Today, we hear two profound readings from Scripture that echo deeply with our lives as Franciscan friars and as members of the body of Christ in a world desperate for unity and the realization of God’s kingdom. In Genesis 11:1-9, we encounter the story of the Tower of Babel, and in the Gospel from Mark 8:34—9:1, Jesus speaks to His disciples about the cost of discipleship and the coming of the Kingdom of God.
Let us first reflect on the Tower of Babel. In this passage, we witness humanity’s ambition to build a tower that reaches the heavens, an ambition driven by pride and the desire to make a name for themselves. They spoke one language, united in purpose but also blinded by their self-serving intentions. God, recognizing that with this unity—though flawed—nothing would be impossible for them, confused their languages and scattered them across the earth. The result? Division and a barrier to that original unity they sought.
Does God want us to unite? Of course he does, but not when it is for evil purposes. For example, Joseph in the Old Testament had brothers, and when they all united against him, God was grieved. So unity yes, but as Christ said, we are to unite to show love to the world, not evil. Humility, not pride, for God brings down the exalted and lifts up the lowly.
For us, this narrative contains an urgent call to reflect on our times. We live in an age marked by division—cultural, political, and personal. The very barriers that God placed at Babel can be seen in our fractured societies today. A lot of people unite, but they unite for evil intentions and impure causes. They conspire in the darkness of corruption. As Franciscan friars, we are called to confront these divisions by demonstrating that we can transcend ourselves and seek to help others – the total opposite of ambitiously seeking self-gain. St. Francis of Assisi understood that true unity comes not from striving for power or recognition but from a true concern for the other person God places on our path.
Now, let us turn to the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. He tells His disciples that some of them will not taste death until they see the Kingdom of God come in power. This statement can be perplexing, yet it speaks deeply to our understanding of God’s presence. Jesus had just spoken about taking up one’s cross—a call to deny oneself, to embrace suffering, and to follow Him. It is through this act of self-denial that we experience the
kingdom breaking into our midst: a kingdom characterized by love, peace, and justice and a heroic virtue which was up until then unheard of or considered heterodox. Hence Jesus says, “from now on, whoever even looks at a woman with lust, desiring her in his heart, is committing adultery.” If we take that as an example, anytime we guard ourselves against impurity through the power of Christ dwelling in us, we are witnessing the Kingdom of God breaking through into the world. Therefore, it’s not so much about what happens out there, as much as it is about what’s happening in here – in my heart. Again, Jesus speaks about how sin issues forth from the heart of man and how we need to guard it.
When Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God, He is reminding His followers that it isn’t merely a future hope or a distant reality. The presence of the Kingdom comes through the transformative power of love, compassion, and sacrifice—the very essence of what it means to be a follower of Christ. For us as Franciscans, this can be an invitation to live out our mission with an awareness that each small act of kindness, each moment of humility, each time we forgive or serve the marginalized, we are actively realizing this Kingdom within space and time. And of course no one was more heroic in his love and self-sacrifice, than Christ. And some of those who heard him that day, would see him go to the cross, and hence the Kingdom of God, on full display in all of its glory. Let us thank our Lord for allowing us to be his followers and thereby, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let us always unite, in loving, serving and pleasing him in all we do. Our Lady, Queen of the Kingdom of Heaven, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
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