Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Revelation 5:1-10

Then, I saw in the right hand

Of him who was seated on the throne, a scroll, written on both sides, sealed with seven seals. A mighty angel exclaimed in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open this and break the seals?"

 

But no one in heaven or on earth, or in the netherworld, was found able to open the book and read it. I wept much when I saw that no one was found worthy to open the book and read it. Then, one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Look, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the shoot of David, has conquered; he will open the book of the seven seals."

 

And I saw next to the throne, with its four living creatures, and the twenty-four elders, a Lamb, standing, although it had been slain. I saw him with seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent out to all the earth. The Lamb moved forward, and took the book from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.

 

When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders bowed before the Lamb. They all held in their hands, harps, and golden cups full of incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones..

This is the new song they sang:

You are worthy to take the book and open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you purchased for God people of every race, language and nation; and you made them a kingdom, and priests for our God, and they shall reign over the land.

 

Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a & 9b  The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Luke 19:41-44

When Jesus had come in sight of the city, he wept over it, and said, "If only today you knew the ways of peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Yet days will come upon you, when your enemies will surround you with barricades, and shut you in, and press on you from every side. And they will dash you to the ground and your children with you, and not leave stone upon stone within you, for you did not recognize the time and the visitation of your God."

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Jesus wept."

There are two identified events in Jesus' life when it was explicitly mentioned that he wept (cf. klaiō). One is in the context of the death of Lazarus (cf. Jn 11:31). The other is the one we find in today's Gospel (cf. Lk 19:41). In John's Gospel, Jesus wept over the death of a friend.

 

In today's pericope, Jesus wept over a people who failed to recognize the time of its visitation by God. We may remember Jesus' grief over the stubbornness of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law (cf. Lk 11:42-46). Now, Jesus expressed more than a feeling of grief. He wept for the entire Jerusalem populace. He wept over the people out of his love for them.

 

He could only exhort them to change. He could only show them the way toward the life God intends them to have. He could only help them recognize the time of God's visitation. However, in the end, it was for them to decide to accept or not accept what God was offering them. Likewise, in this faith journey, Jesus is more than willing to guide us but the decision is left for us to make if we are to embrace God's offer of life.