The Kingdom of God

 In my religion class, the kids are working on vocabulary.  In the fifth grade book, the definition of the Kingdom of God is the power of God's love active in our lives and in the world.

Let me remind you that this is for 10-year-olds.

I don't know what the means.  How can I explain it?

The Catholic Children's Dictionary I have defines the Kingdom of God as God's reign of peace, justice, mercy, and love that Jesus taught about and came to establish.  We pray for its coming in the Our Father and work to bring it about.  The Church is the seed of this kingdom, which will come to fulfillment in eternity.

Better.  I understand this one.  But for the fifth grade?  Do you think they understand eternity?  If you have to explain the words in the definition how can you explain the concept?

Can't I just say that the Kingdom of God is heaven?  After all these 10-year-olds know the Lord's Prayer.  "Thy kingdom come.  Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."  Matthew 6:10.

But, later, Jesus says, "For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."  (Luke 17:21)  I take that to mean that peace and joy are within us, which is like heaven.  We have to work to keep this peace within us and that's how we are part of God's Kingdom.  But when we die and go to heaven, then we don't have to work at keeping peace and joy because we will be in it. 

Lord help me.  Holy Spirit come down and grant the children understanding because
I can't explain it.

 

God's Kingdom

MEK drawing, BTW, that's me calling everyone to the Kingdom of God.

Today's Gospel in Luke has the Pharisees asking Jesus a question that is often debated.  The question was, "When is the Kingdom of God coming?"

Monsignor Moran doesn't take Jesus' answer as a future reality.  Msgr. says it's within us.  Jesus is answering the Pharisees:

     ...for behold, the kingdom of God is within you...

Well, since He's conversing with the Pharisees, He can't be telling them to look inside their hearts.  Instead, He means Himself.  He is standing in front of them.  God touches everything, i.e., the Pharisees' thoughts, relationships, the world.

In Jesus, we can live in the Kingdom of God.  That's the closest we can get on earth.  It's not as complete a kingdom as living eternally with God.  But in trying to live according to God's teachings, we are almost there.  When we receive the Eucharist we are experiencing God's kingdom, now.  Through Jesus, we live under the reign of God.