In our gospel today, Jesus weeps over the fate of Jerusalem in the years to come.

This is the human side of our Lord.

Jesus calls the Pharisees “blind guides" they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.

Jesus wept over his city. He felt deep sorrow at its resistance to God’s word as he foresaw the disaster it would soon face.

Here, he looks at the city of Jerusalem and prays for its populace, wishing that it might receive what God is offering.

 

 St. Clement 1, pope & martyr/ St. Columban, abbot

 1st Reading: 1 Maccabees 2:15-29

In the meantime,

The king's representatives, who were forcing the Jews to give up their religion, came to Modein to organize a sacred gathering. While many Israelites went to them, Mattathias and his sons drew apart. The representatives of the king addressed Mattathias, and said to him: "You are one of the leaders of this city, an important and well-known man, and your many children and relatives follow you.

 

Come now and be the first to fulfill the king's order, as the men of Judah have already done, and the survivors in Jerusalem as well. You and your sons will be named friends of the king and the king will send you gold, silver and many other gifts."

 

But Mattathias answered in a loud voice: "Even if all the nations included in the kingdom should abandon the religion of their ancestors and submit to the order of king Antiochus, I, my sons and my family will remain faithful to the Covenant of our ancestors. May God preserve us from abandoning the Law and its precepts. We will not obey the orders of the king nor turn aside from our religion either to the right or to the left."

 

When he finished speaking these words, a Jew came forward in the sight of everyone to offer incense on the altar that was built in Modein according to the king's decree. When Mattathias saw him, he was fired with zeal, his heart was stirred, and giving vent to his righteous anger, he threw himself on the Jew and cut the man's throat on the altar.

 

At the same time, he killed the king's representative who was forcing the people to offer sacrifice, and then tore down the altar. In doing this he showed his zeal for the Law, as Phinehas had done with Zimri, son of Salu. Mattathias then began to proclaim loudly in the city: "Everyone who is zealous for the Law and supports the Covenant, come out and follow me!" Immediately he and his sons fled to the mountains and left behind all they had in the city. Many Jews who looked for justice and wanted to be faithful to the Law went into the desert.

 

Ps 50:1b-2, 5-6, 14-15

To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

 

Gospel: Luke 19:41-44

When Jesus had come in sight of the city, he wept over it and said, "If only today you knew the ways of peace! But now your eyes are held from seeing. Yet days will come upon you when your enemies will surround you with barricades and shut you in and press on you from every side. And they will dash you to the ground and your children with you, and leave not a stone within you, for you did not recognize the time and the visitation of your God."

 

Reflection:

"We need to be willing to say. Enough." 

Sometimes when I look at the state of the world I, like Jesus, want to weep. There is so much violence, injustice, and hatred. Children go hungry, are deprived of education, and die of curable diseases. Poor communities are devastated by natural disasters and people are forced to migrate to find safety or employment. At the same time, the wealthy look for ever more exaggerated ways to spend their money and wealthy countries exploit their poorer neighbors and the planet.

 

But while weeping is understandable, it is not enough. Like Mattathias, we need to be willing to say, "Enough. Even if everyone else goes along to get along, I will not. I will do something." I don't recommend Mattathias' recourse to violence, but no matter your state in life, there is always something you can do to make things better: give, pray, help, speak out. Let your tears wash away your indifference and put your faith in action.