First reading Zechariah 8:20-23
Many peoples and great nations will come to seek the Lord of Hosts
The Lord of Hosts says this:
‘There will be other peoples yet, and citizens of great cities. And the inhabitants of one city will go to the next and say, “Come, let us go and entreat the favour of the Lord, and seek the Lord of Hosts; I am going myself.” And many peoples and great nations will come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favour of the Lord.’
The Lord of Hosts says this:
‘In those days, ten men of nations of every language will take a Jew by the sleeve and say, “We want to go with you, since we have learnt that God is with you.”’
Responsorial Psalm 86(87)
God is with us.
On the holy mountain is his city
cherished by the Lord.
The Lord prefers the gates of Zion
to all Jacob’s dwellings.
Of you are told glorious things,
O city of God!
‘Babylon and Egypt I will count
among those who know me;
Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia,
these will be her children
and Zion shall be called “Mother”
for all shall be her children.’
It is he, the Lord Most High,
who gives each his place.
In his register of peoples he writes:
‘These are her children,’
and while they dance they will sing:
‘In you all find their home.’
Gospel Luke 9:51-56
Jesus sets out for Jerusalem
As the time drew near for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely took the road for Jerusalem and sent messengers ahead of him. These set out, and they went into a Samaritan village to make preparations for him, but the people would not receive him because he was making for Jerusalem. Seeing this, the disciples James and John said, ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?’ But he turned and rebuked them, and they went off to another village.
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Following Jesus wherever He leads
Jesus resolutely travelled not the easy road of life, but the hard one. He chose to walk the path leading to Jerusalem, where He would face rejection, suffering, and ultimately death. On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus entered a Samaritan village. He could have taken a long, indirect route to avoid contact with Samaritans, who were long-time enemies of the Jews. However, Jesus chose not the easy way but the difficult one. He likely hoped to share the Good News with the villagers and spend time with them. Unfortunately, they rejected Him and refused to welcome Him.
We desire to follow Jesus, but we also want to enjoy life, which makes us hesitant to face conflict or rejection. We often seek the easiest path, one that offers a smooth and carefree existence. However, to follow Jesus means adopting His determination. It involves making His destiny our own and embracing His journey as ours.
Reflective question:
Am I willing to follow Jesus resolutely on the path that He wants to lead me to?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
