Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.” Then he said to his disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to you, ‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’ Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”

Jesus gives two answers to the Pharisees’ question about when the Kingdom of God would come. The first was publicly given and tells the Pharisees that the Kingdom of Heaven is among them in the presence of himself. However, to his disciples Jesus talks about the second coming of Christ. He reminds them that they should not be like the Pharisees and wonder about the when of the second coming, but rather that they should be vigilantly focused on doing God’s Will until his return. He tells them to ignore all the signs because all they will do is distract them from their greater calling. Lastly, he warns them that he will suffer greatly and be rejected. Bringing the good news to others does not necessarily mean that they will receive it with open hearts and so we must be willing to suffer for God’s glory just as Jesus did in his life.

Do we realize that God is always with us? Are our lives focused on the Kingdom of Heaven or kingdom of the Earth? Are we willing to suffer in order to bear the gospel to others?

O Lord, we unite our sufferings to yours for your greater glory and the hope of Heaven.

 Amen.