PSALM 19:1

Jakarta, 31 January 2015

A Christian Pilgrim

 

THE GREAT COMMISSION

Jakarta, 30 January 2015

A Christian Pilgrim

 

God is my hope, my strength, and my comforter

Jakarta, 29 January 2015

A Christian Pilgrim

 

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away (Luke 21:33)

Jakarta, 28 January 2015

A Christian Pilgrim

 

PSALM 119:130

Jakarta, 27 January 2015

A Christian Pilgrim

 

“Come to me, all who are weary & burdened & I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28)

Jakarta, 26 January 2015

A Christian Pilgrim

 

DISCIPLES FOR THE KINGDOM

DISCIPLES FOR THE KINGDOM

(A biblical refection on the THIRD ORDINARY SUNDAY [YEAR B], 25 January 2015)

Gospel Reading: Mark 1:14-20 

First Reading: Jonah 3:1-5,10; Psalms: Psalm 25:4-9; Second Reading: 1Corinthians 7:29-31

The Scripture Text

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand, repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed Him. And going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed Him. (Mark 1:14-20 RSV)

The mission of Jesus was about the Kingdom of God. He began His preaching with this message: “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15). What is this Kingdom? Forget all your ideas of lines on a map or borders or armies and territorial possession. The Kingdom is about allegiance of the human heart to the mind and commandments of God.

Whose way do you follow, which value-system do you live by? Is your heart set on the ways of self-seeking and self-gratification? Is your life given over to the ways of wealth, power and sensuality, even when these transgress the ways of love? The rule of the heart which Jesus called for is a return to the ways of God. Wherever God’s love is reflected in the values of life, there God is King. And that is the Kingdom of God. To establish this Kingdom was the major mission of Jesus. And so, He began to preach on the need to repent and believe: to change direction from the ways of sinful selfishness and to set one’s ambition towards God-centered patterns of thought and behavior.

But Jesus knew that the establishment of the Kingdom would be a process of slow growth. His own work would need to be extended in time through the voices of many others. So, from the very beginning of His own mission He began to prepare the community of disciples to continue and extend His own ministry. The Kingdom would need the Church. The story of the Church, then, develops from the very beginning of the ministry of Jesus.

The call to repent and believe was given flesh and blood when the first disciples left their nets and families to follow after Jesus. The road ahead of them would show up many forms of misunderstanding and any occasions of weakness. But for the moment, what is important is that the journey begins in an invitation from Jesus. This was not the usual way with Jewish rabbis. People usually sought out the teacher, asked questions about his interpretation of the Law and might then decide to follow that rabbi. But here it is the teacher who takes the initiative and invites the disciples to follow Him.

The first four to be called were fishermen. Two were casting their nets in the lake, while two were on the home-shore mending nets. He promised to make them into fishers of men. Casting and mending …… corresponding to the twin works of the apostolate, mission and maintenance. Both works are needed.

Mission is the zeal to go to those who do not belong to the Kingdom, either because they have never properly heard Christ’s message or because they have fallen away. Maintenance, mending the nets on the home-shore, means the routine tasks of serving those who are already disciples. Casting the nets will be more profitable when they have been properly maintained. And the task of mending achieves its purpose when they are ready for casting. Missionary zeal can grow only out of well-maintained home base. But the home Church will be unhealthy if it does not share its relationship with Jesus through mission to others.

If you are today a disciple of Jesus it is because somewhere along your road of life you have heard the call to follow His way. But He did not call you to a cozy, private religion. You are called to be a disciple for the Kingdom. The Church exists for the sake of the Kingdom or reign of God in the hearts of all. A disciple for the Kingdom reaches out with the message of Christ to others, casting nets far and wide; and also helps to mend the torn nets and broken lives of those on the home-shore.

Short Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for making me one of Your disciples, to reach out with Your message of Love to others. Lord, teach me to love others according to Your will. Amen.

Source: Fr. Sylvester O’Flynn OFMCap., The Good News of Mark’s Year, pages 149-150.

Jakarta, 23 January 2015 

A Christian Pilgrim

 

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Surabaya, 24 January 2015

A Christian Pilgrim

 

2 CORINTHIANS 4:8-9

Jakarta, 23 January 2015

A Christian Pilgrim

 

PROVERBS 11:30

Jakarta, 22 January 2015 

A Christian Pilgrim