Thursday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
(Nehemiah 8:1-4a.5-6.7b-12; Luke 10:1-12)
A number of years ago a play featuring the gospel won
acclaim in New York. It wasn’t “Jesus
Christ, Superstar” or “Godspell” but one person rendition of the Gospel according
to Mark. The performer, no doubt, was
able to convey the depth of human love which Mark relates. Evidently, the scribe Ezra is able to give a
similarly effective performance in today’s first reading.
The occasion is an assembly of the people of Jerusalem at
the Temple site. Ezra reads the Law, the
first five books of the Hebrew Bible, to an astonished crowd. The people are spell-bound by the story of God’s
love for them. They start to cry when
they think how they and their ancestors have betrayed this love. However, Nehemiah, the governor, intervenes. He tells them not to be sad. After all, God still loves them and forgives
their sins.
There are many passages in the New Testament that invoke
tears. John 3:16 and Romans 8:38-39 come
to mind even before the Gospel of Mark. There
are days when we should weep for betraying Christ’s love. But today in gorgeous October we might just
give thanks to God for Jesus. He has
witnessed the Father’s goodness in a way that transcends our imaginations.
