WE ALL NEED A FOCUS IN OUR LIVES

 

One of the requirements for a good moral life is that a person needs to be committed to some long-term goals in their life. It is these goals that will provide the foundational meaning to their lives. It is also important, within the context of our commitment to certain goals, that we remember things can simply appear and demand our attention as well, even to the point of having to modify our long-term goals.

Jesus was sent to proclaim the Gospel primarily to the Jews. This does not mean He favored the Jews over the Gentiles; it is merely a reflection of the fact that God had been preparing the Jewish people to receive His Son for the last 2,000 years and so the Gospel was going to have a better chance to take root and flourish in the Jewish culture than anywhere else. Yet, from time to time in the Gospel, we see Jesus ministering to the Gentile people just as was the case in the times of Elijah and Elisha. The main goal is still the same, but there should always be room for limited accommodation of other ministries and missions as well.

As regards the Gospel, it is important for us to see Jesus ministering to the Gentiles as it gives credence to the mission to the Gentiles that the Early Church will discover being thrust upon it by people such as Paul and Barnabas. If Jesus had refused every opportunity to open His ministry to the Gentiles, then it would be very difficult to justify the mission to the Gentiles that so captured the imagination of the Early Church and led to the rapid expansion of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.

Jesus lays the ground work for the Gentile mission when He ministers to the Canaanite woman, the Roman centurion and others during His primary mission to the Jews. These cannot escape our attention as they were unexpected and also caused a great stir among the Jewish leaders at the time.Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

Reflection Question:

What am I committed to in my life? Or do I just wander from day to day without any real focus or goal?

 

Holy Spirit, help me to set my life on a firm footing and grant me the grace to have a goal in my life so that I can work towards it with perseverance and commitment.

 

St. Stephen Harding, pray for us.