30th Week in Ordinary Time (B) : Thursday, 31st October 2024

What breaks your heart when you see the world before you? Today, Jesus openly expressed His holy anger and sorrow in His response to the sinister death threat posed by the Pharisees towards Him, when they planned to use Herod as an authoritative scapegoat to have Him exterminated. Jesus’ anger towards malice and injustice was not a violent one. His strategy to speak the truth boldly without violence against His aggressors and accusers has given a universal shape to the non-violent movement.

Listen again to Jesus’ exclaiming, “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!“ Personally, perhaps we can echo Jesus’ heartbrokenness and sorrow towards children who have chosen violence and irreverent mannerisms, to friends who had deviated into destructive lifestyles, old folks who curse the young, and pious people who have gone astray into elitism.

Jesus, resolutely heading to Jerusalem, is a bold inspiration for the Church when confronting evil on a shared mission. We must nurture the value of respecting every human person, and profess genuine sorrow for humanity facing tragedies. Our conviction to witness is found in Paul’s eloquent depiction of himself when saying, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Be fearless as I am, an ambassador in chains.”

Lord, grant us boldness to accomplish the shared mission of channeling the truth in a nonviolent manner.