The Kingdom of God

Today's reflection is based on the gospel for today's mass and can be found at http://usccb.org/bible/readings/111518.cfm

In today's gospel, the Pharisees are questioning Jesus as to when the Kingdom of God would come. They are living in a time of great oppression by the Romans and are looking for freedom from their oppressors. Jesus' response is, "For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you." (Luke 17:21

Jesus was reminding them that the Kingdom of God is always among us, living in each one of us. It is through the power of the love of God, living in each one of us, that the kingdom of God dwells. There will always be those in authority that will be unjust in one way or other (whether it was the oppressive Roman empire, or whatever government leader we have in office today), we should always remember that God is at the heart of who we are as people of faith. We are to bring the love of God into society by living lives pleasing to God, and attempting to make the world a better and just place, not only for those near and dear to us, but for all people.

I consider myself "pro-life" and I think that this is what our Lord may be referring to. We are to bring the kingdom of God into our society by encouraging a greater respect for all life, whether it's the unborn from the possibility of abortion, helping the elderly who are either lonely or are suffering due to illness, helping the homeless find decent housing, or helping those attempting come into our country for a better way of life. We are to remember that the kingdom of God is already among us and Jesus is calling us to share that kingdom of God with others in our lives.

The Kingdom of God is for all people. Let us share that Kingdom of God with all we meet by being better followers of Christ! The Kingdom of God is among you!