For I will be a wall of fire all round it, says the Lord, and I will be the glory within it.’ Up, up! Flee from the land of the north, says the Lord; for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven, says the Lord. Up! Escape to Zion, you that live with daughter Babylon. For thus said the Lord of hosts (after his glory sent me) regarding the nations that plundered you: Truly, one who touches you touches the apple of my eye.
See now, I am going to raise my hand against them, and they shall become plunder for their own slaves. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me. Sing and rejoice, daughter Zion! Now, I am coming to dwell in your midst—oracle of the LORD. Many nations will bind themselves to the LORD on that day. They will be my people, and I will dwell in your midst. Then you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
In today’s first reading, Zechariah inspires the Jewish people who have returned from Babylon to the desolate Jerusalem after the exile, addressing their profound disappointment and profound fear. He assures them that the city needs no walls, “For I will be a wall of fire all round it, says the Lord, and I will be the glory within it.” What about us? Granted our lives are quite safe and, compared to most of the world, even quite comfortable, but they are also messy, incomplete, torn, sometimes threatened. The Gospel, Jesus’ prediction of his Passion, underscores the problem (Lk 9:43b-45). Where is the “wall of fire” to protect Jesus from torture and death? The disciples “did not understand this…” For us to understand and be confident in God’s presence, God’s glory, we also have to dig deep beneath confusion to taste his presence. —The Jesuit Prayer team Good and gracious God, we may not always understand the trials of this world, but we are confident that you are with us always. Surround us with your love and care, that we may face what comes in our lives. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen. —The Jesuit Prayer teamGod’s presence around us
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Ignatian spirituality reminds us that God pursues us in the routines of our home and work life, and in the hopes and fears of life's challenges. The founder of the Jesuits, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, created the Spiritual Exercises to deepen our relationship with Christ and to move our contemplation into service. May this prayer site anchor your day and strengthen your resolve to remember what truly matters.
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