Reflection for Thursday, November 21, 2002: Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (33rd week in Ordinary Time).

Abstract

Let them praise his name in festive dance, make music with tambourine and lyre.|For the Lord takes delight in his people, honors the poor with. Psalm 149:3-4 |Today's readings are an exotic brew of bitter sorrow and bright exultation. The point, at least in part, seems to be that God's compassion is without limit.|In the midst of destruction, despair and weeping, He suffers with us, He touches us and He sweeps away the bitterness. As the psalm tells us, that calls for a party.|Jesus' human heart is pierced with sadness when he considers the consequences of rejecting or at least not recognizing God's grace. The brutal destruction foretold for Jerusalem is not a punishment. But it is a very real, inescapable and sad consequence. In weeping for Jerusalem, Jesus weeps for us all. We cannot fathom the depth of God's delight in us. We reject Him, and He weeps for us.|Think about the plain fact that God loves you that much. Think about it and rejoice.