Luke 19:41-42
As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If this day you only knew what makes for peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.
It seems like a few of the readings lately in the Gospel for daily Mass have dealt with end times and lament. Today we read in Luke that as Jesus rides into the city of Jerusalem, he sees the crowds cheering him and what he represents. Yet when he encounters the leaders and those in the temple, Jesus begins to weep and gets angry. Why would Jesus weep for the city? Because despite his attempts to show the people, including the leaders, THE WAY, they went their own way.
As a parent, especially if you're a parent of a child in grade school, middle or high school, you see some of the pressures they can be under. Bullying, self-esteem, pressures for dating, substance use, wearing the right clothes, being with the "in crowd." You try to teach them right from wrong. It's not easy. They don't want to listen; they know better than you and, "you don't understand!" They want to go their own way. As parents, you might weep for your children, hoping that one day they "get it." Jesus sees Jerusalem as his city that hasn't learned, his children that have ignored his teachings on peace, love, and forgiveness. He's left to weep and pray for them. As parents, we do the same for our kids and for our family. Pray today that we learn to "live peace", both in our homes and in our workplaces.
