The Kingdom of God

Christ’s favorite topic, it could be argued, was “the Kingdom of God.” His first public sermon began with “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand,” and from then on he kept talking about it.

If there is a Kingdom, there must also be a King, and if there is a King, there must be subjects. That’s how he sees the Church, as a Kingdom, not merely as some kind of club. Today we can ask ourselves if that’s how we see Church.

When we pray, “Thy Kingdom come,” do we mean the same thing that Jesus meant when he taught us that prayer? God’s Kingdom is the realm where hearts obey him out of faith and love. The kingdom of this world is the realm where hearts obey themselves out of self-centeredness, egoism, and fear.

If we really want to help Christ redeem the kingdom of this world by transforming it, through his grace, into the Kingdom of Christ, we have to keep hearkening to the King and carrying out his commands, even when they are uncomfortable for our selfish tendencies.Obeying someone else, though, is almost always a challenge for us sinners; but that is why Jesus led a life of obedience to His heavenly Father as an example. That is why He gave us the Sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation so that we can get things right with Christ our King when we fall. We amend out lives and seek to obey the commandments with all our hearts.  Jesus knows this, and so he doesn’t ask us for blind, mindless obedience. He uses parables to explain and promise that by following and obeying him, our lives will be fruitful. The virtues that give true, lasting beauty to our lives that give our lives meaning and deep happiness (virtues like wisdom, courage, self-control, and Christ-like love), are like the seeds in the Lord’s parables. They are planted in our hearts at baptism, and as we follow and obey Christ in our daily lives, and receive graces though receiving the Holy Sacraments, they grow and flourish. Being good citizens of Christ’s Kingdom is the sure path to an abundant spiritual harvest here on earth and for all Eternity.

Rev. Mr. Joseph A. Pasquella