Jesus
came to us to do three things: to tell us about where he came
from, to make it possible for us to go there and to remain with us even after,
in one sense, he had to leave us. And so we have Jesus teaching about the
Kingdom of heaven, we have Jesus’ astounding act of friendship and
reconciliation by death on a Cross, and the amazing gift of his Eucharistic
Presence which we can participate in each and every day by going to Mass and
receiving Holy Communion. We can also appreciate and take advantage of that
same Eucharistic Presence as it is prolonged by reservation of the sacrament in
the tabernacle: we can go to a church or a chapel and spend a few minutes thinking
about this Kingdom and our place in it, the great sacrifice of Christ which
made it possible, and the very wondrous gift of sustaining, nurturing
Eucharistic food.
While
we wait for what is to come, St. Paul tells the Romans,
we, because of what Christ has done for
us, can wait in full hope – knowing that not only we ourselves, but all
human beings, and even all of nature and creation are “groaning in labor pains”
as we await fullness of adoption and redemption!
Not only the Kingdom of God,
but also the Church is now like a large
bush that is capable of sheltering and providing support for all people on
earth; and not only the Kingdom of God, but the Church also is meant to be
as yeast permeating all of society with
grounded and sure joy and hope and peace – until the Kingdom in all its
fullness arises and is shared in by everyone forever! O Most Blessed Kingdom! O
Most Blessed and Favored Church! Be our focus and our mainstay in life!
Blessed
are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the
mysteries of the Kingdom.
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