The kingdom of God is the reality of dying, coming to life

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.

“Looking Ahead” is a reflection on the Sunday readings, for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

“What are you looking for? What did you lose?”

That was the question.

This answer was returned, “I lost myself.”

What does it mean to “lose yourself”?

Jesus speaks about this in the scriptures more than once and places great emphasis on it.

He also speaks of finding self, or picking up your cross; of dying so that you might live.

This is not a superficial game that he is suggesting; rather, he calls upon us to go deeply within our inner lives and find — actually to discover — those areas of life that need to die.

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish as fools.”
— Martin Luther King Jr.

 

The truth is that things get implanted deep within our spirit, and some of those things “choke off life.”

Think of a time when you were wounded by another person intentionally or only perceived by yourself.

Think of the many times that this wound was replayed and revived and reinstated until it became a part of our very self.

Think of the pain, the hurt, the anger, the resentment that soon became inseparable from our inner heart of hearts.

“Let it die,” says Jesus.

Love something or someone else more than that.

Jesus uses strong and vivid language to capture the essence of the decision and the process to make the change.

The kingdom of God is the reality of dying and coming to life: letting go and grabbing on to something bigger, better, deeper, more loving, and more wonderful.

Jesus always seeks our joy and our hope and our desire for God deep within.

“What are you looking for? What did you lose? What have you found?”

Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.