Daily Reflection – 11/13/2025
Sacred Scripture
Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you.” Then he said to his disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to you, ‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’ Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as 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 suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.” (Luke 17:20-25)
Reflection
The Kingdom Within
Travelers throughout history have always searched for the quickest way to reach their destination. We look for shortcuts, clear road signs, and a reliable map to guide us home. In our spiritual lives, we often do the same. We want to know the fastest route to God, the surest signs of His return, and a clear timeline for His final victory.
In the Gospel of Luke, we see this same human impulse in the Pharisees. They approach Jesus with a question laced with curiosity and perhaps a bit of fear: “When will the kingdom of God come?” They were looking for a date on the calendar, a sign in the heavens, a political event they could point to. Imagine their confusion when Jesus turns their entire framework upside down.
He tells them the Kingdom of God does not arrive with observable signs. It is not a specific point in time, nor can it be confined to a location you can label “here” or “there.” Instead, Jesus declares, “the kingdom of God is in your midst.” It is already present, already active, already accessible.
This answer should refocus our hearts. Christ’s Kingdom is not primarily concerned with earthly nations or political systems, but with the state of the human soul. It is about the intimate struggle between good and evil that plays out within each of us. The Kingdom of God is a condition, not a place. It is the reality that unfolds wherever God’s will is done and His love reigns. When we choose to follow Jesus—to adopt His ways of compassion, forgiveness, and service—God reigns in us. His Kingdom takes root in the soil of our hearts.
Today, this truth is more vital than ever. It is easy to become distracted by the noise of the world, to believe the Kingdom’s advance is tied to a particular political party, cultural trend, or social victory. But Jesus reminds us that His Kingdom is not of this world. It does not rise or fall with governments or depend on favorable circumstances. Our call is to live as citizens of heaven now. We are not waiting for a specific leader to take office or for society to become more welcoming to our faith. We are living for the glory of God now, in anticipation of Christ’s return, striving to be a light in a dark world. Our allegiance is to Christ’s reign, here and now.
The great saint, Bernard of Clairvaux, spoke of three advents of Christ. The first was His humble birth at Christmas. The third will be His glorious return to judge the living and the dead. But between these two is the second, or “middle,” advent. This is Christ’s quiet, continual coming into our daily lives—the time of His visitation. In this present moment, Christ is active and available to us. Our final judgment will simply reflect how we responded to this daily invitation: did we live as citizens of His Kingdom?
This reveals the shortest direction to His Kingdom. The journey doesn’t begin by looking outward for signs, but by looking inward. If we want to be welcomed into God’s eternal Kingdom on the last day, we must first allow that Kingdom to enter us today. It must configure our thoughts, our desires, and our actions right now.
How do we do this? We look for the Lord’s presence not in dramatic upheaval, but in the quiet, steady work of love. We find Him in words and deeds that build up, heal, and bring life, not in those that tear down and sow discord. God has promised He will never leave us. We simply need the eyes of faith to see Him and the ears of faith to hear His voice in the fabric of our ordinary lives.
Let our prayer, then, be the same as the disciples’ earlier in Luke’s Gospel: “Lord, increase our faith.” May this prayer lead us to a daily submission to Christ’s reign, expressed in concrete acts of love, mercy, and witness. For in every choice to forgive, to serve, and to love our neighbor, the Kingdom of God breaks through, and we find ourselves already home.
Prayer of The Day
“Lord Jesus Christ, may your kingdom come and may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Be the Ruler of my heart and the Master of my life that I may always live in the freedom of your love and truth.”
Daily Note
God’s Kingdom is present every time grace is at work. It’s so easy for us to be overwhelmed by the evils of this world and to miss the presence of God. God is alive in countless ways all around us. We must always strive to see this presence, be inspired by it and love it.
