saved is at best speculative and wrong. Those who were mildly imperfectly shaped, will be reshaped and tested in a furnace —a purgation process— to expiate our venial sins to qualify or merit us to be part of the elect! 

Whilst in the living, you and I must endeavour to place our trust in God; be clay in the potter’s hand—offer up our temporal pain and suffering—allowing God to reshape and mould us into His image and likeness, because nothing imperfect shall enter heaven.

LET US PRAY:Psalms 146:1-6 

1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have being.
3 Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help.4 When his breath departs he returns to his earth; on that very day his plans perish.
5 Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith for ever;

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days.