The reign of God is already in your midst. (Luke 17:21)
For some reason today, I am reminded of Jesus’ words: “…among those standing here there are some who will not taste death until they see the reign of God established in power” (Mark 9:1). Is it possible this is happening to us now? Do we not see the power of God operating marvelously through our little daily deaths? What about the times when everything seems to be going wrong and then, surprisingly, things work out for good? There are other small “deaths.” We might have been grieving over the loss of a treasured friend or object when suddenly we saw a small flower, wet with dew, sticking its tiny head out of a tangled mass of dead leaves? What a powerful message that was! Then there was the time we were very annoyed at someone and we saw a flock of noisy ducks waddling by and quacking, in angry chorus, the same emotion? Did it cause us to relax and laugh at ourselves? These moments, these small “resurrections,” can help us realize the reign of God is, indeed, establishing itself in power right now in our lives. The images of eggs or cocoons symbolically suggest this truth as well. They lose or die to themselves becoming something greater, i.e., a chicken or butterfly. Do we take ordinary things for granted or do they penetrate our consciousness enough to see the greater reality of God lifting us out of our darker moments? These are little intimations that God’s reign will be established in power once and for all at our own resurrection.
Jesus, make me aware that your kingdom reigns within moment by moment!
—Sister Mary E. Penrose, OSB
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Sister Mary E Penrose is a Sister of St. Scholastica Monastery in Duluth, Minnesota. She edits readings for the liturgical Hours and writes reflections for the Community. And she is a tutor for the African Sisters attending The College of St. Scholastica. She was editor of a journal, Spirit & Life, for 18 years. |
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