Luke 17: 20-25
Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.”
Then he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. They will say to you, ‘Look there!’ or ‘Look here!’ Do not go, do not set off in pursuit. For as the 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 endure much suffering and be rejected by this generation.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Take Notice
I chased a rainbow once with my friend Melissa. It was perfect, and surely hosted a pot of gold. As we biked toward its end, we talked about how we'd spend our treasure. But when we got there, the rainbow had moved. We kept chasing until it disappeared. Disappointing, but only for a split second. As we tried to wrap our brains around the physics, the sun broke in rays around us and the mist held the refractions of light. All was beautiful, because we were taking notice. Might this be what it's like to find ourselves in the midst of God's kingdom, even as we search for it? In today's Gospel, Jesus tells the Pharisees the kingdom cannot be observed, and no one will announce, "Look, here it is." Rather, "the kingdom of God is among you." Don't chase it. Take notice. Thomas Merton reminds us there should be "no one in whom we are not prepared to see, in mystery, the presence of Christ." Let us not be so eager to find the kingdom that we miss it among us - in its details and even its lost and lonely companions. Let us stay with the noticing.
—Amanda B. Angaiak is the Director of Catholic Schools of Fairbanks, and President of Monroe Foundation, Inc. in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Prayer
Gracious God,
Help us be witness to your kingdom already among us.
Help us honor Christ in lived encounter.
May we remain attentive
even when it’s challenging.
Amen.
—Amanda B. Angaiak
Pray with the Pope
