Your kingdom come - Fr. Daniel Harding

“Being a Columban missionary priest in today’s world” means being involved with the ordinary people of life in their aspirations to construct “the Kingdom of God” here on Earth.

It means trying to live out in little, concrete ways, the prayer of Jesus, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven”.

In Chile, we Columbans do this by helping to develop parishes that are caring and dynamic, that are liturgically vibrant and alive and that listen to the aspirations of the people.  We want our parishes to promote justice, liberation and reconciliation, to promote healthy self-esteem among the people, and to be involved in the personal, social and spiritual development of the people.

My life as a missionary priest, with all its beauty and richness, and suffering and traumas, is meaningful and fulfilled, interesting and challenging.

One of the great blessings of priestly ministry is the privilege of participating with people in their everyday lives, in their struggles and difficulties and in their achievements and happier moments.

I feel one of the most important tasks of priestly ministry is to help people awaken a sense of God’s active presence in every event of their lives.

We Columbans minister in parishes in poor areas with many social problems. It is precisely in these areas that people are crying out to hear the great comfort and hope offered in the Christian message that God sent his Son to be born as one of us, to give his life for us and to be resurrected from the dead.

In poverty stricken areas of Chile and other parts of the world, where there is a sense of abandonment, despair and exclusion, the New Testament symbol of “The Kingdom of God” is very powerful as it represents the presence and the power of God’s Son Jesus, risen from the dead, in our very midst.

Against a background of social exclusion, discrimination, inequalities, injustice, poverty, violence, crime, drugs, gangs, high unemployment, stagnation, powerlessness, despair and hopelessness, the Kingdom of God represents hope, inclusion, self-esteem, justice, peace, personal and community growth and development, empowerment, equality, and human rights.

I would certainly recommend the life of a Columban to any young man who feels drawn by the Holy Spirit to missionary priesthood.

Fr. Daniel Harding

"Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one."  (Mt 6:9-13)

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