They would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem

Gospel of the Day (Luke 9:51-56)

When the days for his being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.

When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?"

Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

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Reflections:

"They would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem"

There are two cities: one is called Babylon, the other Jerusalem. Babylon means 'confusion'; Jerusalem means 'vision of peace'. Look well at the city of confusion if you would better understand the vision of peace. Bear with the first; sigh for the second.

What allows us to distinguish between these two cities? Can we, even now, separate one from the other? Each is interpenetrated with the other and, ever since the dawn of man, they have accompanied each other thus towards time's ending. Jerusalem was born along with Abel; Babylon with Cain... These two material towns were built only later but, symbolically, they represent those two immaterial cities whose origins go back to the beginning of time and must endure here below until the end of the ages. Then the Lord will separate them when he sets some at his right hand and others at his left (Mt 25,33)...

However, there is something that, even now, distinguishes the citizens of Jerusalem from the citizens of Babylon: that is their two loves. Love of God is what constitutes Jerusalem; love of the world, Babylon. Ask who you love and you will know who you are. If you find yourself to be a citizen of Babylon, uproot covetousness from your heart and plant charity within yourself. If you find yourself to be a citizen of Jerusalem, endure your captivity patiently and hope for your liberation. Indeed, many of the citizens of our holy mother Jerusalem (Gal 4,26) were first of all prisoners of Bablyon...

How can we awaken within ourselves a love for our homeland, Jerusalem, whose memory we have lost in the tediousness of exile? The Father himself writes to us and relights within us even here below a longing to return by his letters, which are the Holy Scriptures.