The Kingdom of God is at Hand

In today's Gospel, Luke 11: 15-26, the crowd accuses Jesus of casting demons out by Beelzebul, by the devil himself. Jesus, unafraid of the crowd's badgering him, Jesus responds:  "Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house." If Satan, therefore, is casting out Satan, if evil spirits are casting out evil spirit, they Satan's kingdom of evil is going to collapse. No kingdom attacking its own power, its own inhabitants and the work they do, will stand. However, Jesus says, if "it is by the finger of  God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you."  

Each of us had good and evil spirits at work within us. We need to,  with God's assistance, discern between good and evil within, between urges to do good and those prompting/tempting us to engage in evil actions or to entertain unkind, deceitful, corrupt, depraved intentions by which we harm others and ourselves.  As we draw closer and closer to God, Satan becomes more cunning in his ways of tempting us to do what is wrong and hurtful. So, too, do we need to become more astute in recognizing Satan's depravity and deceitfulness. Remember, also, that God is always with us. The Spirit is always at work within us and within others providing us with the Wisdom to know good from evil and the ways these spirits function within our humanity.

May our eyes and hearts and ears, Lord, be evermore attentive to Your voice, the voice of Wisdom!

Parable of the Weeds Explained

In today's Gospel, Matthew 13: 36-43, Jesus explains the parable of the weeds in the field. The one who sows good seeds, of course,  is Jesus. The "field is the world". The good seed [is] the children of God's Kingdom. The weeds, or bad seeds, are "the children of the Evil One and the enemy who sows them is the Devil." At the end of time, the angels will "collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers--[the bad seeds or the weeds]." These individuals will be cast out of God's sight forever and will live in everlasting torment. They will be thrown "into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."  The righteous, on the other hand, will be led by the angels into God's eternal Kingdom. They will see God face to face and live with God forever in unspeakable love, joy and peace which this world cannot give!

Lord, thank you for securing entrance into the Everlasting Kingdom by your death and resurrection for those who cling to You, seek You with all their heart, and serve you and others by their loving service. Thank you also, Lord, for being there when we get caught by Satan's lies, fall into sin, and, through grace, repent of our wrongdoing and turn back to You. Thank you for everyone who is a good seed that you have sown in the garden of my life and who, by grace, continue to bear good fruit. Have mercy, Lord, on the "weeds" among us, on those who, knowingly or unknowingly, are "children of the Evil One" and who are sown by the Devil.

Lord, have mercy on those who cause others to sin!  Have mercy on evildoers--human traffickers, sexual predators, corrupt, depraved individuals who, as children of the Evil One, go about treating others cruelly, act unjustly, hatefully without compassion and without love and thus deprive others and Mother Earth of their basic human rights. Have mercy on all who deceive others and vent venomous, hate-filled actions upon them!  Show mercy to anyone who has become a plaything of Satan and who, being lied to by the Devil, the Father of Lies, is thus caught in Satan's trap.  May these people, and all of us, look to You, Lord, for help, admit when we become entangled in Satan's lies.  When we fall into sin, may we seek Your forgiveness of our wrongdoing! I ask this in Jesus' name.

The Mysteries of the Kingdom of God

In  today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 37, we are asked to "[c]ommit to the Lord your way; trust in him, and he will act."  Every year when a farmer cultivates his/her crop, he/she does just that!  

Jesus, in today's Gospel, Mark 4: 26:34, likens the Kingdom of God  to persons who plant seeds, go to sleep, rise day after day, see the seed sprout and grow, "he [she] knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he [she] wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come."

You and I are "plants" in God's garden!  We are "seeds" sown by God himself!  We grow into God--we know not how--but as time progresses we become Christ in the world of today. By the grace of God we yield fruit that will last for all eternity--that fruit is love!

And so we pray the Gospel Acclamation of today's liturgy:  Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones--to you and me--the mysteries of the Kingdom" (Cf. Mt 11:25).

The Coming of the Lord

In today's first reading, Revelation 22: 1-7, St. John is shown "the river of life-giving weave, sparkling like crustal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb [Jesus Christ, our Risen Savior] down the middle of the street. On either side of the river grew the three of life....; the leaves of the trees serve as medicine for the nations. Nothing accursed will be found anymore....Night will be no more, nor will [we] need light from lamp or sun, for the word God shall give [us] light, and [we] ball reign forever and ever....Behold I am coming soon [to take us to this Kingdom that last forever and in which "nothing accursed shall be found]."

Imagine! Nothing accursed shall be found in the everlasting Kingdom nor in you or me or anyone else allowed to enter that Kingdom!  The gates to that Kingdom were opened for us by Jesus' life, death and resurrection. The blood of the Lamb has purified us white as freshly fallen snow!  Our sins are as far from God's mind as East from West.  They are remembered no more, as we learn from Jesus' response to the good thief on the cross when he asked Jesus to remember him when He entered His Kingdom. Jesus' response:  "This very day you will be with me in Paradise."  Jesus says the very same thing to you and me when we turn to Him and ask to be remembered!

May you and I be ready when our last day on earth arrives, be that today, tomorrow or years to come! God eagerly awaits that day!

The Kingdom of God Right Here Right Now

In today's Gospel, Luke 17: 20-25, the Pharisees ask Jesus when the Kingdom of God will come.  Jesus responds: The "Kingdom of God is among you."  The Kingdom of God is not a future but an everyday event brought forth when we are kind to another person, when we smile at someone, when we forgive others, show compassion and are loving toward others.  The Kingdom of God is revealed when others are helpful, useful, caring,  and honest; when persons refrain from gossiping or from hurting  others or themselves in any way. Yes, "the Kingdom of God is among" us, as Jesus told the Pharisees, and those who live by faith and hope and love--those who give "birth" to Jesus in this world--experience it and make it a reality for others and themselves!  A light shines in our darkness when we transform a little bit of earth into "paradise," into the Kingdom of God on earth!

Jesus tells us to not run off looking for Him when people say, "'Look, there he is,' or 'Look, here he is.'  For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation."  We, too, will suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation before entering our eternal glory. In the meantime, it is our challenge to make God's Kingdom a reality right where we are by our love, our honesty, our faith and hope in the Lord Jesus and in following His Way and His Truth, and being His Life here on earth.

Sent on Mission to Proclaim the Kingdom of the Lord

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Luke, the evangelist, who worked along side St. Paul in making Jesus known to the Gentiles.  Both Luke and Paul, friends of Jesus, did what the responsorial psalm, Psalm145, proclaims:  "Your friends make known O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom." The psalmist goes on to say to followers of Jesus: "Let them discourse of the glory of [God's] Kingdom," a kingdom of peace and justice and love.  As disciples of Jesus, we are to make "known [God's] might and the glorious splendor of [God's] kingdom, [a] Kingdom...for all ages."  We are to let people know that God's "dominion endures through all generations," not just Jesus' generation. We are also to reveal the truth that "the Lord is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. [And furthermore,]...is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth."

In today's Gospel, Luke 10, 1-9, Luke tells the story of when Jesus appointed 72 disciples to  proclaim the Kingdom and thus precede him to places which He Himself "intended to visit....[B]ehold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.....In whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in [that] house." 

In order to do God's work, we need to, first ourselves, be at peace. If the persons we are sent to assist, be that family  or community members, members of our parish, or our fellow employees, are not at peace with our presence or message, we need to move on to other places/persons, as Jesus counseled the 72.  When the Lord send us out on mission, we also need to be prepared to encounter "wolves."  Not everyone wants to hear about the Gospel way of life and not everyone lives a life  that brings them to knowledge Jesus, the Lord who, as identified by the psalmist as one who "is just in all his ways and holy in all  his works."  As with Jesus, we will encounter opposition in living the Christian way of life and being true to ourselves!

Are you/am I ready? If we keep our focus on Jesus as we journey through any given day, or come back to the Lord when we lose our focus,  we will always be ready!


 

Fit for the Kingdom!

In today's Gospel, Luke 9: 57-63, three different persons indicate a desire to follow Jesus. When invited to do so, each has an excuse before making a commitment.  Jesus points out that following Him is not easy. Sacrifice is required. What seems more important than an immediate, direct and complete response needs to be relinquished.  How often, when the Spirit calls, do we not say:  "I've gotta do this or that first." That to which the Spirit called us to give time and attention is then left undone, forgotten.

Jesus uses strong words at the close of this passage when speaking to the person who asked to first say farewell to his/her family at home and then follow Him. Jesus says: "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God." Experiencing and building the Kingdom of God right here, right now, often depends on our obedience to the Spirit's invitations to do the right thing, the loving thing NOW, not later when whatever we chose to do instead crowds out the opportunity to grow in self-sacrificing love!

Lord, I ask forgiveness for the times that I have excitedly said that I want to follow you but when the rubber hits the road, so to speak, I have chosen my will, not yours!

Building God's Kingdom

In today's Gospel, Matthew 13: 47-53, Jesus likens the Kingdom of heaven  to "a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind."  When Jesus called the apostles from their fishing boats, He told them that He would make them fishers of men.  During His time here on earth in a physical body, Jesus, the Son of God, also went about "fishing" for men and women in need of a physician, persons needing healing of body, mind and spirit.  He ate with sinners, spoke with sinners, raised sinners from the dead, promised Paradise to a thief dying on the cross next to  him when he asked to be remembered by Jesus when He got to His Kingdom.

The Son of God was the transformation of God roaming throughout all of Galilee and the surrounding area. He was the Divine Potter reshaping people into the image and likeness of God in which each was made and about which each was commissioned to bring to fullness during their sojourn here on earth. Jesus showed the way to accomplish his work. He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life of God in our midst then and now!

May you and I realize ever more fully our mission to build God's Kingdom, as Jesus did and does!

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?

The Finiteness of Earthly "Kingdoms"

In today's first reading, Daniel 2: 31-45,  Daniel interprets a dream of King Nebuchadnezzar, in which it is predicted that his kingdom will be overtaken by an inferior kingdom.  In fact three other kingdoms will follow King Nebuchadnezzar's. In the lifetime of each of these four kings, "the God of heaven," Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar, "will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people; rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever."

In the Gospel, Luke 21: 5-11, "[w]hile some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, 'All that you see here--the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.'"

Only the kingdom of God shall stand forever. All other "kingdoms" or nations, all the riches we might accumulate and obsess about here on earth, all the luxuries into which we put our savings and all of our energies, are finite and will ultimately be destroyed.  All of us will leave this earthly kingdom, wherever it has been built for us or by us.  Naked we came into the world and naked we will leave this world to enter the eternal Kingdom, a Kingdom built on love.

How busy am I in preparing for God's Kingdom, that is, in growing in love with others, with myself, with God? How busy am I helping others, bringing about justice in my world, loving others tenderly, and walking humbly with God (cf Micah 6:8).

Sent forth as Disciples of Jesus

In today's Gospel, Luke 10: 1-9,  Jesus commissioned 72 disciples to go forth in His name.
"Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. In whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household. If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to
you....Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'" 

Jesus is saying to you and me, as disciples of Jesus, that our work as disciples of Jesus will not be easy, as we are being sent as lambs among wolves.  Risks and dangers are part of the terrain! We are sent to build God's kingdom just as Jesus did!  To be effective, it is important that we maintain our personal peace--we cannot share what we do not have! We also need the gift of discernment to recognize when another is not open to the peace we bring in God's name. If there is no openness, we need to move on, maintaining the peace God has given us.  Furthermore,  persons and places we visit are to be left in better shape than before our visit. And, yes, after our visits, those we spent time with should come to know that the Kingdom of God is real!

Mary's Assumption into Heaven

Today we celebrate the assumption of our Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven body and soul.

In today's first reading from the book of Revelation, chapter 12: 19a; 12: 1-6a, and 10b,  St. John describes the heavens opening and he sees "the ark of [God's] covenant."  Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant. She carried the Son of God in her womb for 9 months and gave Him birth.

Mary is described in this passage as being"clothed with the sun".  She is crowned with "twelve stars" and, for sure, those stars are more brilliant than any diamonds worn by a bride! Under Mary's feet is "the moon."    Take a moment to imagine this picture of Mary.

John sees Mary in pain,  giving birth and near her stands "a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems...The dragon stood before the woman...,[waiting] to devour her child...She gave  birth to a son,...destined to rule all the nations...Her child is caught up to God and his throne [and Mary] fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God. Then [John says that he] heard a loud voice in heaven say:

                     'NOW HAVE SALVATION AND POWER COME,
                     AND THE KINGDOM OF OUR GOD
                     AND THE AUTHORITY OF HIS ANOINTED ONE!'" (emphasis is mine)


From the moment of Jesus' birth "salvation and power" have come, as has the "Kingdom of our God and the authority of His anointed one!"  God rules to this very day in ways that those of faith are able to observe.  May we, in faith, seek to know this "salvation and power." May we look for God's Kingdom among us--the Kingdom of God is within us, Jesus tells us in the Gospels--and may we acknowledge the authority of His anointed one in our midst.


             

"The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand" (Matthew 10:8)

In today’s Gospel, Matthew 9: 35-10:1, 5a, 6-8, Matthew recalls his experience of Jesus. He tells us that  “[a]t the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.’ Then he summoned his Twelve disciples [Matthew would have been one of those twelve) and [authorized them] to...go make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Jesus is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow!  To this very day, He is “moved with pity,” seeing millions of people without  proper instructors, without sufficient guidance, without being loved or cared for properly. In fact, in this 21^st century, Jesus sees millions of children, young adults and, in many cases,  women being abused spiritually, physically, emotionally, verbally. Jesus sees children and adults sifting through garbage dumps looking for something to eat. He sees homeless persons begging for help to survive homelessness.   He sees children and young adults used as sexual slaves and slaves in factories and various industrial sites where clothes and other commodities are produced by cheap labor and sold by companies that makes billions of dollars  of profit selling merchandise produced as cheaply as possible off the backs of poorly paid workers. 

On the day of reckoning, the Lord will bind up “the wounds of his people, he will heal the bruises left” by abusers(see today’s first reading, Is 30: 26); and,   yes,  on that day  “the tyrant shall be no more and the arrogant will have gone. All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,”  the prophet Isaiah warns us in Is. 29: 17-24.

“The time is fulfilled,” Jesus says  to us, “and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent , and believe the gospel” (Mark 1: 15).

May each one of us have the humility to heed Isaiah and Jesus' messages!  May we beg God's mercy for all of us, those doing good in the world and those perpetuating evil.

The Kingdom of God Within

In today’s Gospel, Luke 13: 18-21, Jesus speaks to us about the Kingdom of God being like a mustard seed, which if planted in rich soil, fed appropriate nutrients, and cultivated produces a huge tree that reaches high into the heavens, providing shelter for many a bird and other animals and could be used by humankind to provide shelter from inclement weather as well. The oak tree could also be carved into beautiful furnishings that bring delight to the eye of its beholders.  How is the Kingdom of God like this mustard seed? God’s Kingdom is planted within us at baptism. It  needs to be nurtured, cultivated, shared in ways that give life and comfort and shelter to others in the storms of life.  The Kingdom of God within us is our faith and hope and love that expands throughout our life time, if nourished,  and is transformed as we grow into adulthood and mature into an another Christ:  Jesus made flesh in our flesh and made known through our  faith, hope and love.

Jesus also likens the Kingdom of God to yeast which affects the dough into which it is kneaded.  The dough expands, is baked and becomes a delicious loaf of bread. In this imagery, the Kingdom of God within us effects all that we do, transforms it, delights others who experience God’s Kingdom at work in our lives in ways that make a difference in their lives as well. To flourish, this “yeast” needs to be kneaded—the sufferings and difficulties of life are part of bringing the Kingdom of God to fruition in our lives. The “yeast” needs to be subordinated, so to speak, to the flour into which it is kneaded and in which it makes the bread rise. The Kingdom of God within us is the rising of Christ, who triumphs over death, and in our lives empowers us to triumph as well!

How healthy is “the mustard seed” and the “yeast”—God’s Kingdom--within me?  How is my life being changed as is a mustard seed properly planted and nurtured? How effective is God’s Kingdom within me as is yeast kneaded in dough? Am I maturing into Christ? Is my faith, hope and love expanding?   Am I making a difference as Jesus did while walking through villages in the Far East 2000+ years ago and as Jesus does now walking beside us each day?

God's Kingdom among Us

In today’s first reading, 2 Samuel 7: 1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16, King David wanted to build a house for the ark of God.   God says to the prophet Nathan, who had encouraged King David to do so, to let King David know that it was not the will of God that he take on such a task.  “Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Should you build me a house to dwell in? It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.   And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance….I will raise up your heir after you, spring from your loins, and I will make his Kingdom firm….Your house and your Kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.’”

God sent His Son into the World, born of a woman on this holy night.   Jesus came to earth to establish God’s Kingdom here and to secure our place in that Kingdom for all eternity by ransoming us from Satan’s snares. e did so H He did so by His obedience to the Father unto His death on the cross and His triumph over death in His resurrection.

My prayer:  Thank you, God, for your great love in leaving Your throne and the peace of heaven to enter a sin-infested, troubled, violent world to secure for m—for all of us--a place in heaven!  You left heaven and came to earth to redeem it and take it out of Satan’s power. You, warrior God, took on Satan and his legions of devils, who war against us!  How great God’s love for each of us—Jesus gave His life as ransom, beginning with His taking on human nature when conceived in Mary’s sacred womb and being born this holy night!

                I did so for your sake!

                I gave my life to save yours!

Your thoughts?   Your prayer?our prayer

The Barren Fig Tree

Today’s  Gospel reading, Mark 11¨11-26, is filled with symbolic meanings.  Jesus’ anger toward the barren fig tree symbolized his anger at the Jewish people, who had just sung Hosanna’s to Him as He entered Jerusalem.  (Karris, Robert, O.F.M., ed., The Collegeville Bible Commentary, New Testament, The Liturgical Press, 1988, p. 926) .  Jesus’ anger at the those who had turned  the Temple into “a den of thieves” was not only about violating holy, sacred space, it was also about their rejection of Jesus as the One sent into the world to save the world . The blood of the New Covenant was about to be poured out as expiation for the sins of the world—the Sacrifice of the Lamb of God was/is above any other sacrifice established by humankind and alone would restore Israel and us to the glory God intends for us. Jesus is the “Fuller’s Lye,” the One who purifies, glorifies, justifies and sanctifies us, not any external form of sacrifice. And, yes, the Kingdom God established through Jesus would last eternally. All other kingdoms, that of Herod and future kings,  will wither as did the fig tree.

What “kingdom” do I hope will last forever?  To what human structures have I sworn allegiance and lost sight of Jesus?

God's Kingdom is among Us

In today’s Gospel, Luke 11:14-23, the crowd accused Jesus of casting a demon out of a mute man through the power of Satan himself.  Jesus’ response was: “If I…drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people  drive them out?” If Satan is driving out demons, the Satan’s kingdom will not stand, as “[e]very kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house.” Jesus goes on further to say: When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils.” 

Jesus is that strong man who takes on Satan.  Jesus is the one who “attacks and overcomes”  Satan who “prowls the world seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Jesus “takes away [Satan’s] armor on which he relied.”  Satan relies on lies to trap us into being his servant, listening to his voice instead of listening to the voice of God.

May we, today, distinguish  between the voice of Satan and the voice of the Lord. Satan lies. God is Truth. When we are being true to our inmost selves, the self that is directed by the Holy Spirit, we are at peace and we do things that lead to our peace and peace around us. In peace we are able to look for the good in ourselves and others and affirm that. In peace, we refrain from reacting to others divisive ways, their arguments, and aggressive behaviors. We are able to walk away and maintain our peace. We become peacemakers and rabble rousers.

The Kingdom of God is Here

The Kingdom of God is here. Jesus did not establish his Kingdom with military might.  Jesus came in peace to proclaim the Gospel, Good News.  Peace be with you was a frequent greeting of Jesus, especially  after the Resurrection. That same greeting may be gleaned from the Angel Gabriel's greeting to Mary: "Be not afraid; you have found favor with the Lord."  God says the same to us: "Be not afraid; you are favored by the Lord God, who comes, in Christ Jesus, to restore us to the Father, to right our relationship with God, to crush Satan, whose goal is to lure us away from all that proclaims God's goodness, His compassion, His love.  Jesus comes to draw us to the Lord in love by the goodness of God revealed by his good deeds among us.  The blind see, The deaf hear. The sick are healed of all kinds of diseases, the Gospel tells us today. The lame walk. Those possessed of demons are freed.

Yes, come back to God. The Kingdom of God is here making all things new, righting all wrongs. That is God's nature and yours and mine as well in Christ Jesus.

"Repent and believe in the Gospel" (Mk 1:14)

“This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” As I was at prayer this morning, I shared with the Lord how frustrated I was with myself, as I  had fallen into Satan’s trap of looking at the weaknesses of another. Luckily the person with whom I was about to unload my story challenged me,  stating her belief that everyone does the best he/she can do given the circumstances with which he/she is dealing.

I asked the Lord for His counsel and He reminded me that I was looking into a mirror. The weakness I was about to complain about in the other reflected that weakness in me.  The other was a mirror image of myself. The fact that I was perturbed by the other’s behavior indicated that that inclination existed within me as well.   Jesus “caught” me, just as He invited Simon and Andrew  (see today’s Gospel, Mark  1: 14-20) to “come after me; I will make you fishers of men [women].”

How important it is that  we allow Jesus to cast His net over us, pull us in and away from the net of the evil  into which Satan so insistently wants to lure us. Yes,  as stated in the opening lines of today’s Gospel, “this is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

What We Can Learn from the Genealogy of Jesus

Today's Gospel, Mt. 1: 1-17, presents the genealogy of Jesus, "the Son of David, the son of Abraham."  Jesus is a king whose kingdom will last into eternity.  As Jesus says to Pilate, "Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. As it is, my kingdom does not belong here." Pilate answers: "So, then you are a king?" Jesus respond, saying: "It is you who say that I am a king, I was born for this, I came into the world for this, to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice" (Jn 18: 36-38). 

Lying in that manger on Christmas day if our King, the one who came into this world to testify to the truth that God is lo0ve, that God is merciful, that God is compassionate, that God is true to his promise to bring salvation, not just to the Jews but to foreigners, as ell, and to all peoples, the great and the small, public and private sinners, those despised and those acclaimed by all. 

In Jesus' genealogy, the "skeletons" are let out of the closet: David, an adulterer and a murderer; Rahab, a prostitute of Jericho who sheltered the spies and was admitted to the company of the Chosen People; Tamar, who deceived her father-in-law Judah into an incestuous union; and Bathsheba, who with David, committed adultery; and many others, males and females, of varying decrees of infidelity. There are "skeletons" in the closets of our families as well and in our personal lives also.  All are invited into God's Kingdom, into God's light to be purified, made whole, healed of their "infirmities." 

What in me needs the light of truth; what am I hiding from the Lord and others? What/who in my family is hiding from the Truth?  God excludes no one and no part of me from knowing the Truth and being set free! That is Christmas' gift!