Word to the Wise
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 - Tuesday in the 26th Week in Ordinary Time
[Zech 8:20-23 and Luke 9:51-56,1080]In those days ten men of every nationality, speaking different tongues, shall take hold, yes, take hold of every Jew by the edge of his garment and say, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." [Zechariah] When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem....[Luke]
The "post-exilic" prophets spoke of more than simply getting resettled and a temple rebuilt. Zechariah speaks as well of Jerusalem and the temple serving as a focal point for establishing the reign of God over all the world! This theme would be echoed in the New Testament in the Book of Revelation (3:12; 21:10) where the "new" Jerusalem is represented as the hope of all peoples. The line quoted above speaks to the witness by pilgrims to Jerusalem that would be so powerful that anyone who saw it would want to join the procession.
Some of that same power can be found in the gospel scripture today from Luke which speaks of Jesus' determination to go to Jerusalem to meet his destiny. The disciples weren't so sure they wanted to be a part of it! Jesus had been predicting that he would suffer and die in Jerusalem! This would not be a joyful procession (except when he first enters the city). Their faith and confidence in him would be severely shaken by the experience.
I have visited Jerusalem and my faith enabled me to experience the power of the place because of what has happened there. Yet that same faith brings similar feelings when I have visited Rome or any other great site of pilgrimage (Lourdes, Assisi). It is the faith that one brings to the place that makes the place special. Anyone witnessing the procession of the "malades" in their wheelchairs each evening at Lourdes could feel the tug that Zechariah speaks of. At the same time, anyone living their faith seriously can have the same impact from those with little or no faith: "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." AMEN