Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time - July 3, 2016

Homily for Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 3, 2016

Kingdom of God

 

            So what is this “Kingdom of God” that all of these people are preaching? We hear that phrase so often but it’s rarely defined. So here is what it means: the Kingdom of God means that God is King over our entire lives – thoughts, words, actions, feelings, choices. We have given Him full reign over every aspect of our life. That is the Kingdom of God. Now, let’s break that open.

            First, the Kingdom of God comes through faith. And faith means more than just, “Yes, I know God exists.” Faith is saying, “Yes, I know God exists and I entrust my entire life to Him.” In the Letter of St. James in the Bible, St. James points out that merely believing in God isn’t enough – he says that “even the demons believe – and tremble!” So faith in its fullest sense involves entrustment of our entire life to God.

            This has daily practical effects. You have money in your bank account – have you asked God how HE would want you to spend it? You have free time – have you considered how God would want you to use it? You who are married – have you sought God’s guidance for your marriage? You young people who are making decisions about college or career – have you asked God what His path for you entails?

            There’s a great story in the Bible (1 Kings) about that. King David, who is called “a man after God’s own heart” (now there’s a compliment we should all strive to become worthy of!), asks God, “Lord, should I travel today?” And God responds! The Lord tells David exactly what he ought to do – go to a certain city, and meet with certain people there. For King David, the Lord was King of his life.

            Now, I’m not saying we need to ask God whether to have chicken or pork for dinner – that’s not what I mean. But if we want the Kingdom of God to reign in our life, it means that we want to please Him with every thought, word, and deed.

            But how do we know what pleases Him? We know through the Scriptures and through the teachings of the Church. For example, if you want to know what God thinks about money, there are plenty of places in the Gospels where Jesus speaks about it! He warns of the dangers of money, requires generosity of His disciples, and makes it clear that we are only stewards of His gifts. Through the Church’s teachings and the guidance of the Scriptures, God has revealed to us what pleases Him.

            The truth is, God is already King of the entire universe. He already owns your heart, your thoughts, your life by virtue of the fact that He is the Creator and you are His creature. Praying, “Your Kingdom Come” (as we do in the Our Father) is our way of recognizing God’s sovereignty and submitting to His loving rule.

            A priest who I know was once in Rome and, since he speaks Italian fluently, struck up a conversation with a local Italian man. They started talking about religion, and in the course of conversation, the priest asked the man, “Are you Catholic?” and the man immediately responded, “Si! Si! Certo!” (Yes, yes, of course!). The priest then asked him, “Do you attend Mass regularly?” To which the man replied, “Padre, sono Catolico…non sono fanatic.” (Father, I’m a Catholic, not a fanatic!). Some people think it’s odd or fanatical to let your entire life by ruled by Jesus Christ! But otherwise, who is in charge of your life? You? Your sin? The influence of the culture? We have to serve someone – serve Jesus Christ!

            It’s kind of like this example. Imagine that there was a kingdom being ruled by a kind, generous, fatherly King. He is a good man, always looking out for his subjects. Some of the people love him, follow his commands (which are for their own benefit anyway), and seek to please him. Others, however, try to rebel against the King – they make their own laws (which are always destructive), they try to overthrow the King, they angrily demand that THEIR will be done. Which of the two groups will live in peace and joy? Which of the two groups will experience the King’s favor? Of course, it is the citizens who submitted to the King in obedience and love. The other group will only experience misery and the King’s wrath.

            God is already King over the entire universe, which He rules by His love and mercy. We have the choice, then, to submit to His loving rule and commit our thoughts, words, deeds, and entire life to Him…or we could rebel like spoiled children, wanting our own way, finding only misery and wrath. The truth is, though, that if we are not willing participants in the Kingdom of God, then we are slaves of the Kingdom of Satan, of sin and lies!

            I think St. Paul sums it up best when he says, “For to me, life is Christ.” THAT is the Kingdom of God – allowing God to reign over our entire lives. Has the Kingdom of God come in your life?

 

            Here is the challenge I want to offer this week to become a better citizen of the Kingdom of God. The next time you have a choice to make – big or small – ask God what He would want you to choose. In this way we recognize His authority in our life, and we will seek to please Him.