Delivered by Vanessa Anggono from Saint Mary's Catholic Church - Cadogan Street London, in the Archdiocese of Westminster, United Kingdom. Wisdom 7: 22 - 8: 1; Rs psalm 119: 89.90.130.135.175; Luke 17: 20-25.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD ISIN YOUR MIDST

Our meditation today isentitled: The Kingdom of God is in Your Midst. Jesus Christ said this to thePharisees. Although there are no more Pharisees today, the pharisaic spirit isalive. A mother always corrects her children in this manner: "Don't becomehypocritical like the Pharisees." A life that is not sincere and full oflies is a life of the pharisaic spirit. So, following the reminder of themother, the children always remember that the pharisaic attitude isactually  bad and sinfull.

The Pharisees wereasking for a sign of the coming of the Kingdom of God. They wanted a kingdomcomplete with its location dan political system. They were looking for thepower of the world. But Jesus is against this way of thinking. Today we shouldsay that the pharisaic attitude can be seen in those who look for miracles.They actually do not know that even from waking up in the morning until themoment to go to sleep at night is already a significant miracle.

Today many peopletend to use the hyperbole style, a way of exaggeration. The quantity of peopleor things can be exaggerated according to one's own interest. The quality ofsomeone or something can also be given exaggeration. For instance someone washeard teling his friend in this way "I can read all your thoughts andfeelings before you express them yourself." People of today prefer moneyto be the first standard to engage work, service and cooperation. If withoutmoney, people don't want to work,  to sacrifice,to serve, even to associate and  to pray.We can mention many more things like this.

All of them have onecommon characteristic, namely blindness and deafess both physically andmentally about the presence of God in our midst and within us. The God who ispresent now and here, actually speaks from each one's conscience. The Lord'ssilent presence is a wisdom that affects a person's life from within. Thatpresence is primarily in the form of His powerful words, cannot be held andseen, but as the spirit that comforts, encourages and strengthens us.

The Lord Jesusreplaces His own presence with the Holy Spirit who is wise and holy, easy tomove, clear, immaculate, bright, sharp and generous, as said in the book ofWisdom of the today's first reading. In other words, that presence is actuallythe power of our God manifested in commandments, inspiration, values, wisdom,morality and virtues. All is united in the making up of a truly spiritual unityof the Kingdom of God. This Kingdom governs all with the power of God.

We are taught byJesus His own prayer for the coming of the kingdom. This kingdom is useful andmeaningful to us only when it takes control all our lives in the world, that wemay not be let to be driven away by all other powers of the world. With regardsto our future, the Kingdom of God is the representation of eternal life that isachieved by everyone of us after our death. There will be the resurrection forall the righteous. We need to celebrate the presence of this Kingdom every day.

Let's pray. In the name of the Father... O Lord, make us always open to the presence and coming of Your kingdom, andwe are content to welcome Him. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to theHoly Spirit  ... In the name of theFather ...