Daily Readings - Thu Nov 18 2021
Luke
41And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,42saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.43For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side44and tear you down 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."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on fidelity to God’s will and the consequences of failing to recognize His presence in our lives. The first reading from 1 Maccabees tells the story of Mattathias, a Jewish leader who refused to compromise his faith when faced with the oppressive decrees of King Antiochus. Despite the king’s demands to abandon the law of God and sacrifice to idols, Mattathias stood firm, even to the point of killing a Jew who was about to comply with the king’s orders. His courageous act of zeal for the law inspired others to join him in resistance, and together they fled to the mountains to preserve their faith. This passage reminds us of the importance of standing up for what is right, even in the face of overwhelming opposition.
In the Gospel, we hear Jesus weeping over Jerusalem as He prophesies the city’s destruction. Jesus laments that the people failed to recognize “the time of your visitation,” the moment when God’s peace could have been theirs. Instead, their blindness to God’s presence leads to their downfall. This passage challenges us to examine our own relationship with God, asking whether we are attentive to His presence in our lives and whether we are living in accordance with His will.
Both readings call us to fidelity and discernment. Mattathias’ courage in the face of persecution reminds us that our faith must be lived boldly, even when it is difficult. Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem, on the other hand, warns us of the consequences of failing to recognize and respond to God’s presence in our lives. As we go about our daily lives, let us ask ourselves: Are we standing firm in our commitment to God’s law? Are we attentive to the ways in which God is present to us, calling us to deeper faith and conversion? May we, like Mattathias, have the courage to stand up for what is right, and may we, like Jesus, weep with compassion for those who do not see. Let us strive to live with hearts open to God’s will, that we might not miss the time of our visitation.