How Often Would I Have Gathered You
by Rev. Robert J. Hermley

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Scripture tells us that one day Christ looked over the city of Jerusalem and wept.  How He longed to gather the inhabitants together to heal their spiritual wounds, their troubles, their heartaches, to comfort their sorrows - but they would not come.  They would not take even a moment to pause from their every-day work to look up and see Christ as He stood there and looked down upon them going about their daily tasks, busied and worried about so many things.  So Christ just stood there and wept!

    "O Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered you together as a hen gathers her young, but you would not come."  (Mt. 23:37)

The same Jesus Christ who peered over the brow of the city that day still looks out at us from His tabernacle home every time we come to Mass.  He longs to come into our hearts in Holy communion; He longs to console us in our family problems.  He longs to heal our wounds and to alleviate our pain.  He asks us to carry His cross and He is right there to help us carry the burden.  Let us permit Him to gather us, His children, in time of trouble and danger.

In imitation of Christ, let us take up our crosses daily and follow in His footsteps.  Le us realize that Christ knows our sorrows and our sufferings and will not give us a burden heavier than we can bear.

    "Come to me all you who are heavily burdened and I will refresh you."
    "Knock and it shall be opened to you."

Let us understand that if we want the resurrection we must first stop at Calvary.  Be assured that as we carry our cross, Christ is right there beside us.  We never have to walk to Calvary alone.