Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr (Memorial)
The Kingdom of God is among you. (Luke 17:21)
Sometimes hidden forces are the most powerful. Think about the work that goes into digging a canal: huge machines, lots of noise, noticed by everybody. Now compare that with the Grand Canyon. It’s a slower process, and at least at first you wouldn’t even notice what was happening, but the final results are much more impressive. No excavation crew could ever have completed such a beautiful project!
In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the most powerful unseen force of all: the kingdom of God. He explains that the coming of this kingdom isn’t accompanied with a lot of fanfare, and many don’t notice it. Rather, Jesus’ humble coming in the flesh was the inauguration of the kingdom, and that was a very quiet beginning. But from that point on, everything was different. The kingdom’s forces are now at work in a new way, and it’s only a matter of time before Jesus takes up his reign in a much more public way.
So we live in an “already, but not yet” time. God’s kingdom truly is among us, but it is not yet fully visible. This isn’t always easy for us. We want to see more; we want to experience more, but God is asking us to exercise our faith and trust in his unseen presence and his invisible power. He wants us to live in hope—not a wistful denial of reality, but a sure and certain assurance that his kingdom truly is with us. We can be peaceful and trusting, knowing that Jesus, our King, is in control, and we will eventually see his very public return in glory.
So our time is one of both rest and activity. We rest in God and his promises, but we are also active as agents of the kingdom. Sometimes our work is nothing more than admiring the work of the mighty river as it carves out the magnificent architecture of the kingdom. But at other times, we can point out this work in progress to someone else. And at all times, we can give thanks to our King, who is always at work in the world around us.
“Lord, I believe that your kingdom is here, now. And still I pray, ‘Let your kingdom come’!” Amen!
Wisdom 7:
22 for Wisdom, the designer of everything that is, has taught me.
Her spirit is insightful, holy, unique, diverse, refined, kinetic, pure, spotless, transparent, harmless, delighting in what is good, sharp, 23 unstoppable, overflowing with kindness, delighting in humans, steadfast, secure, not anxious, all-powerful, and all-seeing. Her spirit can be found in every spirit that is perceptive, pure, and refined. 24 Wisdom is more mobile than anything that moves. She pervades and embraces everything because she is so pure. 25 Wisdom is the warm breath of God’s power. She pours forth from the all-powerful one’s pure glory. Therefore, nothing impure can enter her. 26 She’s the brightness that shines forth from eternal light. She’s a mirror that flawlessly reflects God’s activity. She’s the perfect image of God’s goodness. 27 She can do anything, since she’s one and undivided. She never changes, and yet she makes everything new. Generation after generation, she enters souls and shapes them into God’s friends and prophets. 28 God doesn’t love anything as much as people who make their home with Wisdom. 29 She’s more splendid than the sun and more wonderful than the arrangement of the stars. She’s even brighter than sunlight, 30 for night follows day, but evil can never overcome Wisdom.
8:1 She stands strong from one end of the world to the other. She is a marvelous governor over everything in between.
Psalm 119:
Psalm 119:
ל (Lamed)
89 Your word continues forever, Adonai,
firmly fixed in heaven;
90 your faithfulness through all generations;
you established the earth, and it stands.
91 Yes, it stands today, in keeping with your rulings;
for all things are your servants.
130 Your words are a doorway that lets in light,
giving understanding to the thoughtless.
135 Make your face shine on your servant,
and teach me your laws.
175 Let me live, and I will praise you;
let your rulings help me.
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