To watch Fr. Joe’s homily from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time: CLICK HERE!
In Mark’s Gospel, after proclaiming the dawning of the Kingdom of God, Jesus begins enacting it. Those who are broken in body, mind and spirit, are healed. Sinners and outcasts are restored to God and the community, and a few loaves and fish feed 1,000’s.
Where ever Jesus goes, the Kingdom of love, peace and joy break forth. And now we, who are the Body of Christ, are called to continue living into this Kingdom.
The Kingdom of God is among us, within us, around us, and inviting us – every moment of the day, to take our place as Kingdom People. To live in such a manner that the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of peace, love and joy continues to break out all around us… at home, work, school, with our family, friends, co-workers, strangers… With all those people we interact with for a moment or many moments each day.
The question this week many seem simple or easy, but at the same time maybe a challenge. To whom will we bring… To whom will the opportunity arise to bring God’s love, peace and joy to this day, this week…
Maybe we can readily respond to the question or maybe there will be opportunities to be seized in the hours and days ahead to bring God’s love, peace and joy to another or others.
Take the Pope this week on his visit to Chile, where the Pope seized the moment:
As his motorcade was moving by, a police officer was thrown from her horse. What did the Pope do? He stopped the motorcade, got off his “Popemobile,” and went over to the Police Officer, staying until the ambulance arrived.
On his flight over to Chile, on the Papal Plane, a couple from the airlines who had been married civilly but not in a Church due to an earthquake a few years back destroying the church where they were to be married, asked the Pope if he would “bless their marriage.” The Pope went further and on the plane, officiated a Church Wedding Ceremony.
I share these two real stories as moments when the Pope most certainly shared a part of the Kingdom of God with others; where he shared love, peace and joy.
We are not the Pope. We are who we are, but there are or there will be moments today and in the days to come where we as person, family and Parish will have the opportunity to live the Kingdom of God, of love, peace and joy…
May we seize these moments, these opportunities, whether big or small, to share the Kingdom of God, of peace, love and joy with all.