When Our Lord began His ministry He proclaimed, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15). In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said to all, “Seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness” (Matt. 6:33) God’s Kingdom, my dear brothers and sisters, is an eternal fact, there is no doubt about that, for He is the creator and sustainer of all things, the King of Creation, ruling over all things.
God’s Kingdom is the also the disclosure of His will, purposes, commandments, and truths to us in various and innumerable ways. God’s Kingdom is the revelation of God’s grace and power and lastly God’s Kingdom is a present and future reality. You see by these truths that God’s Kingdom is here and now and that the hour of salvation is already present! He calls us to beckon to the urgency of His message for us to believe, repent and to choose new life.
In this Gospel lesson He also cautions us not to worry about food, drink, clothes and other basic needs, but rather to center our attention on the things that really matter. Jesus believes that honest daily work under God’s care will be enough for our sustenance and that overwhelming anxiety, soul- consuming distress etc., brings undo pressures and stress to our mind, heart, and soul. We can and often do find ourselves caught up or better yet trapped with unnecessary commitments, endless obligations, schedules, and activities, paying little or no attention to our physical and spiritual health. It is time according to this Gospel, to cut down, simplify our lives, and reorder our priorities, especially as it pertains to our spiritual wellbeing.
We have all gone through a very difficult eighteen months of our lives, and maybe without realizing it have now dived into a life maybe even more hectic than before, trying to make up for lost time, without understanding what really counts and that as we renew our activities, do so, without the previous flurry, scurry, hurry but most of all worry as before. We are told that it is important to simplify our lives, primarily deepening our love for God and for our families and neighbors.
This affords us a new and refreshing perspective on our lives, allowing us to look at past situations with greater clarity rather than burdening ourselves with unnecessary worries which often cloud our hearts and minds loosing emphasis on the reality which is already here of the Kingdom of God in our lives.
May we, having endured much, heed the call of the Lord who has carried us through tough times and reprioritize ourselves with what really matters to us as Christians!
