In today's first reading, Isaiah 7: 1-9, the House of David is informed that the enemies of Judah are encamped in Ephraim and planning to attack the city of Jerusalem. The heart of the king trembled in fear. The prophet tells King Ahaz to fear not because his enemies "will not be able to conquer [the city of Jerusalem]." Isaiah is sent to say to Ahaz: "Take care [that] you remain tranquil and do not fear; let not your courage fail before" those who are determined to "tear Judah asunder, [to] make [Judah their] own by force, and appoint the son of Tabeel king there." The Lord continued to assure Ahaz: "This shall not be....[W]ithin sixty years and five, Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation. Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm."
The response to today's responsorial psalm reminds us that "God upholds his city for ever." We go on to pray: "Great is the Lord and wholly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, fairest of heights, is the joy of all the earth. Mount Zion, 'the recesses of the North,' is the city of the great King. God is with her castles; renowned is he as a stronghold...."
Jerusalem is a symbol of the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of God, that stands forever. As people of God we are part of that heavenly Kingdom, a Kingdom being built here on earth of living stones with God as our stronghold. Of whom need we fear! In Jeremiah 29:11, we are promised, that God has a future full of hope for us, not disaster. It seems that is what Isaiah is trying to get through to King Ahaz and us! Let us stand firm in our faith that God is with us as we stand up to the enemies who seems to be destroying truth and courting evil instead of good for all peoples! And let us stand firm in our abilities to cooperate with God in building a kingdom of justice and peace for all!
Showing posts with label Building God's Kingdom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Building God's Kingdom. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Building the Kingdom of God
Today's Gospel, Mark 4: 26-34, speaks about the Kingdom of God and that such is "as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how." God's Kingdom "sprouts and grow[s]", day by day, night by night! How? By our loving and forgiving one another! By our honesty with one another. By our mercy! By our caring about one another, seeing other people's affliction, hearing their cries for food, water, clothes; hearing other peoples' cries for justice and truthful living. We sow seeds of the Kingdom of God by, not just knowing what other people are going through but getting out of ourselves to do something that will enhance the life of a person in need. We see God's Kingdom sprouting, blossoming, growing as we witness husband and wife, a grandmother and a grandfather, loving one another and pouring out that love in self-sacrifice for their children and grandchildren. We see this Kingdom growing by those who give us medical, dental, physical and emotional help; by those in public service who act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with their God (See Micah 6:8) as they provide honest and just service to others.
In what ways am I contributing to the growth of God's Kingdom: Am I sowing seeds of love and justice, mercy, truth, and forgiveness? Or am I living a life of lies, holding grudges, living a narcissistic life, a life of revenge, a lustful life, a life lacking justice, a life without mercy or love?
In what ways am I contributing to the growth of God's Kingdom: Am I sowing seeds of love and justice, mercy, truth, and forgiveness? Or am I living a life of lies, holding grudges, living a narcissistic life, a life of revenge, a lustful life, a life lacking justice, a life without mercy or love?
Monday, September 25, 2017
God's Marvels and Those He Works through Us
I today's first reading, Ezra 1: 1-6, the Israelites are being prepared to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. Cyrus, king of Persia, says to the Israelites: "'[God] has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Therefore, whoever among you belongs to any part of his people, let him go up, and may his God be with him! Let everyone who has survived [the exile] in whatever place he may have dwelt, be assisted by the people of that place with silver, gold, goods, and cattle, together with farewell offerings of the house of God in Jerusalem.'"
What marvels the Lord has done for Israel throughout their entire history to the very moment they were released from exile in Babylon. Imagine the elation of the Israelites when Cyrus king of Persia, released them to return to their holy city Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of the Lord.
You and I, with the Israelites and the author of today's responsorial psalm, can, when things are going well for us, truly pray: "The Lord has done marvels for us." However, when darkness prevails, when we are exiled from our "homes," praising God for His marvels may be more difficult. In those moments of darkness or "exile", may you and I recognize our need for the light and for release. If, however, we experience being in the light and are comfortably, joyfully and peacefully at "home," may we have the wisdom and the courage to reach out to others in need. Let us be "Cyrus," recognizing that we have been charged to build God's Temple here on earth, that is, to further God's Kingdom of love, peace, joy and forgiveness to all those who feel "exiled" in some way.
What have I done, what have you done today, to be a light in other's darkness, to bring others to a sense of being freed from a "foreign" place.
What marvels the Lord has done for Israel throughout their entire history to the very moment they were released from exile in Babylon. Imagine the elation of the Israelites when Cyrus king of Persia, released them to return to their holy city Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of the Lord.
You and I, with the Israelites and the author of today's responsorial psalm, can, when things are going well for us, truly pray: "The Lord has done marvels for us." However, when darkness prevails, when we are exiled from our "homes," praising God for His marvels may be more difficult. In those moments of darkness or "exile", may you and I recognize our need for the light and for release. If, however, we experience being in the light and are comfortably, joyfully and peacefully at "home," may we have the wisdom and the courage to reach out to others in need. Let us be "Cyrus," recognizing that we have been charged to build God's Temple here on earth, that is, to further God's Kingdom of love, peace, joy and forgiveness to all those who feel "exiled" in some way.
What have I done, what have you done today, to be a light in other's darkness, to bring others to a sense of being freed from a "foreign" place.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Sowing justice
In today's first reading, Hosea 10: 1-3, 7-8, 12, the prophet tells Israel that it "is a luxurious vine whose fruit matches its growth. The more abundant his fruit, the more altars he built; the more productive his land, the more sacred pillars he set up. Their heart, [though, Hosea says,] is false....God shall break down their altars and destroy their sacred pillars.....Sow for yourselves justice, reap the fruit of piety; break up for yourselves a new field, for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rains down justice upon you."
In the first part of our lives we are about the business, if you will, of becoming luxurious vines whose fruit match our growth." We attain degrees and need to do that. We make our mark in the world, making a difference in other people's lives, growing in maturity. Hopefully, we move from a self-centered life to an other-centered lives. We grow in grace and wisdom, and not, in the words of Hosea, building altars to ourselves and forgetting about justice, forgetting to seek the Lord and His Ways, His Truth and His Life.
If our hearts are false, that is, if we are building altars to ourselves by our accumulation of materials things that we do not need for building up the Kingdom of God; or if we are focusing only on ourselves and not on sacrificing ourselves as Jesus did for the welfare of others, God will gently and mercifully "break down...[our] altars and destroy...[our] sacred pillars". Only then will be we ready to "sow...justice"--that is putting other people's needs on an equal footing with our own or putting others before ourselves, being concerned that their rights are protected as much as our own. We will begin relating to others as modeled by the Trinity, where all are equal and all participate in giving and receiving of that fullness to each other and to persons beyond themselves, you and I!
In the first part of our lives we are about the business, if you will, of becoming luxurious vines whose fruit match our growth." We attain degrees and need to do that. We make our mark in the world, making a difference in other people's lives, growing in maturity. Hopefully, we move from a self-centered life to an other-centered lives. We grow in grace and wisdom, and not, in the words of Hosea, building altars to ourselves and forgetting about justice, forgetting to seek the Lord and His Ways, His Truth and His Life.
If our hearts are false, that is, if we are building altars to ourselves by our accumulation of materials things that we do not need for building up the Kingdom of God; or if we are focusing only on ourselves and not on sacrificing ourselves as Jesus did for the welfare of others, God will gently and mercifully "break down...[our] altars and destroy...[our] sacred pillars". Only then will be we ready to "sow...justice"--that is putting other people's needs on an equal footing with our own or putting others before ourselves, being concerned that their rights are protected as much as our own. We will begin relating to others as modeled by the Trinity, where all are equal and all participate in giving and receiving of that fullness to each other and to persons beyond themselves, you and I!
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