The Presence of God's Kingdom

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Thursday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time Year II, November 12th, 2020

Texts: Philemon 7-20; Ps.146:6-10; Luke 17:20-25

Jesus, in today's gospel reading, shows that his presence is the manifestation of God's kingdom. The kingdom of God, here, means the reign of God. The Pharisees were asking for when the reign of God would manifest. They believed that a Messiah would come who would inaugurate the kingdom of God. Hence, Jesus told them that he was the Messiah whom they were expecting. The gospel reads, "'for behold the kingdom of God is in your midst'. And he said to the disciples, 'The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and you will not see it'."

The kingdom of God  is not only in the future or the life we await, it is already present with us spiritually; we are not just awaiting it, we are living the life here and now. Hence, Jesus Christ says, "the kingdom of God is in your midst." This brings to mind the words of St. Paul: "But you, brothers, do not live in the dark, that the Day should take you unaware like a thief. No, you are all children of light and children of the day: we do not belong to the night or to darkness, so we should not go on sleeping, as everyone else does, but stay wide awake and sober" (1Thes. 5:4-6).

The second reading is also connected with the same theme, the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God exists where there is peace, saving justice and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). Hence, in the first reading, St. Paul tries to facilitate the kingdom of God as he establishes peace between Philemon and Onesimus. The reading reminds us to live in peace with one another to facilitate the kingdom of God in our midst. In his teaching on beatitudes, Jesus Christ says, "Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be recognized as children of God" (Matt. 5:9). Once there is peace among us, the kingdom of God is already in our midst. We are to be agents of reconciliation wherever we find ourselves. We are to work for peace to reign on earth, for the reign of God is the reign of peace. When we live in peace we can now say the kingdom of God is actually in our midst. 

St. Josaphat, whose memorial is today, worked to advance the kingdom of God on earth. Pope Pius XI says of him thus: "In his labours to restore unity it was surely a holy instinct that led him to realize how much good he could effect by retaining within the universal Church the use of the Slavonic rite and Saint Basil's rule of monastic life. He was principally exercised over the union of his own countrymen with the see of Peter. He searched everywhere for means to forward and strengthen that unity, particularly by issuing liturgical books which had been in use in Eastern Church, and even among dissident Christians, in accordance with the norms of the Fathers. After these very careful preliminaries he began the actual business of unification. He acted with a force and persuasiveness, and with success, that he was called by his very adversaries 'the snatcher of souls' (Office of the Reading Vol. III, 396).

Lord Jesus Christ, because you are always in our midst, the kingdom of God is ever present with us, help us always to work for peace that we may advance your kingdom in the midst of men. Amen.

Rev. Fr. Andrew Olowomuke