Thursday 14 November 2024

Today is Thursday 14 November, the feast of Saint Joseph Pignatelli SJ, in the 32nd week of Ordinary Time. The Community of Taizé sing “the Kingdom of God is justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Come, Lord, and open in us the gates of your kingdom.” Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke. 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. ‘In fact, the kingdom of God is among you.’ Try and sense how it might’ve felt to hear those words spoken by Jesus. Do you have a sense of the kingdom of God today, here and now? Stay with that for a moment. How does it look, sound, feel? How challenging must it have been for the disciples, to hear Jesus warning of disturbing difficulties to come! Jesus has something to say to the Pharisees; then he has something to say to his disciples. Do you have any sense of what Jesus might want to say to you? As you hear the passage again, allow yourself to question, to be puzzled by what Jesus is saying. Respond to today’s passage in your own words in a conversation with God. Ask God to attend to whatever is on your mind, whatever is in your heart. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.