First Reading - Ephesians 6:10-20
Gospel - Luke 13:31-35
The reaction of Jesus is interesting to observe. Jesus called Herod a fox – a cunning, fearful, and dangerous animal. But with prophetic courage, Jesus was determined to do the Messianic work entrusted to him by God his Father. Hence, Jesus sent the message to Herod that he would continue with his preaching and healing ministry. Prophesying his death in Jerusalem, Jesus expressed his love and longing for the Holy City of Jerusalem, using the image of a mother hen gathering all her chicks under her protective wings. Across the valley from the city of Jerusalem there is a church called Dominus flevit, which means, “The Lord wept.” On the base of the altar of that Church, there is a small mosaic showing a mother hen with her chicks. They are under her wings for protection, some of them peering out in the way that chicks do. “The image of being protected by wings, which occurs often in the Old Testament, refers to God’s love and protection of his people. It is to be found in the prophets, in the canticles of Moses (Dt 32:11), and in many Psalms” (17:8; 36:8 etc.). That mosaic is the representation of today’s Gospel text expressing God’s warm and protective maternal love. Jesus loved Jerusalem and its inhabitants. Hence, he felt deep sorrow at its lack of response to his message, a lack which would continue when he preached there in the last week of his earthly life. Finally, he said to those who had warned him, “Behold, your House is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord'”(Luke 13:35) – either at Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday or at his final coming as Judge and Lord of all.
Dear friends, as Christians we should have the courage of our religious convictions, and the good will to practice them. We need to be aware of the dire consequences of rejecting God’s graces and the chances He gives us every day to reform our lives.
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