Jerusalem was in the final stages of an eighteen-month siege which ended with its destruction by the Babylonians. The situation could not have been more bleak and hopeless, but at this very point God commands Jeremiah to speak regarding the future. God spoke to the people about their sinful condition, and that among men there was no-one to plead their cause. In those days, the Jewish people often trusted in and gave themselves to foreign nations hoping they would protect them. But that never happened. God reminded them that the devastation came upon them from His own hand but He also promised restoration. Their present captivity in Babylon would not last forever. Jerusalem would never remain a dead and deserted city. God would build and restore it again. He promised to bless the people, making them merry and increasing their numbers. From being a reviled nation He would put honour upon them. He promised that they would be brought into close and deep relationship with Him.

Today is the Feast of St. John Vianney, also known as the Patron of Priests. God bless the priests all over the world and may they be always filled with zeal for Our Lord.