Thy kingdom come

By FR. JOHN SPICER

We come now to the phrase, "thy (your) kingdom come." Here we pause and thoughtfully ponder on what God's kingdom is about.

Right off we must recognize that God's kingdom is a mystery, a profound mystery. Indeed it is "the" mystery at the heart of all created life.

Jesus dedicated his entire career to furthering it, to bringing it about. It is that for which he lived, thought and died.

How do we approach this mystery of our Christian faith? First, we must be aware that mysteries of faith are not brick walls but open doors, doors inviting us to enter, and having entered, to revel in the life they hold out to us.

The joy of such mysteries is that new vistas keep opening up, each vista more breathtaking. To thus enter a mystery door of faith to engage in a lifelong pilgrimage of joyful wonder and in which the risen Jesus himself is our guide.

To being with, it is good to know that the kingdom of God, according to the original Greek text, would also be translated as "the reign of God." Reign emphasizes the sovereign activity of God in the building up of the kingdom.

Again it is good to realize that God's kingdom comes to us as pure gift. We do not earn it nor do we build it. God is the builder.

Yet we are invited to take part in its building. Every prayer we offer, every good deed we do, becomes part of God's kingdom.

God's kingdom, though not of this world, nevertheless includes it. There will indeed be a "new heavens and new earth" wherein we will abide eternally. No power can prevent its coming.

To understand God's kingdom more fully read and ponder upon the parables of the kingdom found in the New Testament.

Look up Mark 4:26-29 (the seed growing secretly), Matthew 13:31-32 (the mustard seed), Luke 13:20-21 (the leaven), Matthew 8:37 (the treasure in the field), and Matthew 13:44 (the pearl of great price).

Ponder these short parables. They will enrich your mind or spirit as you pray "your kingdom come."

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