26th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Tuesday - The turning point

Today’s short Gospel passage is the turning point in the Gospel of Luke, literally. In the first half of Luke's Gospel, the Lord engages in his public ministry throughout Galilee. In today’s passage, Luke tells us that Jesus “resolutely determined” to go to Jerusalem. That’s kind of a watered down translation of the original Greek, which says, Jesus steadfastly fixed his face to Jerusalem. He sets his face, he directs his face, to journey to his suffering and death in Jerusalem.

So for the rest of the Gospel, much of what Jesus says will in be reference the meaning and importance of his Passion and Death.

The next part of the passage is a bit confusing, which says the Samaritans did not welcome him because his face was set to Jerusalem. Remember, Samaritans held that the proper place to worship God was on Mount Gerizim, whereas Jews insisted that it was in the Jerusalem Temple. Thus, for Samaritans, Galilean Jews on the way to Jerusalem, were Israelite heretics. 

James and John wanted to call down fire to punish these Samaritans, but the Lord stops them. The days are coming when God won’t be worshipped only on Mount Zion in the Jerusalem Temple, after all. After the Lord’s Passion and Death and Resurrection, worship of the One True God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, will not be limited to one geographical location. 

In fulfillment of the prophecy in our first reading: men of every nationality, speaking different tongues, will be able to gather in the New Jerusalem, the New Zion, the Church, which will spread to every corner of the world to worship God in spirit and in truth.

We don’t have to go to Jerusalem to meet God. Catholics know that we are able to fix our faces resolutely toward God whenever and wherever we celebrate the Eucharist, when the Eucharist is lifted up, when it is exposed in the monstrance, in the moment we receive the Eucharist in Holy Communion.

Every Catholic is to steadfastly fix their faith in the direction of the Eucharist, at least every Sunday. For the Eucharist is meant to be the turning point in our lives, each week: turning to the Lord for strength and peace and mercy. For the Lord gives us the Eucharist as the memorial of his suffering and death, that we may be faithful in carrying our crosses, pouring out our lives in service to God with that same love and self-donation as He, that the same determined resolution to do the will of the Father will fill our hearts for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the members of the Church may seek every deeper union with the Lord and surrender to the Divine Will through humble prayer and works of charity. Let us pray to the Lord.

For an end to indifference to God and human dignity in our government and educational institutions, businesses, and personal attitudes.

During this month of September, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray for all those who grieve, and that we may grieve sufficiently for our sins.

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom, and for deceased Bishop Anthony Michael Pilla, who will be buried today. We pray.

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.