Gospel

Matthew 16:24-28

Jesus said to his disciples,

"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,

take up his cross, and follow me.

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world

and forfeit his life?

Or what can one give in exchange for his life?

For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory,

and then he will repay each according to his conduct.

Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here

who will not taste death

until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

Reflection

Jesus makes clear here that his second coming, yes, is at the end of it all. But he's saying that people who are listening to him now will experience the Son of Man coming into his kingdom. We are his kingdom. The church is his kingdom. Those who love and care for one another create the Kingdom of God here on this earth.

What's so important is that we understand this distinction between life in the world and life in the Kingdom. We know the difference. One is filled with lies and negativity, and one is filled with life and truth. The kingdom is beginning. The kingdom is here, and we're a part of it whenever we choose truth over lies.

Closing Prayer

Father, the kingdom of God is a great mystery. But we are living it. Give us the wisdom to understand the nature of what we are doing as we're called to continue the work that you began on this earth. The work that you promise us you are infused within us to accomplish it. Free us from anxiety or worry, and fill us with the kind of conviction that we should have after we listen attentively to what you have taught us, and we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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