Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew,
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot
who betrayed Jesus.
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation:
‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

All of the history of creation can be broken down into 3 ages. An age is properly defined as a distinct period of history when the world was one way and it changes to something completely different. The thing that marks the change of an age is usually something historic, or earth changing.

Each of the three great ages are marked by the members of trinity and their impact on the world, and each one represents a stage of God’s attempt to bring us back into communion with Him.

The first is age of the Father. It starts with the beginning of creation, from Adam and Eve to the birth of Jesus. This age reveals the creation of all things, including man, and the double edged, gift of free will. This age also marks the arrival of sin, and the fall of the angels and man from God’s grace

The next is the age of Jesus. It lasts for the entirety of Jesus’ life. While we understand that this is a shorter period of time, we also recognize that the age of Jesus changed the whole world forever. This age reveals the teaching of divine law, and the saving of man from their sins. This age marks the abolishment of slavery to sin, and the persecution of the evil one, and the opening of the kingdom of heaven to those that love God.

The last is the age of the Holy Spirit. It lasts from Jesus’ ascension into Heaven to the end of time. It reveals the indwelling of the holy spirit, and connection of the whole body of christ in one universal church. It is marked by the eucharist, and the real presence of the lord in our daily lives. We are in that last age right now. And will be until either the end our time individually or the ultimate end of all time for everyone.

The point of each age is to bring us closer to Him in Intimacy. All of salvation history and the three ages were designed to get us to forgo our attachment to sin and choose God instead. He achieved this increased intimacy through the covenants.

I believe that we are called to help build the kingdom now as best we can. That we need to proclaim the gospel to all of the lost sheep, to the lost souls of the world, and to let them know that a time is coming soon where they will have to choose between themselves and the Lord, and get their affairs in order before that time comes. I believe that this is our call, and that time is now, because “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Help me discern further what it means to prepare for the kingdom of heaven, and to share that knowledge with all of the world around me.