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Today begins a new series for our Sunday messages at Saint Dominic called “Kingdom Life.” This series will explore how our live`s following Jesus should look different than the lives of the people around us. If we are following Jesus as His disciples, then we are living the Kingdom Life, wherein our lives look like Jesus’ life. Jesus doesn’t just introduce us to the Kingdom of God as a far away reality (“one day in Heaven!”) but as something we are called to begin to experience here and now. If we, as members of this tremendous parish of St. Dominic begin to live the “Kingdom Life,” it will positively impact our relationships, families, and larger community.
One of the essential lessons in Kingdom Life that Jesus demonstrates for us today in our Gospel is how to praise the Father. Our lives should be lives of praise, filling every part of our days and nights. I recently heard a speaker say that, in order to be truly happy and fulfilled as Christians, we needed to complain less and praise more. Complain less, praise more—simple yet life-changing if we put it into practice! Jesus, the one who shows us how to live the Kingdom Life, begins His prayer today with the line “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” He begins His prayer with praise. Today our mission is going to be to intentionally enter into praise of the Father here at Mass. Too often we let the songs and hymns go by us without really singing, let alone praying them. Praise is not about what song you like or don’t like, it is about opening up your heart to a relationship of love with God the Father. Today we begin our series on Kingdom Life with a lesson on praise from Jesus Himself. I pray that starting today as we intentionally praise God at Mass, we can make it the daily habit of our lives, striving to complain less and praise more. God bless you!
Fr. Michael