Gospel for October 29, 2009, Thursday
Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. | 10/30/2009 11:58 PM
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30th Week in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Rom 8:31b–39
What shall we say after this? If God is with us, who shall be against us? If he did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not give us all things with him? Who shall accuse those chosen by God: he takes away their guilt. Who will dare to condemn them? Christ who died, and better still, rose and is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for‑us?
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Will it be trials, or anguish, persecution or hunger, lack of clothing, or dangers or sword? As the Scripture says: For your sake we are being killed all day long; they treat us like sheep to be slaughtered.
No, in all of this we are more than conquerors, thanks to him who has loved us. I am certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor spiritual powers, neither the present nor the future, nor cosmic powers, were they from heaven or from the deep world below, nor any creature whatsoever will separate us from the love of God, which we have in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Gospel: Lk 13:31–35
Some Pharisees came to Jesus and gave him this warning, “Leave this place and go on your way, for Herod wants to kill you.” Jesus said to them, “Go and give that fox my answer: ‘I drive out demons and heal today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my course!’ Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and for a little longer, for it would not be fitting for a prophet to be killed outside Jerusalem.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you slay the prophets and stone your apostles! How often have I tried to bring together your children, as a bird gathers her young under her wings, but you refused! From now on you will be left with your temple and you will no longer see me until the time when you will say: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
REFLECTION
In today’s gospel, we have a different picture of Jesus. “How often have I tried to bring together your children, as a bird gathers her young under her wings, but you refused!” God is the mother hen, who takes her baby chicks under her wings to protect them. The chicks can be running around the yard, but when danger comes, she clucks and clucks to them to run under her wings and hide in her feathers. That is the way that Christ has promised to protect us also. We are His chicks, His precious children.
Jerusalem had been the place where the Old Testament prophets had been killed and stoned. The prophets wanted to protect the people by proclaiming the word of God. But the people were not willing to listen to them, and they would not want to listen to Christ, either. They would kill their savior. We do the same when we refuse to believe in Christ or take protection under his wings. That is to say, if we refuse to listen to God’s word or receive Christ into our lives, it is the same as killing and stoning the prophets…..it is crucifying Christ all over again!
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