Second Sunday in Lent – Year C
March 16, 2025
Gospel Lectionary Text
Luke 13:31-35
13:31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you."
13:32 He said to them, "Go and tell that fox for me, 'Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work.
13:33 Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.'
13:34 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
13:35 See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
Context
Welcome to the Second Week of Lent. In this week’s Gospel, Jesus presents a stark contrast between Herod as a predatory “fox” and Himself as a mother “hen” who is prey. The image of the hen gathering chicks under her wings may warm the heart, but it’s hardly a comfort in the face of real threats. There are so many “strong” biblical images He could have chosen — Lion, Leopard, Eagle, or even a Rock. Why choose something so… so weak?!
At face value, the hen-versus-fox metaphor is absurd. That’s the point. There’s no scenario where the hen overpowers the fox. Instead, she absorbs his violent attack, satisfying his hunger before he reaches the chicks. Surely, the fox gets his fill and there’s a chance the chicks may survive, but it’s a really bad day for the hen.
Unfortunately, Jesus isn’t just offering a metaphor. History is littered with real people (what he called “prophets”) who are killed in their efforts to protect the most vulnerable. And what Jesus reveals is something perhaps even more scandalous than the slaughter, which is the self-donating love of a God who is a lot more like a hen than a fox, absorbing our violence and returning it with forgiveness. It’s no wonder this image has never been very popular in the history of the church.
Question
When faced with the worst humankind can do, it's the heart of a mother that rises up in Jesus. He compares himself to a mother hen who longs to gather her brood. It mirrors the first image of God in Scripture: a mother hen brooding over creation. How is the mother love of God calling forth life in chaos today?
Reflections
Praying Eucharistically - Weekly Homily by James Alison:
Understanding the Bible anew through the Mimetic Theory of René Girard.
Poetry
In Your Sight
by Rilke
I want to unfold.
Let no place in me hold itself closed,
for when I am closed, I am false.
I want to stay clear in your sight.
Prayer
During Lent, the call to prayer features the Street Psalms Prayer of Discernment and includes a story from our global community that helps ground us in the everyday reality of those we serve.
You are Emmanuel—the God who is with us. Nothing can separate us from your love. Ease the fear that binds us and blinds us, keeping us from the truth that sets us free. Give us the courage and compassion to see things as they are: filled with your delight, moving in us and through us and, most joyfully, between us.
Listen to the complete prayer below:
