Referring to Jeremiah 20:10-13, Fr. Jonas describes Jesus’ way of vindicating us at the 5:30 p.m. Mass at the St. Francis Chapel in the Prudential Center in Boston on Sunday, June 21, 2026.

Text of the homily

“Lord, let me witness the vengeance you take on them,” the prophet Jeremiah said in today’s first reading. Such words today have an appeal.

Social media hawks lies, accusations and pain, which aggravate our own hurts. In seeing violence and injustices on our screens, we demand justice with a large dose of revenge.

Many psalms repeat this call for justice. For example, Psalm 69 makes this appeal: “Pour out your wrath upon [my enemies]; let the fury of your anger overtake them.”

Into this world of complaints, laments and pain, Jesus entered. His eyes of mercy took in all that suffering. From that great treasure of love in His heart, He responds with listening, touching, healing, consoling and forgiving.

In his great love, Jesus cherishes the wonderful gift, courage and endurance in us. In today’s Gospel, he said, “So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

When Jesus hears our cries for justice and revenge, He sees two kinds of pain.

The first kind is the desire to be heard. Christian writer John Eldredge observed that we want our story to be told truthfully and reverently. Likewise, Jesus desires to recount our lives with great love. He calls us his friends and friends recount joys and struggles. Thus, we must reveal our burden in our hearts in prayer and meditation, just like Jeremiah and the psalmist did.

The second kind of pain is the hurt we have suffered and carried as today’s Psalm laments: “For your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face.” This pain powers our cries for justice and revenge. However, we sense that no human punishment would compensate fully for our pain.

Jeremiah writes, “But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion.”

How does Jesus win like a champion? With the Cross. From there, with his eyes of mercy, he recognizes the pain in our hearts that screams for justice. He asks us to turn that pain over to Him.

Once nailed with Jesus to the cross, your pain, your hurt will perish along with all sin and evil.

In exchange, Jesus can give us love and healing, which Paul praises in today’s second reading: “For if by the transgression of the one the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many.”

This exchange starts at the altar with the Eucharist. During the offertory, put your broken heart on the paten. Ask Jesus to remove the pains and grudges and to insert healing and love.

Will the healing be immediate? Sometimes, we can feel immediate relief. Other times, we must place our hearts repeatedly on the paten so that Jesus can treat the heart bit by bit.

Through repeated treatment, Jesus led me to forgive my father, who brought much hurt in my family. Even now, the Lord points out places in my life where I live from that hurt. But each surrender and each liberation help me love better.

In the end, vindication means freedom from wounds, lies and pain that trap and define us. We are worth more than pain and grudges. Jesus heals our hearts to love and forgive easily for He is our champion and our vindicator.