NOVEMBER 19, 2015 : THURSDAY OF THE THIRTY-THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Thursday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 500

Reading 11 MC 2:15-29

The officers of the king in charge of enforcing the apostasy
came to the city of Modein to organize the sacrifices.
Many of Israel joined them,
but Mattathias and his sons gathered in a group apart.
Then the officers of the king addressed Mattathias:
“You are a leader, an honorable and great man in this city,
supported by sons and kin.
Come now, be the first to obey the king’s command,
as all the Gentiles and the men of Judah
and those who are left in Jerusalem have done.
Then you and your sons shall be numbered among the King’s Friends,
and shall be enriched with silver and gold and many gifts.”
But Mattathias answered in a loud voice:
“Although all the Gentiles in the king’s realm obey him,
so that each forsakes the religion of his fathers
and consents to the king’s orders,
yet I and my sons and my kin
will keep to the covenant of our fathers.
God forbid that we should forsake the law and the commandments.
We will not obey the words of the king
nor depart from our religion in the slightest degree.”

As he finished saying these words,
a certain Jew came forward in the sight of all
to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein
according to the king’s order.
When Mattathias saw him, he was filled with zeal;
his heart was moved and his just fury was aroused;
he sprang forward and killed him upon the altar.
At the same time, he also killed the messenger of the king
who was forcing them to sacrifice,
and he tore down the altar.
Thus he showed his zeal for the law,
just as Phinehas did with Zimri, son of Salu.

Then Mattathias went through the city shouting,
“Let everyone who is zealous for the law
and who stands by the covenant follow after me!”
Thereupon he fled to the mountains with his sons,
leaving behind in the city all their possessions.
Many who sought to live according to righteousness and religious custom
went out into the desert to settle there.

Responsorial PsalmPS 50:1B-2, 5-6, 14-15

R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
God the LORD has spoken and summoned the earth,
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
and fulfill your vows to the Most High;
Then call upon me in time of distress;
I will rescue you, and you shall glorify me.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

AlleluiaPS 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 19:41-44

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

www.usccb.org

Meditation: "Know the time of your visitation"

What enables us to live in peace and harmony with our families, neighbors, local communities, and the wider community of peoples and nations? The Father in heaven sent his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to reconcile us with God and to unite us with one another in a bond of peace and mutual love. 

Jesus' earthly ministry centers and culminates in Jerusalem, which Scripture describes as the holy city, the throne of the Lord (Jeremiah 3:17);and the place which God chose for his name to dwell there (1Kings 11:13; 2 Kings 21:4; 2 Kings 23:27); and the holy mountain upon which God has set his king (Psalm 2:6). Jerusalem derives its name from the word "salem" which mean "peace". The temple in Jerusalem was a constant reminder to the people of God's presence with them.

Tears of mourning and sorrow over sin and refusal to believe in God
When Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the multitude of homes surrounding the holy temple, he wept over it because it inhabitants did not "know the things that make for peace" (Luke 19:42). As he poured out his heart to the Father in heaven, Jesus shed tears of sorrow, grief, and mourning for his people. He knew that he would soon pour out his blood for the people of Jerusalem and for the whole world as well. 

Why does Jesus weep and lament over city of Jerusalem? Throughout its history, many of the rulers and inhabitants had rejected the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord because of their pride and unbelief. Now they refuse to listen to Jesus who comes as their Messiah - whom God has anointed to be their Savior and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). 

Jesus is our only hope - the only one who can save us and the world
Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem was a gracious visitation of God's anointed King to his holy city. Jerusalem's lack of faith and rejection of the Messiah, however, leads to its eventual devastation and destruction by the Romans in 70 A.D. Jesus' lamentation and prophecy echoes the lamentation of Jeremiah who prophesied the first destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. Jeremiah's prayer of lamentation offered a prophetic word of hope, deliverance, and restoration: "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies are new every morning ...For the Lord will not cast off for ever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men" (Lamentations 3:21-22, 31-32). 

Jesus is the hope of the world because he is the only one who can truly reconcile us with God and with one another. Through his death and resurrection Jesus breaks down the walls of hostility and division by reconciling us with God. He gives us his Holy Spirit both to purify us and restore us as a holy people of God. Through Christ we become living temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).  God has visited his people in the past and he continues to visit us through the gift and working of his Holy Spirit. Do you recognize God's gracious visitation today?

God judges, pardons, heals, and restores us to new life
When God visits his people he comes to establish peace and justice by rooting out our enemies - the world (in opposition to God), the flesh (our sinful cravings and inordinate desires), and the devil (who is Satan the father of lies) who enslave us to fear and pride, rebellion and hatred, envy and covetousness, strife and violence, and every form of evil and wrong-doing. That is why God both judges and purifies his people - to lead us from our sinful ways to his way of justice, peace, love, and holiness. God actively works among his people to teach us his ways and to save us from the destruction of of our own pride and sin and from Satan's snares and lies. 

Are God's judgments unjust or unloving? Scripture tells us that "when God's judgments are revealed in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness" (Isaiah 26:9). To pronounce judgment on sin is much less harsh than what will happen if those who sin are not warned to repent. The Lord in his mercy gives us grace and time to turn away from sin, but that time is right now. If we delay, even for a moment, we may discover that grace has passed us by and our time is up. Do you accept the grace to turn away from sin and to walk in God's way of peace and holiness?

"Lord Jesus, you have visited and redeemed your people. May I not miss the grace of your visitation today as you move to bring your people into greater righteousness and holiness of life. Purify my heart and mind that I may I understand your ways and conform my life more fully to your will."

www.dailyscripture.net

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, LUKE 19:41-44
(1 Maccabees 2:15-29; Psalm 50)

KEY VERSE: "If this day you only knew what makes for peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes" (v 42).
TO KNOW: As Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, he wept over the city of peace (Yerushalaim, from the Hebrew word Shalom: "peace"). In the same way, the prophet Jeremiah mourned the city's impending (Jer 14:17). Although divinely favored, Jerusalem would find herself desolate because she rejected the "Prince of Peace" (Is 9:5), and refused to recognize his ministry of reconciliation and his offer of salvation. Four decades later, the Roman army under Titus surrounded the city, breached its walls and killed thousands of its citizens. The city and its temple were burned to the ground and the survivors were taken into captivity. The heavenly Jerusalem became a spiritual symbol of the place of final judgment for God's enemies and eternal peace for those who believe in Christ (Rv 21:1-27). 
TO LOVE: Pray for all of the cities in the world, which are in need of God’s peace.
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to be an instrument of your peace in my community.

www.togetherwithgodsword.com

Thursday 19 November, 2015

THU 19TH.1 Maccabees 2:15-29. To the upright I will show the saving power of God—Ps 49(50):1-2, 5-6, 14-15. Luke 19:41-44.

Readings

'You did not recognise your opportunity when God offered it.'

This anguished cry of Jesus calls to mind a line from TS Eliot’s ‘The Dry Salvages’: ‘We had the experience but missed the meaning’—words that we might have good reason to say from time to time. That is inevitable; but is terrifying to think that, at the point of death, we might see them as describing our whole life. Jesus shed copious tears over the fact that, for many of his people, his message of joy and peace and love fell on deaf ears. A bookmark bearing the text, ‘If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your heart’ (cf. Heb 3:15), might serve as a reminder to pray every time we see it, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening’ (1 Sam 3:9).

www.pray.com.au

MINUTE MEDITATIONS 

True Faith

I can say that a chair will support my weight, but when I actually sit in that chair, I attest to that truth and rest upon it. This is true faith. Our actions will flow from our true faith. Our love for others will flow from our experiential love from Christ.

— from Spirituality You Can Live With

November 19
St. Agnes of Assisi
(1197-1253)

Agnes was the sister of St. Clare and her first follower. When Agnes left home two weeks after Clare’s departure, their family attempted to bring Agnes back by force. They tried to drag her out of the monastery, but all of a sudden her body became so heavy that several knights could not budge it. Her uncle Monaldo tried to strike her but was temporarily paralyzed. The knights then left Agnes and Clare in peace.

Agnes matched her sister in devotion to prayer and in willingness to endure the strict penances which characterized their lives at San Damiano. In 1221 a group of Benedictine nuns in Monticelli (near Florence) asked to become Poor Clares. St. Clare sent Agnes to become abbess of that monastery. Agnes soon wrote a rather sad letter about how much she missed Clare and the other nuns at San Damiano. After establishing other Poor Clare monasteries in northern Italy, Agnes was recalled to San Damiano in 1253 when Clare was dying.

Agnes followed Clare in death three months later, and was canonized in 1753.

Comment:

God must love irony; the world is so full of it. In 1212, many in Assisi surely felt that Clare and Agnes were wasting their lives and were turning their backs on the world. In reality, their lives were tremendously life-giving, and the world has been enriched by the example of these poor contemplatives.

Quote:

Blessed Charles de Foucauld, founder of the Little Brothers and Sisters of Jesus, said: "One must pass through solitude and dwell in it to receive God’s grace. It is there that one empties oneself, that one drives before oneself all that is not God, and that one completely empties this little house of our soul to leave room for God alone. In doing this, do not fear being unfaithful toward creatures. On the contrary, that is the only way for you to serve them effectively" (Raphael Brown,Franciscan Mystic, p. 126).

www.americancatholic.org

LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 19,41-44

Lectio: 

 Thursday, November 19, 2015

Ordinary Time

1) Opening prayer

Father of all that is good,
keep us faithful in serving you,
for to serve you is our lasting joy.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

2) Gospel reading - Luke 19,41-44

As Jesus drew near and came in sight of the city he shed tears over it and said, 'If you too had only recognised on this day the way to peace! But in fact it is hidden from your eyes!
Yes, a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all round you, when they will encircle you and hem you in on every side; they will dash you and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you, because you did not recognise the moment of your visitation.'

3) Reflection

• The Gospel today tells us that Jesus when arriving close to Jerusalem, in seeing the city he began to shed tears and to pronounce words which made one foresee a very dark future for the city, the capital city of his people.
• Luke 19, 41-42 Jesus sheds tears over Jerusalem. “At that time, when Jesus was near Jerusalem, when he saw the city he shed tears over it and said: ‘If you too had only recognized on this day the way to peace! But in fact it is hidden from your eyes!” Jesus sheds tears because he loves his homeland, his people, the capital city of his land, the Temple. He sheds tears, because he knows that everything will be destroyed because of the fault of his people who were not aware of the call made by God through the facts of life. People were not aware of the way that could lead them to Peace, Shalom. But, in fact, it is hidden from your eyes! This affirmation recalls the criticism of Isaiah to the person who adored the idols: “He hankers after ashes, his deluded heart has led him astray; he will not save himself, he will not think. What I have in my hand is nothing but a lie!” (Is 44, 20). The lie was in their look and, because of this; they became incapable to perceive the truth. As Saint Paul says: “But for those who out of jealousy have taken for their guide not truth but injustice, there will be a fury of retribution” (Rm 2, 8). It is the truth that remains the prisoner of injustice. On another occasion, Jesus complains that Jerusalem did not know how to become aware of God’s visit, nor of accepting it: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! Look, your house will be left to you, it will be deserted” (Lk 13, 34-35).
• Luke 19, 43-44 Announcement of the destruction of Jerusalem. “Yes, a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all round you, when they will encircle you and hem you in on every side; they will dash you and your children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you, because you did not recognise the moment of your visitation” Jesus describes what will happen to Jerusalem. He uses the images of war which were common at that time when an army attacked a city: trenches, killing of people and total destruction of the walls and of the houses. Thus, in the past this is the way Jerusalem was destroyed by Nabuchadnezzar. In this way, the Roman legions used to do with the rebellious cities and this is what will be done again, forty years later, to the city of Jerusalem. In fact, in the year 70, Jerusalem was surrounded and invaded by the Roman army. Everything was destroyed. Before this historical background, the gesture of Jesus becomes a very serious warning for all those who pervert the sense of the Good News of Jesus. They should have listened to the final warning: “Because you did not recognize the moment of your visitation” In this warning, everything which Jesus does is defined as a “visitation from God”.

4) Personal questions

• Do you weep over a world situation? Looking at the present day situation of the world, would Jesus shed tears? The prevision is dark. From the point of view of Ecology, we have already gone beyond the limit. The prevision is tragic.
• In Jesus, God visits his people. In your life, have you received some visit from God?

5) Concluding prayer

Sing a new song to Yahweh:
his praise in the assembly of the faithful!
Israel shall rejoice in its Maker,
the children of Zion delight in their king. (Ps 149,1-2)

www.ocarm.org