Gospel of the Day: Luke 13:31–35 — Sheltered by His Love

Gospel reading for Thursday, 29 October 2026

Luke 13:31–35

Jesus does not turn away when love becomes costly. In this Gospel, His steady resolve stands alongside a tender sorrow: He knows the danger ahead, yet still longs to draw His people close.

What happens in the passage

Some Pharisees approach Jesus and warn Him to leave because Herod wants to kill Him. Jesus tells them to take a message back to Herod, whom He calls a fox: He will continue casting out demons and healing people, bringing His work to its appointed completion.

He must keep travelling towards Jerusalem. His words point towards the suffering awaiting Him there, recalling the city’s history of rejecting the prophets sent to it.

Then His words become a lament. Jesus speaks to Jerusalem as the city that kills prophets and stones those sent to her. How often He has wanted to gather her children together, as a hen gathers her chicks beneath her wings—but they have been unwilling.

He warns that their house will be left to them. The passage closes with His declaration that they will not see Him until they welcome the One who comes in the Lord’s name.

What this means for us today

Jesus shows us courage without hardness. He does not allow Herod’s threat to determine His mission, but neither does He become cold towards those who reject Him. His firmness and tenderness belong together.

We sometimes imagine that being faithful means never feeling sorrow, or that loving someone means avoiding difficult truths. This Gospel offers another way. We can remain steadfast in what is right while keeping our hearts open, praying for those who resist us and refusing to let disappointment become bitterness.

The image of the hen gathering her chicks also invites us to examine our own willingness to receive God’s care. Christ’s shelter is offered, not imposed. We can be busy with religious habits yet still hold back the fear, resentment or hidden hurt that most needs His healing.

A small response today might be to spend a few quiet minutes in prayer without trying to appear strong. Tell the Lord where you feel threatened or weary. Ask whether there is one act of faithfulness you have been postponing: an apology, a necessary conversation, or a return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The One who calls us to conversion is also the One who longs to gather us close. We do not have to face the road ahead without Him.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, gather me beneath Your loving care and give me a tender heart and the courage to follow You.

Read the full reading: USCCB Daily Readings