Jerusalem, the Temple, and the Peace Only Christ Can Give

Today's Mass Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112025.cfm

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, Fr. Jason Lewis reflects on Jesus’ anguished words to Jerusalem — the city that should have recognized “what makes for peace” (Lk 19:42). Like Eden and the Temple, Jerusalem was meant to be the spiritual center of the cosmos, yet its people often turned from the very Source of life. Jesus laments a blindness of heart that leads to ruin, reminding us that true peace is found only when we return to God with humility and trust. As the Catechism teaches, “Peace is the tranquility of order” rooted in God Himself (CCC 2304).

Fr. Jason shows how Our Lady, the Queen of Peace, leads us directly to her Son, the Prince of Peace. Her message echoes the words Jesus gave to St. Faustina: “Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy” (Diary, 300). Medjugorje, a place of deep conversion for many, calls us to pray from the heart, read Scripture, adore Christ in the Eucharist, fast, and make frequent confession — the very sacramental life through which Divine Mercy heals and restores us. Access to grace in the Eucharist and Confession reveals why the Church calls the Sacraments “powers that come forth from the Body of Christ” (CCC 1116).

The world promises peace through wealth, comfort, or distraction, yet these leave us empty. Only Jesus offers a peace that endures (cf. Jn 14:27). Our Lady invites us to trust, surrender, and choose the narrow path that leads to life.