DAILY GOSPEL REFLECTION.
JESUS WEEPS OVER JERUSALEM (Lk 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.”
Gospel commentary from the Navarre Bible, St. Luke (with permission)
- 41-44 When the procession reaches a place where there is a good view of the city, they are disconcerted by Jesus’ unexpected weeping. Our Lord explains why he is weeping, by prophesying the destruction of the city which he loved so much: not one stone will remain on another, and its inhabitants will be massacred — a prophecy which was fulfilled in the year 70, when Titus razed the city and destroyed the Temple.
- These historical events will be a punishment for Jerusalem failing to recognize the time of its visitation, that is, for closing its gates to the salvific coming of the Redeemer.
- Jesus loved the Jews with a very special love:
- they were the first to whom the Gospel was preached (cf. Mt 10:5-6); to them he directed his ministry (cf. Mt 15:24).
- He showed by his word and by his miracles that he was the Son of God and the Messiah foretold in the Scriptures.
- But the Jews for the most part failed to appreciate the grace the Lord was offering them; their leaders led them to the extreme of calling for Jesus to be crucified.
- Jesus visits every one of us; he comes as our Saviour; he teaches us through the preaching of the Church; he gives us forgiveness and grace through the Sacraments.
Jesus weeps for his beloved Jerusalem who has not understood his great love and foresees the punishments that will come. The Jewish people, both in their representatives and in their institutions, rejected the messianic salvation offered by the Lord, as heirs of the promises. The Jewish people rejected Jesus Christ, and that is why He weeps.
Something similar can also happen to us if we do not know how to discern in the vicissitudes of our lives what leads to peace, if we do not correspond with great love to the immense love that Christ had for us and has for us.
Dear Lord Jesus, we ask your forgiveness for the times we have rejected you through our deeds. We do not wish to cause you sorrow and sadness, considering all the love you have for us. May we love you in return in our daily struggle to perform deeds of prayer, service, and self-sacrifice in fulfilling your Most Holy Will. With the help of Mother Mary and St. Joseph, our our holy desires be translated into action.
A great day ahead. Stay safe and God bless. Fr. Rolly Arjonillo
VIDEO COMMENTARY
Topic: HOW CAN YOU ACHIEVE PEACE OF MIND?
In today’s gospel (LUKE 19:41-44), Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem. And suddenly, he is overcome with emotion. He weeps as he looks from afar at the magnificent temple. He laments that the City of Peace (Yerushalaim, from the Hebrew word Shalom, or “peace”) was about to be destroyed. Indeed, forty years later or in 70AD, Titus and his Roman army will conquer Jerusalem – the city and its temple burned to the ground and thousands will be killed. This was a serious blow to the Jewish faith. One of the wonders of the ancient world was completely ruined and, today, a mosque stands on the same site.
For those who have gone to Jerusalem, what is left is the Wailing Wall, where Jews go to weep for their lost glory. It is not the physical temple though that Jesus weeps for but the people who continue to be stubborn, reject His teachings and miracles instead of welcoming Him.
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