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Thus says the Lord of hosts: There shall yet come peoples, inhabitants of many cities; and the inhabitants of one city shall approach those of another, and say, “Come! Let us go to implore the favor of the Lord;” and, “I too will go to seek the Lord.”
Zechariah 8:20-21
Thank you, dear God our loving Father for continuing to lead us to your holy city, your holy presence: more than the ancient Jerusalem, all we want is to make to your presence that we beg you to continue to guide us in this journey.
We know it is dangerous, filled with many obstacles and difficulties like peoples and situations that try to let us lose focus on you our destination.
When the days for Jesus being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.
Luke 9:51
Through your Son Jesus Christ give us the courage and strength to be "resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem" by defusing hostilities among peoples, showing them the path of peace that calls for witnessing to your love and care for everyone. May we never lose sight of the reality that the path to you, God our Father is Jesus Christ himself who said "I am the way and the truth and the life"; bless us in imitating St. Lorenzo Ruiz and his companion martyrs in Japan who followed Jesus to his martyrdom on the cross, shedding their blood to witness to your truth and glory. In this modern age when such cruelties are a thing of the past, the challenge remains the same for us to lead people to you, O God; how sad that many people today are "leaving" your city, never coming back because they could no longer see you in us, in our lives and examples; open our minds and hearts that like St. Lorenzo, may we examine ourselves closely to see what changes we need to live out Christ's gospel so that even if we are given with a thousand lives we would still offer it all to you. Amen.
