Homily for Thursday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus uses the metaphor of a hen who longs to gather her chicks under her wings, just as He desires to unite the people of Jerusalem and lead them to salvation. However, His longing to gather and save them went unfulfilled because they chose not to listen.

Jesus does not force anyone to accept His message or invitation. God gives us the precious gift of human freedom, which means He seeks a genuine desire for salvation from us; He does not impose it upon us. We must make an effort and cooperate with God's grace.

Let us pray that the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with a genuine desire for closeness to God and the salvation offered by our Lord.