Saint Josaphat, Bishop, Martyr, Thursday of week 32 in Ordinary Time, Gospel: Luke 17:20-25
In today’s Gospel, Jesus declares: “The Kingdom of God is among you.” These words reveal the extraordinary mystery of the Incarnation: in Jesus Christ, God has entered human history, and His Kingdom has become present among us. The Kingdom is not simply a distant reality that we await after death, nor is it something that can be identified through spectacular signs or external appearances. It is already present in the person of Jesus, through whom God’s love, mercy, truth, and saving power have entered our world. The Incarnation means that God has not remained distant from humanity; He has come to dwell among us and transform our lives from within. Wherever Christ is welcomed, His Kingdom begins to take root. When we forgive, reconcile, serve, defend human dignity, and bring hope to others, we make visible the presence of the Kingdom that He has inaugurated. Yet Jesus also speaks of His coming suffering, reminding us that God’s Kingdom advances not through worldly power, but through self-giving love. Saint Josaphat, who dedicated his life to the unity of the Church and remained faithful even unto martyrdom, witnessed this truth. His life reminds us that communion with Christ must lead us towards communion with one another. The Kingdom of God becomes visible when the love of the Incarnate Word shapes our relationships and actions. The message of Christ invites us not merely to search for signs of God’s Kingdom elsewhere, but to recognize His presence already among us and cooperate with His grace. The Incarnation brought the Kingdom of God into our world; our discipleship is meant to make that Kingdom increasingly visible in everyday life. Let’s reflect: Do I recognize that the Kingdom of God has already come among us in Jesus Christ, and am I allowing His presence to transform my daily life so that others can experience His love, peace, and unity through me?
Don Giorgio