Shawn

Father Burke’s homily & the Gospel go todays Mass: October 29, 2026 – Thursday of the 30thWeek of Ordinary Time Luke 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.’

“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 brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” ===================== Fr. Burke’s video for October 29 – youtu.be/rkeov0uMJnI Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem where He will accomplish His purpose of salvation – dying and rising to save us. Can you imagine his anguish? He has done nothing but love, heal and teach about the Kingdom and so many people have rejected Him. As parents, some of you may know the anguish of your children completely rejecting you. Despite this rejection and opposition, Jesus is determined to complete His mission in Jerusalem. Jesus reveals to us the tender heart of the Father: “How many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” Jesus came to gather us together under God’s wings of love, yet so many were unwilling to receive this love and turned their backs on God. Worse than turning their backs on God, some even killed the prophets that He sent as His messengers. It seems today that many people are afraid to speak up for God because they will be killed or publicly humiliated for their beliefs. Let us take time today to reflect on this tender love of God for us. I first experienced in one of Dr. Bob Schuchts’ retreats what he calls “human sculpting”. They ask three people from the staff to image what the love of the Holy Trinity might look like. Just like a piece of art might raise your mind and heart to God, human sculpting is a living form of art. They usually form a circle with interlocked arms with the look of unconditional love toward one another. I must admit that when I first saw this, I was uncomfortable because I like my personal space and I thought it was weird. However, this exercise is what stays with me after the retreat. As these three people image the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, almost always, there is a person from the retreat that says, “I want to be in the middle of that.” They are invited into the embrace of the Trinity. As we reflect on the experience, the person in the middle usually says that they felt loved, safe, and secure in that embrace. I imagine myself in that embrace throughout the day, even in mundane situations. It is a powerful reminder of the love God has for us, no matter what we have done in the past. It is not always easy to receive unconditional love, though. Sometimes our tendency is to shy away from this love because we don’t feel worthy. If you feel far from God today, come to Him in humility with sorrow for your sins. God will not deny you because God is love and all He wants to do is love you. Allow Him to do that. This is the foundation of the spiritual life – to know that God loves me unconditionally. All other things build upon this foundation. If we don’t know the depth of God’s love for us in our hearts, our house of faith can crumble like a house of cards when even with the smallest obstacle or opposition arises. Have you experienced rejection or abandonment? Can you imagine being immersed in the embrace of the Holy Trinity? What keeps you from believing in your heart that God loves you? Have a blessed day!
Fr. Burke