Whoever does the Will of God
This morning as I sat to write this reflection, I received a WhastApp message to pray for Shanelle, a business associate of one of the members of our prayer group. It caused me to reflect on how the members of our group had actually become a family over the nine years.
In this week’s Gospel, Mark 3: 34-35 Jesus tells those seated around him ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’ By this He introduces a new family type, those part of the kingdom of God, a transformative idea of family, transcending biological ties and emphasizing spiritual kinship.
By broadening the definition of family, Jesus includes all who seek to follow God's will, breaking down barriers of ethnicity, social status, and even prior religious boundaries. This inclusive approach aligns with the broader message of the Gospel, which invites all to partake in the Kingdom of God.
Our prayer family didn’t start out this way, they were a disparate mix of friends, acquaintences, friends of friends, and persons sent to us to learn Christian Meditation or Lectio Divina. Some stayed, others moved on, but gradually over the years a core group of about twelve and a further three or four who remain as satellites orbiting, grew into a family.
This new prayer family is a community bound by shared values, beliefs, and a collective commitment to learn to live according to God's will. But we have become more than persons with shared values, we have become family emotionally as we share our vulnerability with each other.
We are a community in which we support, encourage, and pray for each other and our biological families and friends. Just as in a traditional family, we care for one another, offering support in times of need and celebrating together in times of joy.
Jesus' words challenge us to rethink our understanding of family. By prioritizing spiritual kinship and doing God's will, we become part of a divine family that transcends earthly ties. This new family, grounded in faith and obedience, embodies the essence of the Kingdom of God and calls us to live out this transformative vision in our daily lives.
Our prayer family experience has allowed me to internalize a new vision to transform the world. I remember the mission of a priest mentor, now deceased, that if we can create a thousand such kingdom families we can transform a society, and transformed societies can transform our world. Join me in my mission to create a thousand such prayer families.
NOTICE BOARD
Dear Friends, inviting you to share the link below to my online pastoral ministry website.
The identification to only our earthly families like people from the same race, village or country has led to many wars and has been a barrier to realizing the Kingdom of God up to now.
I wish you success Deacon in realizing the 1000 kingdom families vision.