‘Peace to this household…The Kingdom of God is at hand’
Our Gospel today, the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, sees Jesus sending his disciples out to spread the Good News of the Kingdom of God. He sent them out in pairs to travel together preparing the way in towns and places he intended to visit. It was not to be a solo task. Jesus intended the disciples to work together, to rely on each other and be stronger together than they could be alone. For us, this Gospel is about the strength of a faith community and the power of working in partnership with others in the name of Jesus. Look around you. We have a strong, lively Parish community. Think of the impact we can have as we together proclaim the Good News through word and action!
Jesus also instructed his disciples to carry ‘no purse, no bag, no sandals’. The disciples were to depend not on their own resources but the hospitality of others. If Paul were writing today, he might have also added ‘and no phone’! What a challenge in our world today. So many of us value self-sufficiency and prize independence. Could we really let go and live that dependent on God and others? Something to think about.
The heart of the disciples’ message was simple yet profound: ’peace to this household…The Kingdom of God is at hand’ This is a message of peace and hope for the future. A message that says that God is not far off but here, present amongst us.
This Gospel calls us to see ourselves as part of this same mission. Like those disciples we are called, sent, and empowered to speak out. The message we can offer is the same: one of peace and the presence of God’s Kingdom, here and now.
God Bless
Jane Kelly
