As we approach the end of the Church’s Year, we hear more and more often how Jesus said that the Kingdom cannot be found by looking around for telltale signs so that we can say it is “here” or “there.” In Luke 17, for example, He says, “the Reign of God is already in your midst.” In other words, it is right in front of them (us).
The Kingdoms is first of all in the very person of Jesus, who is the embodiment of the God’s Reign. He is the Messiah-King. He is the living incarnation of God’s loving power revealed in His authoritative teaching, in His many healings of the sick, in His freeing people from the power of evil spirits, and in His compassion for the sinner and the outcast. All are clear evidence of the Reign of God “in our midst.”
So, on the one hand, the Kingdom is already here among us. We need look no further than the daily experiences of our own lives to know and experience the power and presence of Jesus. On the other hand, the time of that final coming which will “wipe every tear from our eyes” and be the end of all suffering and rejection is not for us to decide – nor to be anxious about.
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In the middle of the fifth-century, Pope St. Leo the Great was unanimously elected Pope. His term of office lasted 20 years and it was significant for a number of reasons. His statement of the doctrine of the Incarnation of Christ, acclaimed at the Council of Chalcedon in 451, is regarded as a high point of Christian Church history. He also acted vigorously to free Rome from the power of the tribes invading from northern Europe, as well as restoring both the spiritual and material damage they caused.
Both St. Leo’s writings and his actions revealed a deep conviction that the doctrinal primacy of Rome was God-given and based on the Scriptures. In fact, throughout his service to the Church as Pope he strengthened and increased the influence and prestige of the papacy. He did this, again, by teaching and preaching with conviction and clarity – but also by backing up his words with humble service and a good example.
St. Leo, pray for us.
