The Kingdom of Heaven

~~~ Genesis 44:18-21, 23B-29; 45:1-5 ~~~ Psalm 105 ~~~

~~~ Matthew 10:7-15 ~~~

'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

Kick the dust off your feet...keep moving forward...

spreading footprints of peace.

If you have been baptized

you have been commissioned to bring

 the eternal message of peace.

Are you carrying out that mission?

There is no need to wait for those called

 to missionary work to speak on our behalf.

In order to continue to spread peace

it is necessary for us to leave the past behind...

to kick the dust off our feet.

Peace must come from the purity of heart.

It does not come up from the dust of our feet.

Have we become numb to hearing

 that the 'kingdom is at hand'?

What does it mean for something 

to be 'at hand'?

Do you have anything that you keep at hand?

Could the Kingdom already be here?

Did Jesus leave it here when he was raised from the dead?

If we are living in the Kingdom of God now

what does that mean for you?

Is there anything in your life that you need to adjust?

What if 'kingdom' is not a place, as we believe,

but rather an action as defined in the Hebrew language.

In Hebrew 'Kingdom' is active. It is action.

It is God active in the lives of men and women.

Those who have surrendered their lives to God.

'Kingdom' refers to those who are keeping God's

 word alive and living within them.

The apostles that Jesus called joined him

 in becoming the 'kingdom' and we can too.

Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

How adept are you at kicking off the dust from your feet?

Is it difficult for you to move forward?

Where do you go to restore your inner peace?

Who inspires you to seek greater 

peace in your own life?

So many times in the Bible peace 

is reached through the door of forgiveness.

Joseph forgives his brothers years after

 they sold him into slavery.

 His peace comes in being reunited with his father again.

Joseph, the Apostles, and us...

we are all the Kingdom of Heaven.

~~~Peace~~~

Balanced and Prayerful Life

~~~Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot~~~

~~~Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26A~~~Psalm 105~~~

~~~Matthew 10:24-33~~~

Even all the hairs of your head are counted.

So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Finally after Joseph's father dies,

his brothers plead with him for forgiveness.

They suspected that Joseph would no longer 

feel the need to spare them.

They were so very wrong...

Joseph was filled with the love and mercy of God.

Joseph knew that if God cared for his brothers then he must as well.

Sometimes this may be the only reason

 that we are able to forgive another who has wronged us.

God does not forget about you even if you have gravely sinned.

It would have been easier for Joseph to cast his brothers 

and their families out of his presence.,

but he graciously gathered them closer to himself.

Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good,

to achieve his present end, the survival of many people.

They were shocked by his actions,

for they had judged Joseph by their own actions.

God judges us with mercy and kindness.

We judge others with arrogance and pride.

We pump out our chest proclaiming our goodness...

placing ourselves in the role of better than another.

Everyone who acknowledges me before others

I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.

Loving and forgiving others as God does

is one way we acknowledge him before others.

There is no requirement for liking the words or actions of another.

There is only the requirement to love as God loves.

The lesson for us from the life of Joseph

is one for all peoples in all generations.

Joseph acted in a most unexpected manner with his family members.

The only way to model our lives on Joseph

is to Bless those who have plotted to harm us.

It is not a model to be taken lightly.

But it is perfectly aligned with God's message.

Saint Benedict, pray for us.

The Rule of Benedict

has come to associate him as the founder

 of Western monasticism.

The Rule offers people a plan for living

 a balanced, simple, and prayerful life.

~~~Peace~~~