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.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Jesus tells us: “The kingdom of God is in your midst.” He also said, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” and “I will send you my Spirit.”

Through baptism, the kingdom of Heaven is present in our soul by grace. Through the sacrament of marriage, the kingdom of Heaven is present in us, and we make it manifest in our home and in society, provided we remain in grace.

Every time spouses act in self-giving and welcome each other, we make the kingdom of Heaven present. What a marvel to be able to taste in advance what we will live in eternity!

Saint Teresa of Jesus wrote in The Way of Perfection:
“Oh, my daughters! Look at what your Spouse asks of you: that we ask Him to bring His kingdom. Know that this kingdom of God begins now in us; for when we love God, He reigns in our souls.”

Let us love God in our spouse, and we will live in the kingdom of Heaven.

Brought Down to Married Life

Martha: I really enjoy that we pray the Rosary together every day — and when the children join us, it’s wonderful.
Tony: Yes, it really is. Remember how we used to rush through it, squeezing it in whenever we could, without paying much attention to what we were saying?
Martha: Now it’s different, isn’t it? We pray more slowly, putting our hearts into the words and thinking of whom we’re speaking to. Many times I feel moved and filled with joy during those prayers. It feels like being in heaven.
Tony: I feel the same. It’s true we take longer now because we pray more slowly — haha! — but I look forward to our daily encounter with Mary, reliving the life of Jesus with her.

Mother,

Pray the Our Father with us, and teach us to say it with love and attention. What a wonderful prayer Jesus taught us!
Blessed be You!