But he said to them, “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent” (Lk 4:43).
Jesus himself, the Son of God incarnate, fully divine and fully human, is the foretaste of heaven. His work of preaching, teaching, healing, and casting out demons, shows that the divine flow of the Father’s Love is infused into our fallen human condition. Jesus came to restore unity to that which had been divided and once he began his public ministry he was ever on the go.
Through our Baptism, we have been conformed to and indelibly marked by Christ and for Christ. We are nourished by his Body and Blood in the Eucharist and were empowered through the laying on of hands by the bishop at our Confirmation. We have been divinized, grafted into the life of God through our participation in the life of Jesus the Christ. We too then are priests, prophets, and kings as we participate in his life. We also are, to preach and teach the same Gospel, to be his healing and comforting presence, to make Jesus present to those in our midst, and yes we too are called to cast out all demons, and to shine the light on negativity, dehumanization, and division in his name. As James teaches, we are to “submit [our]selves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee” (James 4:7).
Jesus did not travel very far during his three and a half year public ministry, yet his teachings have touched all the corners of the world. That is because of those who have encountered him, said yes to his invitation, submitted to the will of his Father, continued to spread his teachings and life, so as to be transformed into his saints.
We are also called to surrender our life to Jesus moment by moment, in each circumstance and situation, so as to build up our relationship with him, and embrace the gift of the unique vocation by being holy and by becoming his saints ourselves. Let us ponder what Jesus’ inaugural message means to us: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15).
We cannot share what we do not have. By developing a life of prayer and meditation we deepen our relationship with Jesus and begin to experience the love of the Holy Spirit and are more able to let go of that which holds us back from a more intimate union with God. As we let go of that which keeps us bound, we can then replace what we have let go of with the Holy Spirit so as to then proclaim with joy this Good News through our everyday experiences.
Each day is a new opportunity to follow Jesus and be on our way to proclaim through word and deed the Good News in the unique expression he would have us share!
Spiritual Stepping Stones