Reading and meditation on the Word of God, Thursday of the 33rd week of ordinary time, November 21, 2019; the presentation of the blessed Virgin Mary. 1 Maccabees 2, 15-29; Luke 19, 41-44. Voice: Sr Ernestine fma (reading) and father Peter sdb (meditation)
Our meditation today has the theme: The Lord Cries. Today the whole Church commemorates the Blessed Virgin Mary offered to God, the presentation of the Virgin Mary. This event is not found in the scriptures, but it is one of the sacred heritages in the Church. The little Mary offered in the sacred house of God, is a continuation of the very special grace she was conceived without the taint of sin. She is the immaculate.
People of the Church from the beginning had conviction that the mother’s womb that conceived Mary was indeed sacred. Born holy, Mary must have entered the womb of the unity of God’s people, which is marked by the one house of God. Mary then lived a life full of God’s grace, until the moment she received the good news from the Angel Gabriel, and performed a very important role in the life of Jesus Christ.
The house where Mary was offered is where God dwells. But Jesus Christ, who is the true God, sanctifies every place as He enters and visits. The temple or house of worship is no longer centered only in one place, but it is in Jesus Christ who moves, walks and reaches every home and person who welcome Him. Jesus brings the temple of Himself to sanctify all who welcome Him.
The worship and purification of the house of God was clearly demonstrated by Matatias and his Jewish children, as stated in today’s first reading. King Antiochus Epiphanes forced the Jews to leave their God, and follow the pagan idolatries. Matatias and his group fought so hard and challenged other believers, that following the wishes of the king was doomed to perish, while following God means saving one’s life.
Jesus himself fell in pity and became very saddened by the holy place, the house of God in Jerusalem which was full of the taint of sin because of the actions of religious leaders and people who did not believe in God rightly and sincerely. As a result of this desecration, the house of God will be destroyed to the ground. Actually, the Lord was predicting that the kingdom of this world, represented by the Jerusalem which was very majestic, in due time would be destroyed. This happened around the year 71 AD, Jerusalem was completely destroyed by the colonizers, namely the Romans.
Furthermore, in the course of time and until this moment, the earthly Jerusalem never lives in peace and shares such joy that the the holy city itself should do. This picture is very suitable to be applied to every believer who is afflicted by sin and iniquity. Destruction and death will come soon. God cries and greatly saddened over our conditions that are full of sins. We should realize that and we must soon turn to God and become again His beloved children.
Let’s pray. In the name … O God, accept our confessions of being insincere and disobedient to You and forgive our sins. Glory to the Father … In the name of the Father…