The Kingdom of God

06-13-2021Weekly ReflectionFr. Arul Doss

Dear Friends in Christ,

Good morning to you all. I am very to see some new faces in the weekend Masses. I appreciate and thank you all for your participation and great smiles. May our mighty God bless you all continuously with His choicest Blessings.

On this eleventh Sunday of ordinary time, the readings speak about kingdom of God.

The first reading is a message of hope and restoration. Through the prophet Ezekiel God promised to re-establish and elevate his people who were in exile in Babylon. This means that God wishes to transfer his people from a kingdom of oppression, poverty and misery to a kingdom of justice, prosperity and peace of mind. This is obviously the kingdom were Christ reigns as king and, as the fountain of life. This is the kingdom where God wishes us to be.

In the second reading, Paul reminds us of the fact that we are on a journey towards the kingdom of God in order to be with Christ our lord and king. Hence, whether we are “living in the body or exiled from it, we should be focused on pleasing the Lord. The journey to this kingdom is a journey which must be approached with faith and courage. Hence Paul reminds us: “…Going as we do by faith and not by sight, we are full of confidence…and actually want to leave this body in order to be with Christ.” In light of this, we must advance diligently in order to be admitted into this kingdom by Christ.

In our Gospel, Jesus expresses two parables about the Kingdom of God. The first mentions a man scattering seed on the land. As time passes, the seed sprouts and grows — yet, the man does not know how it happened. This parable reminds us of our call to scatter seeds of faith to others. Over time, God will work with those seeds and produce fruit. It is not our doing, but God’s doing. We need Him to produce the effects — all we can do is be good stewards of the knowledge and love for our faith. The kingdom he invites us to is a simple and peaceful one. It is open to all who seek it with a sincere heart.

Jesus’ second parable relates the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed. It is one of the tiniest seeds, that grows rapidly into a field of weeds. However, in the parable, Jesus compares the Kingdom to a mustard seed that grows into the largest of plants. The beginnings of the Kingdom started out small, but have grown and continue to grow into something grand. This seems unlikely, since Jesus is comparing it to a mustard seed, but we have to recognize that He is describing the Kingdom of God — something that is out of this world and beyond what we can imagine. As Christian disciples, we hope to reside in the branches of heaven, along with our family and friends. We cannot do this on our own. As our other readings mention, it is through the total surrender, complete faith and actively living out our faith as a witness to Christ that we can hope in eternal life. As we settle into Ordinary Time, let us not become complacent, but keep our hearts and minds fixed on the Kingdom of God.

As Christian disciples, we hope to reside in the branches of heaven, along with our family and friends. We cannot do this on our own. As our other readings mention, it is through the total surrender, complete faith and actively living out our faith as a witness to Christ that we can hope in eternal life. As we settle into Ordinary Time, let us not become complacent, but keep our hearts and minds fixed on the Kingdom of God

Have a Great Sunday!

Yours In Christ,
Fr. Doss

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