This is a picture of The
Church Dominus Flevit (Latin for: ”The Lord Wept”). It is half way down the
slope of the Mount of Olives. This small
church gives us, from this very unique window behind the altar, a panoramic view of the city of Jerusalem, where it is said
that Christ looked down and wept.
Welcome to "The Deacon's Door"
Fifth Sunday of Easter (May 10, 2020)
The pictures I
have shared with you this week cause us to reflect on the message Jesus is
sharing, not only in today’s Gospel, when he states, “Do not let your
hearts be troubled. You have faith in
God; have faith also in me…” (John 14: 1) but also in His message of faith in God, that was
driven forward just prior to the events of Palm Sunday, when He was nearing the
city of Jerusalem for His triumphant entry only then to be arrested and
crucified.
According
to the 19th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus, while riding toward the
city of Jerusalem, becomes overwhelmed by the beauty of the Second Temple and predicting its future destruction, as well as that of
the Jewish people. It is
with that emotion that He, weeps openly (an event known as Flevit super illam in Latin).
Gospel
of Luke: 19: 41-44
“As
he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, 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. 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.
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.”
And again,
in the Gospel of Matthew 23: 37-38
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to
you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together, as a hen
gathers her young under her wings, but you were unwilling! Behold, your
house will be abandoned, desolate.
The image of a hen with her chicks
under her wings is found behind the altar at the Church of Dominus Flevit.
Latin for "The Lord Wept"
Jesus wept because of the people’s lost opportunity. The
Israelites that assembled in Jerusalem for the Passover missed the opportunity
to be saved from both earthly and eternal destruction. They were visited by
their Savior, but they did not know it. Instead of receiving Him, they killed
Him.
During
these times of isolation and social distancing, we too are given an opportunity
to remind ourselves that God is with us through it all. He says to us, “Do
not let your hearts be troubled, you have faith in God; have faith also in me.” Do we turn to God during these times of
challenge? Do we open our hearts and
souls asking God to give us the strength and faith to sustain us during these
days? We live in a time when so often
our lives are consumed with possessions and access to wants rather than
needs. Can we hear the voice of Christ
calling out to us that this is our opportunity to have faith in God? This is a time for us to turn to Jesus and
remember that He is the Way and the Truth and the Life.
Things
are not like we would have them now and most likely will not return to the life
we had for quite some time, and yet, God has never abandoned us. Do not let our hearts become troubled. Remember, have faith in God and He will see
you through this storm. 2000 years ago,
Jesus wept over the peoples’ missed opportunity to turn to Him, to recognize Him
and receive Him as their Lord and Savior.
Will we miss this opportunity to turn to God during our time of need?
During
this month of May, let us call on Our Mother Mary, asking for her intercessions
to keep us from harm and end this pandemic that challenges us in our daily
lives.
“Pax et bonum” (Peace and Goodness)
Deacon Jim Patera
319-509-1210
pateraj@msn.com
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