WORD 2day

1st October, 2013 : Remembering St. Teresa of Child Jesus

Towards Jerusalem... we see the decision to go to Jerusalem, both in the first reading and the Gospel. The first reading speaks of people who wanted to go to Jerusalem, to witness the God who stood by the Hebrews through their thick and thin - "let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you!" The Gospel presents Jesus who is determined to go to Jerusalem... inspite of knowing what awaits him there; to offer his life for the very people who were stubborn enough to turn their face away from him. Jerusalem - is not merely the glorious hill of the presence of the Lord but also a challenge to live up to that presence which demands from us endurance, obedience and primacy of God. It is not easy to be welcoming to the Lord - for when he comes he is very demanding! If we are determined to respond to that, as did Teresa of Lisieux, who had no aspirations what so ever other than living for Christ - and achieved it in her short 24 years! Do we dare to set our face towards the presence of God?