What Makes for Peace: November 23

Thursday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time -- Happy Thanksgiving

“Do not weep. The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed, enabling him to open the scroll with its seven seals.” Revelations 5:5

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If this day you only knew what makes for peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes." Luke 19:41-42

Piety

Jesus, today give us the knowledge of what makes for peace. Help us act according to your will so you do not weep over us. Help us to recognize your presence among us. Let us be truly thankful for this plan of love that is your plan for humanity. Amen.

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/112306a.shtml

Reading today’s two scriptures in order is like reading the last chapter of a novel before reading the main plot earlier in the story. We hear the ending in Revelation when Christ, as the slain Lamb united heaven and earth. Then we go back to Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem where he weeps as he turns the last corner in his public ministry.

Luke shows us Jesus weeping because the people do not realize that the bridegroom is walking among them. As humans, we can not see and do not have the full knowledge of God’s plan for the world. Jesus weeps for his people -- and in his humanity, maybe also for himself. He possesses all knowledge and therefore, knows full well the fate that awaits him when he enters Jerusalem for the last time. While many days of teaching are ahead of him, he knows how this will end.

From the reading in Revelation, we learn that Christ has won the right to open the scroll containing God’s plan for the world. Christ appears as a slain lamb, reminding us of his passion, crucifixion and resurrection.

The only one who can break the seals of heaven is the One who comes from the root of David and is an offspring the Davidic line through Joseph and Mary. Matthew traces the lineage of Christ from Abraham and David down through Jacob and Joseph. This heritage also was prophesied in Isaiah, “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom… On that day, The root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, The Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.” Isaiah 11:1,10

“The lion of the tribe of Judah” harkens back to a reference in Genesis. “Judah, like a lion's whelp, you have grown up on prey, my son. He crouches like a lion recumbent, the king of beasts--who would dare rouse him?” Genesis 49:9

When Christ appears as a Lamb, heaven and earth are united as one. The horns and eyes He displays represent the fullness of power and knowledge that the Paschal Lamb possesses. Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out: "To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever."

Action

Arthur Simon Postscript (Conclusion)

16. Make out your will so that what you leave behind continues to fulfill the mission of Christ.
17. Do what you do with joy and thanksgiving as a celebration of God’s grace. Returning to God and sharing with others the treasure of life becomes a delight.
18. Consider Jesus your most trusted advisor. As you struggle to offer your life more completely and effectively to God, ask, “What would Jesus want me to do?” You seldom get a direct or immediate answer, of course, but prayerful reading of the Bible sure helps.
19. Avoid at all costs the temptation to become self-righteous. Nothing ruins an otherwise good thing faster than pride. Trust me, you will always have plenty of reasons for humility.

Mr. Simon points out that the main obstacle to living in friendship with God and rejecting affluence for riches sake, is not a shortage of ideas but a shortage of will. He reminds us of that passage in Philippians 2:13: “It is God who works in you to will ands to act according to his good purpose.”

While Christ may be the only one who can open the scroll and read the plan, if we trust in God, God will work through us and our simple acts.