In today’s first reading from 1 Peter 2, St. Peter says “long for spiritual milk.” St. Peter provides a tall, frosty glass of that for us today. More in a moment. In our Gospel reading today from Mark 10, we see the encounter with Jesus and the blind man, Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus cries out, “Son of David, have pity on me!” He asks for his sight, and Jesus answers his plea.
St. Peter has some mighty uplifting words for his readers today. “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own…” He goes on to say, “Once you were no people, but now you are God’s’ people; you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy.” Here is recalling the words of God through the prophet Hosea. I’d like for us to think today about this notion of being God’s people.
Imagine that you had to go through life every day wearing a T-shirt that said on the front and back, “I belong to God.” Do you think that that might change your behavior? Making it so public and announcing to the world that we belong to God might make us pay a little closer attention to our actions, and how people might perceive God through the things that we do. So let me ask you a question…do you really need the T-shirt? Because with or without it, you are God’s people.
Father, we thank you for calling us your people. Give us the grace to give witness to that fact to the world in all that we say and do. Amen.
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