Daily Readings Reflection for 10/29/09

Reflection on the Daily Readings for 10/29/09 by Fr. Bertrand Buby, SM

Scripture: Lectionary # 482. Thursday of 30th week. Romans 8:31-39. Psalm
109: 21-22.26-27. 30-31. Luke 13:31-35:

After having us learn about Paul's inspirational thoughts on the virtue of
hope, we now are led into some of his thoughts on the virtue of love
(charity). Love for Paul is the ultimate and supreme gift of God to us.
Paul realizes this after his conversion experience and thus is able to
speak with conviction about this as well as being inspired by the Holy
Spirit who is present throughout this marvelous chapter eight of Romans.
For Paul Jesus is the love of God manifested in the flesh. Paul has these
comforting thoughts, "(nothing) will be able to separate us from the love
of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus, our Lord." (Romans 8:39).

Jesus is warned by the Pharisees that Herod Antipas is seeking to get rid
of him. Jesus considers Herod a sly fox and does avoid him knowing that he
is guided by envy, curiosity, and lack of any faith in God. Power guides
this petty ruler in all that he does. Jesus, however, will not depart from
his determination to go up to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. The
long journey of Jesus with his disciples in the middle of this narrative
and still continues for five more full chapters. This offers Jesus
opportunities to keep developing the faith of his followers and making them
truly his disciples who will eventually become real apostles who bring the
kingdom of God to others. Alas, this will happen only after he gives his
life for them and for us through his suffering, death, and resurrection.
He already intuits that his death is imminent but realizes that this is his
decision to embrace what he sees as God's plan of salvation working within
him. He therefore says to the Pharisees that "no prophet can be allowed to
die anywhere except in Jerusalem."

Jesus then gives us one of the most compassionate lamentations he voices
from the depths of his heart about the holy city of his love, Jerusalem.
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Jerusalem...." The final part of today's
liturgical reading from the Gospel is to be pondered over and over so that
we can say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." Amen.