I use that title with all due respect & reverence. Sure, we usually utter those words with immense skepticism regarding a promise from an unreliable source. Today’s scriptures though all speak of “God’s Will be Done”, through the mouth and eyes of His servants.!! First is Elisha, then St. Paul, lastly Jesus through Matthew’s Gospel.
Our first reading from 2kings 4:8-16, has Elisha, prophet of God, traveling, but stopping in a town called Shunem. Remember that Elisha was the student of Elijah, and upon asking for a ‘double portion’ of the Holy Spirit when Elijah’s dies… Received it!
Elisha & his servant stay at faith filled woman’s house. She realizes that he’s a man of God and asks her husband to make a small room for him for whenever Elisha is in town. It is done. Elisha shows his own gratitude by asking his servant “Can something be done for her?” Finding out that the couple are without a son, Elisha calls her, then promises her that a year later she will have a baby son.
THIS is a tremendous show of authentic, raw trust & faith in God’s promises in several ways. First the woman has to truly believe that there are chosen men of God and that Elisha is one. Second, she has to believe in Elisha’s promise/prophecy to be true. Third and hardest, When Elisha leaves and the woman and her husband are left with nothing but a promise… They still fully believe in God’s promise. What grace, strength and trust those folks have shown to us!! It is an example for us today!
Today’s Responsorial Psalm: Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
St. Paul’s letter to the Romans 6:3-11, Tells us of the promises granted to us by the Father through, and because of, Jesus The Christ. “We who were baptized into Christ Jesus, were also baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, We too might live in newness of life. **If then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.” ***Our lives lived, baptized and finally rebaptized parallel to Christ, in Him & through HIM.
In our Gospel, Matthew 10:37-42, Matthew writes: Jesus said to his apostles: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and whoever does not daily take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me… &…. Whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. Whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones (Children) to drink because the little one is a disciple…AMEN, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
***My Brothers and Sisters, these words of Jesus from 30ad are equally as relevant today as they were back then. While we cannot ‘earn’ our way into Heaven. It helps to let our Blessed Trinity know that we are at least interested in them. We show that by listening to Jesus in His word (scriptures) and lessons (pick up your cross) and ‘DO’ them! Another way we prove our intent, is by being ‘intentional’ in prayer! Listen, with a calm & focused heart!
So, let’s pick up our cross in union with our Lord and also with tremendous joy.! JOY- JOY- JOY- Thank You, Mark Gates, aka: Bro. BLU.
