11/15/12

The kingdom of God is among you now


Luke 17:20-25


Saint Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
“The kingdom of God is among you.” (Luke 17:21)
Centuries ago, people tried to pre­dict the Second Coming of Christ based on things like the occurrence of certain famines and plagues or the positions of the stars and planets. More recently, we have seen similar predictions, some going so far as to announce specific dates—only to be proved wrong.
But Jesus told us not to go look­ing for omens of his coming. We don’t need to. Jesus’ return won’t be shrouded in secret. He will simply show up one day, and everyone will bow before him!
What we do need to know is that in many ways, Jesus’ kingdom is already here! It arrived quietly on the day he was born. It supplanted the kingdom of the world on the day he died. It became a part of every­day human existence on the day of Pentecost. Yes, the kingdom of God is among us, and it’s growing in strength and power every day.
Rather than focus our attention on being ready for the day when Jesus comes back, maybe we should focus on all those people who still haven’t embraced the kingdom that he has already inaugurated. For when Jesus said: “The kingdom of God is among you,” he wasn’t pointing only to himself. He meant us as well!
How does it feel knowing that you are a sign of the kingdom of God? Yes, in your frail humanity, you carry within you the new life that Jesus now lives in heaven. Whether or not you even know it, you have the abil­ity to live for “the praise of the glory of his grace” (Ephesians 1:6). That’s what baptism did for you!
If you want to know the power of this kingdom, the answer is both easy and life-consuming: Fix your eyes on Jesus, not on your weak­nesses or faults. Learn how to stay close to the Lord, and you can be hopeful when everyone else is anx­ious. You can be peaceful when others are angry. You can pray for a solution when those around you are getting agitated. The kingdom of heaven is here, and you are one of its many ambassadors!
“Lord, I want to be a sign of your presence in this world. Help me to turn away from every obstacle that blocks me from being a peaceful, loving witness to your kingdom.”
 Philemon 7-20; Psalm 146:7-10
The Word Among Us

1 comment:

Ed Sousa said...




Thursday, November 15, 2012
A call of truth and life...

Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was to come, Jesus gave them this answer, “The coming of the kingdom of God does not admit to observation and there will be no one to say, ‘Look here! Look there!’ For, you must know, the kingdom of God is among you.” Luke 17 : 20-21

Dear children, my motherly call, which I direct to you today, is a call of truth and life. My Son, who is Life, loves you and knows you in truth. To come to know and to love yourself, you must come to know my Son; to come to know and to love others, you must see my Son in them. Therefore, my children, pray, pray, that you may comprehend and surrender with a spirit that is free, be completely transformed and, in this way, may have the Kingdom of Heaven in your heart on earth. Thank you!
Medjugorje message, July 2, 2010
Posted by bg at 12:01 AM