DAILY- HOMILY

THANKFULNESS MAKES FOR PEACE
From Bernard Y. Gutierrez

How can we feel thankful when so much is wrong, so much is difficult,
so much is not the way we'd like it to be? In today's Gospel passage,
we see Jesus crying. We know this same sorrow. We have felt the pain
of crying for others, grieving over the harm that they are doing to
themselves by remaining in sin or addictions or bad decisions,
mourning also because of the harm that they are doing to us and to
others. When we have felt this way, we have felt HIS pain, Christ's
own pain.

As he came within sight of Jerusalem while making his way down the
Mount of Olives, Jesus stopped to look across the narrow valley and
gaze into the soul of the city. He longed to give his peace to all
those who lived there. Don't you sometimes feel the same way toward
some of the people you know? United to Jesus, we can say: "If you only
knew what makes for peace, but you have completely lost it from view!"
We see how darkness surrounds them and how sin is infiltrating their
walls. We're aware that if they had heeded our warnings or followed
our advice, they would not be doing so poorly.

Crying because you care about someone who's rejecting the saving power
of God is a great blessing to Jesus who cries with you.

But, what about the ways WE reject God help? How can we feel thankful
when it's us who have lost peace? Jesus has cried for you, too. Do you
have any turmoil or stress within you? Jesus yearns to give you his
peace.

Whatever is disturbing us, if we expect it be resolved the way WE want
it fixed and as fast as WE demand it, we shall meet with
disappointment and failure and hopelessness. We can't see the good
that God is doing while we're focused on our miseries and our own so-
called solutions to the problems.

Stuck in our limited perspectives, we fail to recognise the time of
Christ's visitation. So we reject what he offers us and we fail to
notice that he is right here in front of us offering us a greater good
than what we think we need. We fail to recognise how he's trying to
bless our lives. Stuck in our frustrations, we reject what he offers,
and thus we blunder deeper into the disasters that we're desperately
trying to avoid.

The way out of this mess is to remember that we don't know everything
and we really don't understand what's best for us. We don't know how
God, in his great love for us, is already turning our problems into
blessings -- and that's okay!

The way out of the mess is to thank God for whatever he is doing, even
if we can't see it yet, trusting that of course his plans are good and
that his timing is perfect. Thankfulness is what makes for peace.

1 Maccabees 2:15-29
Ps 50:1b-2, 5-6, 14-15 (with 23b)
Luke 19:41-44

The Thanksgiving Prayer

"Our Father,

Help calm the distracting thoughts swirling around our minds so we can
pray peacefully. Remind us that words alone are not gratitude. We open
our hearts... as we remember that You know us infinitely better than
we can ever know ourselves. We are struck dumb, wordless, humbled, yet
comforted by the faith you placed in our souls at our baptism, the
friendship of your saints, the utterly reliable embrace of Mary, the
protection of Joseph... yet we have nothing to offer but our silence
as we wait for your word. O Father, what should we pray?

Our prayer of thanksgiving is one word, one way, one truth, one life,
one priest, one king, one man carrying us in His arms, bringing us
into the very depths of the Holy Trinity. Our word of thanksgiving is:
Jesus.

Jesus, we whisper.
Jesus, we long for You.
Jesus, the tears well in our eyes.
Jesus. You are our prayer.
Thank you, Father.
Amen."

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