Jesus Weeps

The Scriptures record only two instances of Jesus weeping:  over the death of his friend, Lazarus, (Jn 11) and over Jerusalem (Lk 19:41).  Anyone who has lost a loved one can easily understand the tears of Jesus for Lazarus, but what level of frustration or sadness provoked the tears for Jerusalem?  He knew the city would reject him and that later it would be destroyed, but above all, Jerusalem had turned it's back on the immense love he offered them and the good that such love opened up to them.  We get a glimpse here of how Jesus longs for our friendship, our willingness to allow him to rule our hearts and follow, as Mary did, a life of faith, trust and love. Earlier in Luke, Jesus compared his love to a mother hen who gathers her chicks under her wings (cf. Lk 23:27-31), a touching and inspiring image. May we turn those bitter tears to tears of joy as we follow Mary, Champagnat and our other Marist Founders who did not run or hold back from the love that Jesus offered them.  They have shown us that the joy that comes from that love outweighs any excuse we might offer to reject it.
Bro. Rene