A reflection on the Gospel reading from Thursday, November 19th (Luke 19:41-44), by Mother Maria-Michael Newe, OSB.
In the Gospel it says, "As Jesus drew near to 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.'" I think there is a window open in which God comes to us and we can either accept or reject Him. The response we give is due to our attachments or detachments. Sometimes when we're so attached to something we can't even see what's right in front of our face. But when we're detached we can see things a lot better.
Detachment is really a key to peace. It's not detachment is the sense that we don't care anymore and say "whatever". That word is quickly becoming really disliked in public, because it gives the impression that you're forced to do something you don't want to do and your bitter about it. But when we're detached, we're willing to see where God is trying to come through and where Providence is trying to take hold of us, and we simply choose because of God and because we're open to His ways. They are peaceful persons who don't write every word in stone, who can bend and be flexible. When we live looking for God's ways in our lives, when we allow Him to come in and give us what we need, we will be persons of great peace, for whatever happens we will be trusting.
Jesus said, "But now it is hidden from your eyes." Attachment is like a concrete wall, once the concrete sets there's not a whole lot that can be done except to break it. I don't want to live that way. We each can learn about Providence. Learn God's language. How does He come to you? How does He present Himself to you? Learning the language of God is a joy!
