"thy kingdom come"
"He sent them forth to proclaim the reign of God and heal the afflicted." —Luke 9:2
Jesus did not send us to proclaim a denomination, an institution, or even an individualistic idea of salvation. Jesus sent us to proclaim His reign, His kingdom. He taught us to pray for His kingdom to come (Mt 6:10). He promised that, if we sought first His kingdom, all our needs would be given us besides (Mt 6:33).
Although each individual must accept salvation in Jesus, the Lord is doing much more than changing the lives of isolated individuals. Through His death and resurrection, He has irreversibly conquered Satan's kingdom of darkness and definitively established the new worldwide kingdom of light. "He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son" (Col 1:13).
Therefore, God's kingdom should dominate our consciousness. Marriage, celibacy (Mt 19:12), healing, the Eucharist (Mt 26:29), work, and money make sense only in the light of His kingdom. The Lord made of us "a kingdom, and priests to serve our God," and we "shall reign on the earth" (Rv 5:10).
Prayer: Jesus, give me Your mind (1 Cor 2:16). May Your kingdom be more important to me than my most important individual concerns.
Promise: "Every word of God is tested; He is a Shield to those who take refuge in Him." —Prv 30:5
Praise: Ruth prays daily and fervently, "Thy Kingdom come!" She also prays each day for the social reign of Christ the King throughout the world.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our leaflet Seek First The Kingdom.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 8, 2010
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