THY KINGDOM COME
In the Lord’s prayer, also known as the Our Father prayer, we pray that “Your Kingdom come.” In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus began his ministry of proclaiming the Good New saying, “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15). The kingdom of God is already in our midst. It was made present through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ in a special way through the Easter Mystery. It is the mission of the Church to continue proclaiming the good news of this heavenly kingdom, establishing it in every age, to all peoples and nations. In the letter to the Colossians, St. Paul teaches that proclaiming the Gospel and the Kingdom of God is possible only through those “to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory. It is he whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ” Colossians 1:27-28. This is the reason why the Church prays unceasingly for vocations.
In a particular way, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as “Good Shepherd Sunday,” was established as a special world day of prayers for vocation. We pray that the Church may be “blessed with many more priests, deacons, religious brothers and sisters who will love the Lord with their whole strength and gladly spend their entire lives to the service of the Church”. This Sunday marks the 60th World Day of Prayers for Vocations. In his message for this day, Pope Francis reminded us fulfill the Lord’s instruction to “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest” (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2), those committed to the propagation of the Kingdom of God and its values.
On this day, we pray that many holy young men from our families and parish communities may be called by God through his Church to the Priesthood and Diaconate. We pray that some of our children might also be called to the consecrated life in all its forms as (male and female religious, societies of apostolic life, consecrated virginity), secular institutes in their diversity of service and membership, and to the missionary life.
On this Sunday the whole Church prays that it may be gifted with those who filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit must be committed to the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ and establish the Kingdom of God. Those that will renew in Jesus’ name the sacrifice of human redemption, setting before the people of God the paschal banquet, leading them in charity and nourishing them with the Word and strengthening them with Sacraments, as the Church prays in the preface of Chrism Mass. We request from God that the Church be blessed with young men and women characterized with faith, hope and charity who for the love of God leave all earthly things and promised they would find treasure in heave.
May Christ the Good and Chief Shepherd of his folk find in his Church those pleasing to his Sacred Heart and choose them to these particular vocations as we pray.
Fr. Justus