Thursday,
November 17, 2016
33rd Week
in Ordinary Time
Rv 5: 1-10
Gospel: Lk 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.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel
in the Assimilated
Life Experience)
A Catechism teacher asked a little boy why Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44). The boy replied: “Because he is Jesus Cries”. At home the boy would always hear the word Christ pronounced without the “t”. In any case Jesus did cry not just over the lukewarm attitude of the city of Jerusalem (Lk. 19:41-44) but also over the death of Lazarus (John 11:35). Although the Gospels record only these two instances, Jesus must have cried many times. The prophet Isaiah had foretold that the Messiah would be a suffering Messiah, “a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering” (Isaiah 53:3). If tears are the placenta of sorrow Jesus must have cried over every pang of distress.
Jesus wept at the sight of the City of Jerusalem. Beyond the physical splendor of the city Jesus saw its destruction coming. The first to go was its mighty symbol of grandeur – the Holy Temple of Jerusalem. The Jews believed their Temple was as indestructible as the God dwelling in it. Moreover their status as chosen people of God made them believe they were indestructible as a people. Jesus had to weep alone because nobody saw what he saw. Today, a church with a dome forming a teardrop stands at where Jesus cried. It is called “Dominus Flevit” (The Lord wept). Designed by Antonio Barluzzi, it was built in 1954 at the foothill of the Mount of Olives. Most of the Christian churches face the rising sun to the East. Dominus Flevit is unique. It is set according to the direction of Jesus when he wept over Jerusalem.
When God cries, he cries tears of love. Where love is involved the person puts in line all, including his life. As if tears were not enough he also shed his blood (Mt. 26:28). A god died to ransom us from death; we are worth a life of a real God. We should be moved to tears out of sorrow for being unworthy. If not, at least it should move us to tears of joy. But even if we remain unresponsive, Jesus will continue to love us. Jesus Cries… still! -(Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM., MAPM., MMExM., REB., Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com.
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