The Grace of Peace – Luke 19:41-44 Reflection
Do you feel Jesus has visited you in a grounded way? Subtle hints of Jesus’s being present for you can be revealed if you are willing to consider them. Does peace wash over you with the desire to be present and do for others? How intense is that peace and love? Do you think about Jesus’s “I Thirst” as a cry out to also thirst for a community filled with love for each other? Do you feel unsettled when Christian moral values are broken? Unfortunately, the knowledge and reality that Jesus has visited you in what feels grounded also yields discomfort. This includes the knowledge that the moment we step into the world, we will be disrupted by forces that do not want peace. We must be strong while weeping like Jesus at missed opportunities for others to know the grace of peace. You may need to take time in the stillness for your unique prayer thoughts to gather this type of strength. You can also turn to prayers like St. John of the Cross’s “Prayer of Peace” when clarity is needed.
The Lord Wept by James Tissot (full-resolution painting)
More details are available on the Brooklyn Museum website.
Additional Ordinary Time Reflections
Luke 19:41-44 – Scripture*
Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem
41 As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. 44 They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”
Additional Thoughts
Thank you for meditating on this Gospel and reading this Lectio Divina on 19:41-44 Reflection – The Grace of Peace.
Would you like to contribute related thoughts to these Lectio reflections on the Gospel readings? Since Lectio is not the only contemplative payer style, others might appreciate these types of expressions in this ministry. Do you see God’s grandeur everywhere and unconditionally enjoy sharing the love of Christ that you have inside? Are you willing to be anonymous in what you would share? If so, email me.
Prayer for young families:
Lord, let the young families of our communities experience your joy, peace, comfort, and love despite worldly distractions.
Attributions
*This site has permission to use the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) Bible Luke 19 passage.
The Immersive Prayer website follows the guidelines for image web use at the Brooklyn Museum and the Jewish Museum websites.
Primary Lectio Divina word or phrase: The Grace of Peace
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Discussion group on St. John of the Cross.
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