A central theme that runs throughout the Gospels is the Lord’s proclamation of the Kingdom of God. More specifically, through His preaching, parables, and miracles, the Lord Jesus offers to His followers a beautiful and grace-filled vision of the inbreaking of God’s Kingdom into creation. It is a Kingdom whose inauguration comes through Jesus’ life, death and Resurrection. It is a Kingdom that is the basis of our hope and joy in Christ.
Every time we pray the Our Father, we say “Thy Kingdom come.” What is it that we are praying for? At its most basic, the Kingdom can be understood as the definitive establishment of Christ’s reign over all creation. Through His victory over sin and death, Christ has begun to restore all creation to its proper relationship with Him. The Kingdom will restore the true meaning and destiny for all things. It offers fallen humanity, that has been disfigured by original sin and our own personal sins, the opportunity for forgiveness and eternal life in heaven. As Saint Paul says so beautifully in Romans 14:9.: “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Those who accept Christ’s rule over their lives will experience peace and joy in a way that this world can never give.
While Christ’s victory over sin and death is complete, our victory over sin and death depends upon our cooperation with the Lord’s grace. As a result, the Kingdom’s inbreaking into the world is not yet complete. It requires us to pledge our allegiance to our King and to live as members of His Kingdom each day. This week we will explore together how best to live that allegiance in a world that does not often value allegiance to anyone or anything.
The previous reflection originally appeared on Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Facebook page. Follow the Bishop for daily reflections and weekly videos!
