Community Word: Those who are poor in spirit will inherit the Kingdom of God.
Order:“…come, follow me.” (Mk 10:21b)
Reflection:
For the month of October, our community word states: Those who are poor in spirit will inherit the Kingdom of God. We are exhorted to continually ask the Holy Spirit to lead us and help us do the things that God wants us to do and to allow the Holy Spirit to take control over more areas of our lives. What is important is our response and cooperation with God’s grace to do our part, especially in consistently reading the bible and reflection on God’s word, in fervently praying and asking the Holy Spirit to show us the Truth and teach us how to live and inherit the Kingdom of God. God’s Kingdom is within every man’s heart, within us, to make the right choices. It is in the midst of every true believer, in the presence of Jesus, following His command (our Order for the month): “…come, follow me,” (Mk 10:21b).
For the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, our theme is – We inherit the Kingdom of God when we possess childlike obedience and humility. Jesus tells us to be like children who are innocent and dependent, and to come to Him full of faith and trust. The attitude and characteristic of children who are humble and obedience are what Jesus is referring to when He opens Himself to them: “…let the children come to me for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these,”(Mk 10:14).We are likewise encouraged to be strong in our humility and obedience to the Lord’s will to claim our rightful place as God’s children, to walk more closely with Christ in our relationship and exciting journey with Him. Let us be stirred by His words and be lead to travel the path of spiritual growth as His empowered disciples, with this inspiring promise: “Blessed are you who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways!” (Ps 128:1).
We inherit the Kingdom of God when we share our blessings with those in need, is our theme for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time. God’s kingdom cannot be received or felt by people who are engrossed with their own self, their self-sufficiency, their attachment to self-serving comfort, pleasure, power and wealth. The message of the readings is the need for detachment by way of sharing our time, talent and treasure for the good of others. The way towards God is following the example of Jesus in serving others – His care, empathy, compassion and sacrifice, not only by words but through actual action and service. Let us not wait for tomorrow to discover the joy of being free from the vanity of material things and to share the wonders of God’s boundless blessings. Indeed the promise “… give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven,” (Mk 10:21b)encourages usto imitate our ever generous and loving God.
The theme for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time is – We inherit the Kingdom of God when we become servant of all. Our mission will only have meaning if we keep the spirit of service alive. In God’s Kingdom, there is no position of power but the power of perfect love of God. Though Son of God, Jesus taught us how to empty ourselves of self-preoccupation – “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be the servant of all,”(Mk 10:43). A man who develops his full potentials and uses God-given gifts is the one who glorifies God the most. If we want to be great in God’s presence, we must learn to be the “servant of all.” The crosses in our life, accepted in faith and humility, become the antidotes to our pride and self-centeredness. Let us pray to be instilled by the Lord with a passion for service and not a desire for power and self-glorification, for great is the person who willingly accepts the role of a servant to others. In all we do for others, Christ gives us this assurance: “If he gives his life as an offering…the will of Lord shall be accomplished through him,” (Is 52:10b).
Finally, for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, our theme is – We inherit the Kingdom of God when we witness to our faith. Like Bartimaeus in the gospel, Jesus is asking each of us, “What do you want me to do for you?” He longs to see us cast aside anything that limits our vision and expectations. He wants to heal our hearts and fill it with the fire of His love. But like Bartimaeus, we too can be blind. Our blindness may be compared to those of the crowd who rebuked Bartimaeus to stay silent. Sometimes we, too, keep quiet and are indifferent when we ought to speak out against what is morally wrong in defense of our faith. Let us be like Bartemaeus who cried out, “Master, I want to see,” (Mk 10:51b);to be open, honest, courageous, calling out in faith to plead for our conversion and to bear witness to Jesus as our Savior and Lord and for all that He has done in our life. For the Lord reaches out to us and gives us His word of life: “I will console and guide them, I will lead them to brooks of water on a level road, so that none shall stumble,” (Jer 31:9b).
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, give us the courage to follow you faithfully on the road of life. Give us the strength to live for you day by day in the loving service of our brothers and sisters. As we travel on the road to holiness, be our peace and our joy. Amen.
