Prophets of doom or prophets of truth?

Homily for Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent (translated from Italian).

When I was little, I liked a series of children’s books and cartoons called “Winnie the Pooh.” In this series there was a character called Eeyore—in Italian I think it’s “Ih-Oh”—a gray donkey who talks sadly and sl-ow-ly. Poor Eeyore is always pessimistic and depressed. Eeyore is not a bad character; he is just a melancholic person—or, rather, a melancholic donkey.

I think Eeyore would like today’s readings. The prophet Jeremiah is a prophet of doom. The message he receives from God to tell the citizens of Jerusalem is pessimistic. Destruction will come to the holy city, Jeremiah says. The king of Jerusalem and his advisors do not want to hear this message, so they find a more optimistic prophet, Hananiah, and plot to throw Jeremiah into a pit.

Jesus’ words today are also, in a way, words of doom. He repeats the prophecy of his crucifixion, which the disciples consistently try to avoid. Here, instead of listening to him, they immediately turn to church politics—who will have the highest position.

Of course, the pessimism of Jeremiah and Jesus in these passages is not absolute. The Son of Man will rise on the third day, says Jesus, and Jeremiah prophesies a New Covenant after the Babylonian exile. Their message is one of harsh realism, but they speak the truth.

Even poor Eeyore is not a nihilist; he is a true friend to Winnie the Pooh. And for us, this is perhaps one of the lessons we can learn from these readings. Christianity should not be confused with a personality type. Some people are more melancholic, others more cheerful—all are called to follow Jesus. What really matters is fidelity to the truth.

And the other profound lesson is not to confuse Christian hope with superficial optimism. True hope is capable of honestly facing unpleasant realities. True hope is capable of embracing the cross. In fact, the true prophetic spirit recognizes that the cross is the source of hope and never forgets the words of Jesus: the Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many.

Readings: Jeremiah 18:18-20, Matthew 20:17-28

Original: Italian

Gregorian University Chapel

2024