We
receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what
pleases him. And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his
Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us. Those who keep
his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he
remains in us is from the Spirit whom he gave us. 1
John 3:22-24
From
that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven
is at hand.”
Matthew 4:17
Piety
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom. Now it is our turn to turn from our old ways –
serving the LORD and rejoicing before him.
Study
We started the Advent season hearing the
message to “watch” for the lord of the house, the bridegroom is coming. As
we close the Christmas cycle, the “watching” is now over. John the Baptist
has proclaimed that his joy has been made complete with the arrival of the
bridegroom. The torch is passed to Jesus
with the arrest of John. While John may
be imprisoned and executed, mere mortals cannot contain the message of his
ministry.
From the very outset of his public ministry, Jesus
starts with the very same words that John the Baptist used. However, by the very fact that Jesus is using
them adds a new level of meaning. In his
person and his ministry, the kingdom of heaven has already begun to be present. The kingdom of God has come upon us. (Mt 12:28).
With Jesus among us, we are called to change
and live a life of faith in Him and love for each other as pointed out in the
first reading:
Living a life of
faith in Jesus and of Christian love assures us of abiding in God no matter
what our feelings may at times tell us. Our obedience gives us confidence in
prayer and trust in God’s judgment. This obedience includes our belief in
Christ and love for one another.[i]
Action
Did you bother to make a resolution this
year? I was struck by the resolution
posted by a friend on Facebook.
My New Year's
resolution - to find joy in ordinary life; to be myself; to do what I can with
what I am given and with who I am…
My New Year's prayer - "Lord, we don't get mangos from an avocado tree, and we don't get corn from the banana plant. We produce what we are. Help us to be what you need produced." ---Haitian proverb
That speaks volumes of repenting for the Kingdom
of God is at hand.
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