Have you ever opened your refrigerator or cupboard doors and just not been able to find what you’re looking for?
But a funny feeling tells you that it’s right in front of you…
Just yesterday I was on a hunt for marshmallows. I searched every shelf, every rack of the MEC pantry, but to no avail. My frustration began to mount — not because I couldn’t find them, but at the fact I knew they were there somewhere.
No, it’s not the pantry; thanks to Jennifer Hettrick, it’s never been so organized. No, the marshmallows weren’t hiding in an obscure corner; I somehow just couldn’t see them.
Even growing up, this happened countless times.
“Mom! I can’t find the ketchup!”
“Are you sure we don’t have any?”
I was absolutely sure. There was no ketchup bottle to be seen.
“You mean this ketchup bottle?”
Every time she’d walk over, it magically appeared. How did she do it? Or…what was my problem?!
In Luke’s gospel, Jesus makes a bold proclamation: “the Kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:21). For hundreds of years, the Jewish people had awaited the day when God would restore the Kingdom of Israel. Prophets foretold a king who would free them from foreign rule, restore God’s reign, and establish lasting peace and justice.
“The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made…I will raise up for David a just shoot…never shall David lack a successor on the throne…nor shall priests of Levi ever be lacking to offer holocausts before me” (Jeremiah 33:14, 17-18).
Daniel spoke of “one like a son of man” who would receive “dominion, glory, and kingship” and “nations and peoples of every language” would serve him whose kingship would never be destroyed (7:13, 14).
So Jesus, arriving on the scene and preaching the Kingdom of God, got everyone’s attention. But, it was different kingdom than what they expected.
He emphasized mercy over justice. He told his disciples to forgive their enemies. He reached out to “unclean” Gentiles, Samaritans, and Romans. He came not to be served, but to serve. He insisted on being rich – not in earthly possessions- but in what mattered to God. He gave his life as a ransom for many.
The Pharisees were puzzled. He preformed miracles but wasn’t exactly the Messiah-figure they were looking for. They persistently asked him “when the kingdom of God would come” (Luke 22:20).
But it was right in front of them.
In a nutshell, the Kingdom of God is His presence.
In a word — THE Word made flesh- it’s Jesus.
So, the kingdom of God WAS among them. And his kingdom is among us, here and now, as well. Faith sheds light on the whole of human existence and gives our lives an eternal perspective.
This is especially for Regnum Christi members to remember in these important times for the Movement. The Kingdom of God is among us, because Christ himself is in our midst. We walk with him towards a more profound conversion and renewal.
As partakers in this charism, more than ever, this is the moment to ask for the grace to contemplate it with new eyes so to incarnate it more fully.
As well, we pray that the Holy Spirit guides the minds and hearts of the consecrated men, consecrated women, and Legionaries of Christ participating in the General Assemblies and Chapter. May his Kingdom come and will be done in our hearts, communities, sections, and every soul we touch.
Kingdom of the Heart of Jesus, reign in our hearts!
