Be Dispensers of Grace

Author: Chrisma C. Bangaoil
 "The Kingdom of God Is Here: Recognizing God's Presence Beyond Our Expectations"
Reflection Date: November 14, 2024 Thursday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Philemon 7-20; Luke 17:20-25

Besides death, we also do not know when the Kingdom of God will come. Both, however, are certain to happen.

So, it’s not really a question of when but rather a question of the reality of the Kingdom of God. In the Gospel, we are told that the Kingdom of God is already among us, yet we often fail to recognize it because we are looking for visible signs. This was something the Pharisees missed because they set their own expectations and definitions for the Kingdom of God. They failed to realize that the Kingdom was already among them.

This can happen to us as well. We search for God elsewhere based on our own self-serving definitions. We may think we don’t see Him in our suffering. We may believe that the Kingdom of God is only about pleasure and splendour. But we fail to realize that the key to the Kingdom of God is the cross—the great sacrifice of giving one’s life for the beloved.

A call to action for Catholic living: Do you embrace your cross with love? Do you see God in the sacrifices you make?