Jesus weeps

Reflections
It's been five months since my last blog. A lot of events have happened, and I got simply too entangled that I virtually forgot about adding something. Thanks God I got this precious time to write some more thoughts to share.

The Gospel for today speaks of Jesus weeping for Jerusalem. I remember one episode of Mike Enriquez' (Philippine TV station GMA newscaster and show host) IMBESTIGADOR where a husband was shown weeping over his wife who joined a cult. Everytime he wanted to ask her to come home, she would become uncontrollably in rage. The husband was shown saying, "Kahit nagkaganyan siya, mahal ko siya." (Even if she has become like that, I still love her.) I'd like to believe that Jesus' heart cried much like this husband whose happiness included his wife.

This brings me to a story which one of our missionaries Fr. Oliver Quilab, SVD used in his reflection in the SVD Bible 2006 Diary Word in Other Words sometime last week. He quoted the late JPII's story of an Irishman who was at the door of heaven, so hesitant to get in because as he was overhearing St. Peter inquiring each one whether one has given food to the hungry, or water to the thirsty, or visited the sick and those in prison, all that was mentioned in Mt. 25 - whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers... - he simply couldn't remember one occasion in his life when he did any of those written. Everyone else was rushing in, but this Irishman was biding by his time doing his life examen.

Until Jesus took over Peter who needed to rest, and the Irishman was called. "You've been here a long time. What's keeping you from drawing near?" asked Jesus. "I'm embarrassed because I couldn't remember one single occasion when I did any of those you spoke of in Mt. 25." Jesus was surprised himself. "Not one?" Jesus chuckled. He then picked up a book of the man's life ang pored in, page by page, trying to verify the truth of the man's admission. He really couldn't find one. But he said, "wait, you had a friend who was very very sad, and here you came telling him a story, in fact it was supposed to be a joke, and that friend smiled, and since then found back his life stance?" The Irishman lighted up and said, "Yes, I remember him. He was like a brother to me." And Jesus said, "Welcome to the Father's kingdom. He was Me!"

It thus looks like Jesus would go all the way to pore through our lives, and if he'd go so far to find one to remind us of at least one moment we did, although not literally as has been written, but nevertheless done in the same spirit, when we had responded quite selflessly. It looks like Jesus' tears for Jerusalem was his way of going so far to wash away the sins of the chosen people. And He continues to invite those who may have missed His coming before even through us. This God is really generous.