Catholic Men’s Daily Devotional and Bible Study – 30th Week in Ordinary time – Thursday – Luke 13:31-35

After warning men to repent and revealing that many of the outwardly pious will not enter the Kingdom of God, some Pharisees come and tell Christ to flee because King Herod is seeking to kill Him. The Pharisees don’t care about Christ’s fate; they are furious because Christ has rebuked their false piety and are jealous of the crowds who are flocking to Christ.

Christ sees through the Pharisees’ attempts to frighten Him. Christ uses the derogatory “fox” in referring to Herod, demonstrating His fearlessness of worldly power. Cryptically, He refers to His coming Passion with His reference to three days (He rises on the third day) and that a prophet must perish in Jerusalem.

Christ laments the hardness of His chosen people’s hearts, their stubborn resistance to the hearing God’s word and their stoning of the prophets. Because of their sinfulness and rejection of God’s mercy, rather than offering protection, Christ declares that He has withdrawn His support for the earthly Jerusalem. The phrase “Blessed is he…” is a Jewish idiom (quoted in Psalm 118) which refers to the greeting of the bridegroom: Christ is revealing that Jerusalem’s burden will not be lifted until Christ is welcomed as the Messiah who comes to wed His people.

Awed by Jesus Christ – Son of God, Christ sees through the schemes of men. Perfection of virtue, Christ is fearless of the Pharisees and Herod, rebuking them publicly. Divine Mercy, Christ laments the sinfulness of Israel and their rejection of His Mercy. Divine Prophet, Christ cryptically acknowledges His coming Passion and predicts Israel will eventually welcome Him.

Being a Heroic Catholic Man

1) The Divine Prophet, Christ sends the prophets to Israel throughout Salvation History, personally comes to His people in the Incarnation, reveals His coming Passion and makes predictions about Israel’s eventual acceptance of Him. Be awed.

2) Nations are born but inevitably fail, often catastrophically, when the people turn from God. Christ confirms that God withdraws His support of nations when He is rejected; this is true throughout Israel’s history and comes true in A.D. 70 after the Jews reject Christ. Pray for Christ to inspire today’s people and that He does not withdraw His support of your country.

3) Many Catholic men fail to confront their own sin (80% of Catholic men don’t go to Confession even once a year) and therefore close themselves off from Christ’s Divine Mercy. Pray for Christ to guide you and all men to repent, receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and receive His mercy.

Spiritual Practices – Include in Today’s Prayers

Sacred Mystery of Rosary – The Luminous Mysteries

Daily Devotion – The Holy Eucharist

Virtue of the Day – Fortitude

Corporal Work of Mercy – To shelter the homeless

Spiritual Work of Mercy – To bear wrongs patiently