God is Family

July 22: Tuesday of Week 16 of Ordinary Time, Year A-II:

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20; Psalm 85:2-4, 5-6, 7-8; (John 20:1-2, 11-18) Matthew 12:46-50

Thoughts to help us surrender to Jesus expressing himself through us in ministry.

“Shepherd your people.” Micah 7:14

What religion is all about is relationship. What we believe about our relationship with God tells us what our religion is. The Jews knew they were related to God by the Covenant: they were his special People, and he was their Shepherd and King.

In Matthew 12:50 Jesus says, “Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” In John 20:17 he tells Mary of Magdala, “Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Christians are related to God and each other as family.

And since we can’t really say that anyone we meet has not accepted the “grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,” perhaps without knowing it, in practice we minister to everyone as to our brothers and sisters.

In Eucharistic Prayer IV we ask the Father to remember “all your people, and all who seek you with a sincere heart”; those who have “died in the peace of Christ, and all the dead whose faith is known to you alone.”

In all our dealings with others we assume divine life (grace), express divine life, and expect the fruits of divine life. We interact consciously on the level of divine faith, hope, and love. We try to make all our dealings with others divine.

PRAY: “Lord, act with me, in me, and through me.”

PRACTICE: Think of everyone as family.