Delivered by Galdys from the Parish of Saint Gabriel in the Diocese of Bandung, Indonesia. Daniel 7: 2-14; Rs psalm: Add Dan 3: 75.76.77.78.79.80.81; Luke 21: 29-33.

EXPERIENCING THECOMING OF THE  KINGDOM OF GOD

Our meditation ontoday is entitled: Experiencing the Coming of the Kingdom of God. Throughoutthe year we meet the change of natural seasons: hot to cold and cold to hot. Fromthe point of view of Church’s liturgy, in two days time we will begin a newliturgical year. The immediate effect of welcoming this new year is an act ofadaptation because we need to go along with the new season. In doing so werevew our lives according to the will of God and Church.

The Lord Jesus speaksof the coming of the kingdom of God, and He encourages us to take notice of itssigns, then willing to welcome it and finally renew ourselves. Even though ifthe signs revealed to us are of things afterlife, we inevitably have to welcomeit up because it is the Lord Himself who is present in those signs. We need tobe ready to accept Him, and our readiness means that we start renewing and thenlive in a new form of believers.

At various stages oflife, the mentality of making plans for any activity is a very concrete need.From simple activities such as a dinner invitation at a friend's house to amultinational company plan for lauching its new project or a diocesan pastoral careset up for the whole year plan. Our lives and activities become smooth andenjoyable when they are planned. If there is no plan, any activity will be inchaos. Because of an unplanned life, we are not sure of what will be done andthere is no definite direction to be followed.

If there is no plan,we don't know what or who we are going to welcome. We also cannot adapt as away of renewal of self that we need to do. Only those who have plan canexperience the beauty of welcoming God and have the joy of being renewed. IfGod comes to meet us in the celebration of the eucharist, for example, our planto welcome Him should be made hours before the actual celebration. Thereforethe meeting itself in the celebration of Eucharist will become a special andmeaningful experience. Definitely the Eucharist becomes a light for ourselvesthat are already renewed.

On the contrary, if neitherpreparation nor plan from our part, the meeting in the eucharist will become acomplicated chaos that can endanger our spiritual lives: whether God is feltsilent or He is so far away, whether we are besieged by laziness and easily getsleep, whether we are simply forced to attend the eucharist because of pressurefrom others, either we just pass the time of one day off from works and otherundertakings.

God who comes inEucharistic celebrations is also the One who comes in other occasions in thislife. And the universal law for every believer is that we need to welcome Himbecause He brings precious gifts to us.

Let's pray. In the name of the Father... O Father, the Almighty one, may our desire to meet You becomes our dailyneed, and not simply a need when we have hard times in life. Hail Mary, full ofgrace ... In the name of the Father ...