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The unseen Lord wants to help us in the physical realm of our work life. We must acknowledge His presence and tap into this incredible resource He has given to each of us. Seek Him today and ask Him to reveal His perfect plan for you this day.

Thursday of the 33rd Week in Ordinary Time

Revelation 5:1-10

Psalm 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a+9b

L uke 19:41-44  And when he drew near and saw the city he wept over it, (42) saying, "Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace! But now they are hid from your eyes. (43) For the days shall come upon you, when your enemies will cast up a bank about you and surround you, and hem you in on every side, (44) and dash you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you; because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Meditation by Tom Bannantine, S.J.

In today's gospel, St. Luke tells us about the approach of Jesus and his disciples to Jerusalem. This will be the last visit to Jerusalem that Jesus will make during his public life here on earth. Jesus looks upon the city and he weeps. That is, he is overcome by intense emotion.

As I picture Jesus weeping, I seek the cause of his grief. Jesus then speaks of the destruction of the city which would happen 30 some years in the future, but which was already known to him.

History tells us that the destruction of Jerusalem actually happened just as Jesus knew it would. And destruction is the right word here.  Jerusalem was totally and utterly destroyed.

The Jewish historian Josephus was apparently an eye witness to the fall of the city, and he has left us an account of it. Jesus says about the destruction of the great temple of Jerusalem "they will not leave one stone upon another within you." According to Josephus these words of Jesus regarding the temple literally came true. The temple was completely and totally destroyed. The events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem started around the year 66 when the Jews revolted against the Romans. After a four year struggle, the Roman legions besieged Jerusalem and after a siege of four months, they destroyed the city in the year 70.

We picture Jesus weeping bitter tears. I can think of several reasons for this grief. First of all Jesus knew that there would be terrific loss of life during the Jewish revolt. Included among them would be friends of Jesus and people who had heard him preach and teach. Also people who witnessed some of his miracles. Jesus very much valued his friends and those who followed him. And their cruel death would naturally cause him great sadness. Then there was the destruction of the temple.

The great temple of Jerusalem was a very special place for the people of Israel. It was the location for contacting the One True God and seeking his help and his protection. It was thus very important to all the people of Israel. Its total destruction was a terrible blow to them. The Menorah and the sacred vessels were taken to Rome. The temple treasury was looted.

And as Jesus says the destruction was so complete that not one stone was left upon another. When Jesus foresees all of this it causes him great anguish and he weeps for the people and their loss.

There was also the matter of the Diaspora, or the scattering of the Jews. After the destruction of Jerusalem the whole land of Israel was devastated, and not fit to live in. Many of the people moved to other lands, some at terrific distances from Israel.

The people of Israel, who had survived other periods of exile earlier in their history and had always returned to their land after a few generations, were destined to be scattered around the earth for nearly 2,000 years before some of them returned to the land of their ancestors. They also were to undergo much persecution from the people of the lands where they settled. The knowledge of all of this suffering for his people had to be a cause of great sorrow to Jesus. He himself was a Jew and he loved the people of his land. But Jesus also knew that the people of Israel did not always obey God, and this had to cause him sorrow. And so Jesus wept over Jerusalem.

Supplementary Reading

The Spiritual Realm

So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. ~ 1 Corinthians 14:15

H ow real is the spiritual realm? My lawyer friend from Nigeria tells a personal story of how he was preparing for an important case. He knew that he must be prepared to argue five separate points. He was to appear before his country's supreme court, so it was a very important case.

As he neared the time in which he was to go to court, he began to pray about how he was to argue the case. He spent much time in legal preparation and intercessory prayer. As he went to court, the Spirit spoke to him and said, "Do not argue point one, point two, point three, or point four. Only argue point five." Imagine my friend's struggle of faith. If he were reading this wrong, the shame and professional fallout would be devastating.

The time had come to present the case before the judge when my friend said, "Judge, I wish to withdraw points one through four. I wish to argue only point five."

The opposing counsel stood up and objected. "Your honor, he cannot do that!"

"Objection overruled, counsel," said the judge.

My friend went on to present his case around point five only, and then sat down. When the opposing counsel stood to present his case, he stood speechless for 12 minutes. He could not get a word out of his mouth. He finally mumbled a few words and complained to the judge that he was going to have to yield. It seems that the opposing counsel had prepared to argue only points one through four, but failed to prepare for point five. The judge ruled in favor of my friend.

The unseen Lord wants to help us in the physical realm of our work life. We must acknowledge His presence and tap into this incredible resource He has given to each of us. Seek Him today and ask Him to reveal His perfect plan for you this day. -- OS Hillman # # #

GOD BLESS US ALL!

O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

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