Tuesday of the 3rd week in the ordinary time of the year
Theme: God’s family
Today the church celebrates the memorial of St. Francis De Sales. One of those who confidently acted on the response to our psalm today, “See, I have come Lord to do your will”. He gave everything he had, in his quest to do the will of God. In the same way, we are all encouraged today to make honest and sincere effort to also respond positively towards doing the will of God in our daily lives. One thing that should strengthen our resolve is the fact that there are men and women who have done it in the past, and there are others who are also doing it for us in our own time. Let us respond positively towards this invitation and begin to live our lives to please God, no longer ourselves and our friends and family. It sounds like a very difficult task, but with God everything is possible. Just be serious and make the decision, when there is will; there is always a way. Let us stop procrastinating and begin this journey of faith immediately; the time to begin is now. Doing the will of God in our daily lives qualifies us already as a member of God’s family.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus gives us an inclusive definition of the family that includes all those who decide to be part of it. No one can remove us from the family of God, except we decide on our own to remove ourselves. The question today is, will you allow anyone or situation to exclude you from being a member of God’s family? It is a question we have to answer as individuals and do all within our power to ensure that we do not exclude ourselves from the family of God. The way we live our daily life and the choices we make, will determine whether we want to be included or excluded; we are all encouraged to do all within our power to be part of the family. It is never too late to make this important decision in our lives. Just trust in God and in his mercy and begin your journey of faith; his grace is sufficient for you.
Dearly beloved in Christ, the all inclusive definition of the family given to us by Jesus today transcends the biological ties. Let us take advantage of this invitation for our own good. As you strive to do this, may almighty God bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.