Sunday, January 13, 2019

Reign: the Message and Messengers

January 14, 2019

Monday, 1st week in Ordinary Time
Hebrews 1:1-6; Mark 1: 14-20

We have come to the end of the Christmas season and Ordinary season has begun; we have finished celebrating the events around Jesus' birth and we begin to remember the life and ministry of the Lord. Rightly the readings today highlight the revelation made in and through Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, the Word made flesh, as the climax of all precedent prophecies and preparations!

Just yesterday we celebrated the baptism of Jesus at Jordan, and Jesus begins right away, proclaiming the Reign for which he stood all his life, even unto death! Till now they heard speaking about the Good news from God, and people begin to hear the Good news speaking now! The first call today is this: to be His messengers is not merely talking about him, but letting Him talk, in and through us!

Moving on, as messengers we have a message to carry... His message. His message, his life and his mission, everything was summarised in that one reality: the Reign of God. Opting for the Reign is to accept the Good news, to accept the person of Christ, to accept the life of Christ, to accept the mind of Christ! 

The Word thus calls us today, to make our own, the dream and the vision of the Reign of God; to be in our own way messengers of the Reign. Are we prepared to leave the nets and boats, the comforts and securities, the craving for popularity and love for power... leave all these and follow the Lord?