“BEFORE I FORMED YOU IN THE WOMB I KNEW YOU…”

“Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’ Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.’ But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.’” (Jeremiah 1:4-8)

When God speaks for the first time to young Jeremiah and calls him to his vocation as a prophet, He prepares Jeremiah by encouraging him. God reminds Jeremiah that He will always be with him and will protect him from all dangers and struggles.

It is miraculous that God made this selection and preparation with Jeremiah before he was formed in his mother’s womb. God reveals to Jeremiah that He had chosen him long before his birth and that He had prepared his procession in his vocation all throughout his ancestry – through his parents, grandparents, and forefathers. God discloses to Jeremiah that He has a unique call for his life, and He has chosen and prepared him for this call. He pledges to be with him and empower him so that he will be able to realize this work in his life.

In the Holy Scriptures, the words directed to Jeremiah are promises that are relevant to all of us. God has designated a special agenda for each person. We are all unique. Our faces, eyes, voices, fingerprints, and even our heartbeats all have qualities that no one else possesses. No one has ever had this set of qualities in the past, nor will anyone possess them in the future. God has never created anyone who can do those things which we are assigned to do. God has designed human life in such a miraculous way that it never repeats itself. Each human being in this world is exceptional and called to a specific mission on earth.

Therefore, come and let us give our thanks to our Heavenly Father, Who has created us in such a unique and wonderful way. From the depths of your heart, pray and plead to Him that we may understand and embrace that unique mission to which He has called us in this life. Pray also that He will empower us to realize that which is in accordance with His Holy Will.

Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan