Gospel: Lk 17: 20-25
Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.” Then he said to his disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to you, ‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’ Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”
NATURE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD: The Pharisees like many Jews were awaiting a political kingdom that would overthrow the Romans and re-establish the Davidic kingdom. Contrary to their expectation, Jesus tells them that the Kingdom of God is among them. Jesus is the autobasileia (Origen); in him, we see the manifestation of the Kingdom of God. We learn that the task before us is not just to watch, but rather to further God’s reign in our lives. The question regarding eschaton remains a concern for many. The desperation has led some to follow false prophets; thus, the many mushrooming ecclesial communities today. Jesus’ coming will be sudden, thus a warning to guard against being engrossed in the pleasures of this world. ‘The Kingdom of God is available to us now, but the question is whether we are available to the Kingdom’ (Nhat Hanh).
PRAYER: Help us Lord to radiate the power and glory of your Kingdom in the way we live.
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SEARCHING FOR GOD AND GOD SEARCHING FOR YOU: God has pitched his tent within you! Jesus points His finger to that Kingdom. The kingdom works in human hearts. He sets the person on a renewal mode, a stream of light, a gush of fresh wind runs through the person. God wants to take hold of you, overshadow you. God wants to reclaim you. It is not just you on your part alone are seeking Him. God is looking for you. Our search for God is marked by conditions, temperaments, limitations and expectations. We need different approach to encounter God. To find God, you will have to lose all; you will have to lose yourself. “Those who love me will keep my word and my father will love them and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (Jn14: 23). Let’s incline our ears to that God who is ever on a search for you.
DAILY GOSPEL 