Thursday, November 14, 2002
32nd Week in Ordinary Time

1st Reading: Phlm 7-20
Gospel: Lk 17:20-25

The Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was to come. He answered, "The kingdom of God is not like something you can observe and say of it: 'Look, here it is! There it is!' See, the kingdom of God is among you."

And Jesus said to his disciples, "The time is at hand when you will long to see one of the glorious days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. Then people will tell you: 'Look there! Look here!' Do not go, do not follow them. As lightning flashes from one end of the sky to the other, so will it be with the Son of Man. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this people."

Commentary

Happy are those able to see in our world the lightnings of the Kingdom's presence! Because Jesus never lies. If we remove our habitual dark glasses through which we see things with pessimistic eyes, we can discover that presence. Sometimes these are small details in our community or family. Sometimes they are news which appear on television or in the newspapers. But always somewhere out there someone is trying to bring peace where there is war, reconciliation in the midst of hatred, justice amidst exploitation. And above all, love in people's heart. There, God's Kingdom is - among us.

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