October 14, 2024

Luke 11:29-32

Today’s reading is about repentance. Jesus bemoans the evil of his generation which does not repent, in contrast to the people of Nineveh, who repented when Jonah spoke, and in comparison to the Queen of the South who came a long way to hear the wisdom of Solomon.  Yet so much more is being offered by Jesus.

Jesus asks us to repent, that is, to turn our attention to God.  Can we not turn away for a time from our entertainments and fascinations, our Netflix and our phones?  It is like junk food that fills our bellies but then gives us a stomachache.  It fills us as a society with depression and anxiety, or simply steals away our minds.

We can turn away from that to be with Jesus in tranquility and peace, to rest in that stillness, in that sunlight on a beautiful day, the sunlight on Jesus’ beautiful wavy hair and kind face, his kind presence. And to spend time in nature.  And by the way, to go on retreat.  It is so.  At least you have taken the first step towards retreat and now go.

(Message received on February 21, 2024.)