Daily Retreat 11/16/06
2006 Nov 16 Thu: Ordinary Weekday/ Margaret of Scotland, mw/ Gertrude the Great, v, r
Phlm 7-20/ Ps 145(146): 7. 8-9a. 9bc-10/ Lk 17: 20-25
From today’s readings: “Beloved: I have experienced much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the holy ones have been refreshed by you, brother.... Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.... behold, the Kingdom of God is among you....”
This is It
What news can you imagine hearing that would be so compelling that you would literally drop any and all matters at hand in order to rush to the source? Well, that would only happen, of course, if the news were truly some urgent matter of life or death.
The Pharisees who asked the Lord about the coming of the Kingdom of God at least understood the overriding urgency of that event. They had their own ideas of what signs would portend the advent of God’s Kingdom, but they were interested to hear what Jesus had to say on the matter. At any rate, they believed themselves ready to drop anything and everything when the moment came....
Except, as Jesus explained, “The Kingdom of God is among you.” Although unrecognized as such, standing in their midst, Jesus was Himself, in a sense, the initial and personal incarnation of the Kingdom of God. Now, at first that sounds like an awkward abstraction of the very notion of “kingdom,” but in reality, Jesus is nothing less than the concrete embodiment of God’s reign, for through Him, with Him, and in Him, God’s will and rule is sovereign and absolute.
The real and present presence of Christ and His Kingdom is thus not to be missed in our midst - we can and should drop everything that keeps us from Him, the very source of life! And then arising from His present presence, Jesus Himself, however, also speaks of the future dimension: His coming in glory at the end of time, so the sacred readings in these final weeks of the year will return to this, especially on the upcoming feast of Christ the King (November 26).
Phlm 7-20/ Ps 145(146): 7. 8-9a. 9bc-10/ Lk 17: 20-25
From today’s readings: “Beloved: I have experienced much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the holy ones have been refreshed by you, brother.... Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.... behold, the Kingdom of God is among you....”
This is It
What news can you imagine hearing that would be so compelling that you would literally drop any and all matters at hand in order to rush to the source? Well, that would only happen, of course, if the news were truly some urgent matter of life or death.
The Pharisees who asked the Lord about the coming of the Kingdom of God at least understood the overriding urgency of that event. They had their own ideas of what signs would portend the advent of God’s Kingdom, but they were interested to hear what Jesus had to say on the matter. At any rate, they believed themselves ready to drop anything and everything when the moment came....
Except, as Jesus explained, “The Kingdom of God is among you.” Although unrecognized as such, standing in their midst, Jesus was Himself, in a sense, the initial and personal incarnation of the Kingdom of God. Now, at first that sounds like an awkward abstraction of the very notion of “kingdom,” but in reality, Jesus is nothing less than the concrete embodiment of God’s reign, for through Him, with Him, and in Him, God’s will and rule is sovereign and absolute.
The real and present presence of Christ and His Kingdom is thus not to be missed in our midst - we can and should drop everything that keeps us from Him, the very source of life! And then arising from His present presence, Jesus Himself, however, also speaks of the future dimension: His coming in glory at the end of time, so the sacred readings in these final weeks of the year will return to this, especially on the upcoming feast of Christ the King (November 26).
posted by FrPitstick | 11/15/2006
<< Home