land-locked?
"The Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite: 'Start down to meet Ahab, king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He will be in the vineyard of Naboth, of which he has come to take possession.' " —1 Kings 21:17-18
The Lord sent Elijah to confront Ahab about killing Naboth and seizing Naboth's vineyard. Likewise, in this year of the Great Jubilee, the Lord is challenging landholders to restore the land to its original settlers. Thus, the Vatican has issued a statement of the principles to be applied for a just redistribution of land.
God owns all the land (see Ps 24:1). Even those who think they are owners are only tenants, and the Lord is telling many of His tenants that they have abused their stewardship of the land (see Mt 21:33-46). Therefore, we must repent of doing our own thing, and we must accept Jesus as Lord of the land.
In this year of the Great Jubilee, the Lord is redistributing land as a beginning step in reordering the world. He is restoring shalom, that is, His harmonious order for society. God the Father in the Holy Spirit is fulfilling "the plan He was pleased to decree in Christ, to be carried out in the fullness of time: namely, to bring all things in the heavens and on earth into one under Christ's headship" (Eph 1:9-10). "When, finally, all has been subjected to the Son, He will then subject Himself to the One Who made all things subject to Him, so that God may be all in all" (1 Cor 15:28).
Accept Jesus as Lord of the land and Lord of lords, Who is soon to come. "Maranatha!" "Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rv 22:20)
Prayer: Jesus, lead me into the land of promises.
Promise: "In a word, you must be made perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." —Mt 5:48
Praise: Moved by the Holy Spirit, Joanna donated a parcel of land to be used as a site for a retreat center.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, December 16, 1999
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 18, 1999