Homily for Thursday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus compares Himself to a hen who longs to gather chicks under her wings. He wanted to unite the people of Jerusalem and lead them to salvation. However, His desire to gather and save them went unfulfilled because they chose not to listen.

Jesus doesn't force anyone to accept His message or invitation. God grants us the precious gift of human freedom, which means He seeks from us a genuine desire for salvation; 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 with God and the salvation offered by our Lord.