Do Not Hide

Gospel Reflection: 11/17/2022

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” (Lk 19:41-44)

Imagine if when Jesus was here, the world would have entirely accepted and recognized Him as the Messiah. There would be a more profound peace in our world and a new Israel which would encompass all men and all tribes from every region. The word which had become flesh would be resting in the hearts of man equally, and there would be no need for any one group to reign superior. Even today, however, the truth of Christ remains hidden from the eyes of many.

“If this day you only knew what makes for peace, but now it is hidden from your eyes.”(Lk 19:42)

I ponder over and over why Jesus was rejected as the Messiah. God sent His only begotten Son into our world to save humanity, so why would any group or people not want this? I seek to evangelize out of love and experience a desire to know why to this day, so many still reject Him. While I have many conversations with my non-Christian friends on these topics, and as someone who used to be very lukewarm in the faith, I understand those who cannot see Him. The simple truth is that many cannot see Christ because Satan and the evil spirits prowl the earth seeking to ruin souls. They seek to influence and distract, and we must pray continuously in our lives and for our neighbor's lives to battle off the enemy. The enemy is real, even if many modern Churches rarely discuss this topic inside the walls of the Catholic Church.

---

"In both the Old and the New testaments, Satan is the enemy of God, who brings about evil and tempts human beings to defy God's laws."[1]

---

This week I ask that we as Christians be on guard and not downplay the evil that permeates from the many areas of this world. Remind your friends and family members who might be having difficulties this week that Christ is King and will ultimately destroy whatever evil exists. Do not hide or close your eyes any longer from the truth of Christ.

In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Eph 6:16-17)

Reference:

[1] Romero, J. (2019). The devil in the City of Angels: My encounters with the diabolical. TAN Books.