Jesus weeps over the coming rejection of Him by the Jews in Jerusalem and their destruction. Every Catholic man can grow in happiness by seeking the Gift of Fortitude so he can be strengthened by the Spirit to battle against the grave evil of abortion and by building the Virtue of Obedience so he always refuses to cooperate with evil laws.
Liturgy
33rd Week in Ordinary time – Thursday – Lk 19:41-44
Commentary
As His long ascent towards Jerusalem nears its end, Jesus is welcomed by massive crowds who lay down palm branches and hail Him as a conquering king. Gazing upon Jerusalem (meaning “City of Peace”), Jesus weeps over the coming destruction of His great city and its people, and the many souls who have and will reject the salvation He alone brings.
The Son of God, who is with God the Father from the beginning (Jn 1:1), recalls the establishment of Jerusalem for His Chosen People. Jesus recalls Israel’s rejection of God that culminates in the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and the exile to Babylon. Jesus accurately foresees Israel’s rejection of Him and His Crucifixion during Passion Week, and the continued rebellion of Israel that results in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. In the coming destruction, Jesus remarkably foresees the Roman siege in which the Romans surround Jerusalem, build ramparts (cast up a bank), trap the Jews inside (hem you in), and ultimately slaughter them; some estimates suggest that over a million Jews died during the Jewish rebellion.
As Jesus weeps, He makes an astounding prophecy: “For the days shall come upon you, when your enemies will…dash you to the ground, you and your children within you…because you did not know the time of your visitation.” In this, Jesus accurately reveals that women, and the children in their wombs, will be horrifically murdered during the Roman siege, a mass slaughter that may have been avoided if those in Jerusalem had accepted Jesus Christ when He visited them (knew “the time of your visitation”).
Be awed by Jesus Christ
Be moved by Jesus, the Divine Prophet, in His Compassion for the coming sufferings of men: Divine Knowledge, Jesus has a precise understanding of future events, accurately describing details of the Roman siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., revealing the true cause of the destruction is Jerusalem’s rejection of Him; in His Human Nature, Jesus deeply experiences a range of Emotions, including Sorrow.
Be fortified by the Spirit to battle against abortion
Realize: The majority of people, including Catholics and most prominent Catholic politicians, support the murder of abortion because they believe the evil lie that a child in the womb is a “lump of tissue” or a “woman’s choice”, and fail to believe that God’s 5th Commandment forbids the murder of innocent life (Ex 20:13) and that the guilty are automatically excommunicated from the Church (CCC 2272, 2322); these misguided souls fail to grasp Christ’s own anguished words, “your children within you”, which confirms that God Himself clearly considers every child conceived in the womb to be a human being whom He loves.
Believe: Reflect upon the evil of Abortion (CCC 2270-2275, 2322).
Pray: Holy Spirit, give me the Gift of Fortitude so I have Your supernatural help to courageously persevere in the opposition to Satan’s widespread promotion of child-killing and I support those who battle against abortion.
Refuse to cooperate with evil laws
Realize: Today, many modern societies are demonstrably evil as rampant mortal sin is widely embraced by citizens, protected in law, promoted by governments, and forced upon citizens; Jesus’ warnings about the destruction of evil societies is ignored.
Believe: Review men’s duty to Refuse Obedience to Immoral Governments and Laws (CCC 450, 1901-1903, 2242-2243, 2313).
Pray: Jesus, Divine King, help me build the Virtue of Obedience (a part of Justice) so I remain completely obedient to You and to never support or cooperate with evil, even when it is accepted by many and considered “legal” by a society.