29th May 2018 Tuesday 8th Week in Ordinary Time

Reflection
1 Peter 1:10-16, Mark 10:28-31
“We belong to God’s family”
Peter honestly wanted to know what benefits he and the rest of the disciples would receive for leaving everything to follow Jesus. Jesus presented Peter with an honest answer: Those who have left everything for Him and for the Gospel would belong to a new spiritual family of God with new relations beyond blood ties. In belonging to this new family of God, nobody will be in need because all will share their possessions generously.

Gratuitous love and humble service will be the main foundation of the family of God. However, belonging to this new family of God implies also persecutions. Why? This is because there will be people who do not understand or agree with the gospel way of life. In the same way that Jesus was persecuted and even crucified, those who follow Him will also experience a similar persecution. However, Jesus promised them that they will have eternal life in the world to come.

Today, we are part of this family of God by our baptism. We, as Christians, belong to a bigger family beyond blood ties and personal interests, but united now by the desire to follow Jesus authentically. As God’s
daughters and sons, we take part in loving one another gratuitously and becoming servants to one another. We are one even with the Christians in other parts of the world. When Christians are persecuted brutally for believing in Christ, we too stand by them through our prayers and sacrifices.

Questions for reflection:
1) Do I have a sense of belonging to God’s family - in the local church, in the Universal Church? Why?