WHAT’S YOUR IDEA OF GOD’S KINGDOM?
Feast of St. James, Apostle
My dear encountered couples:
The mother of James and John, and the two young men themselves asked Jesus for the favor of sitting on his right and left when he established his kingdom. And Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking.” They indeed had no idea what kind of a kingdom he had been talking about, they didn’t suspect all the suffering and confusion that was going to be attached to being a member of that kingdom. They probably dreamed of a kingdom like that of Solomon - with pomp, prestige, and lots of perks.
Sometimes maybe we too misunderstand what Christianity, the Church, the Kingdom of Christ is all about. We pray, we receive the sacraments, we try hard to treat other people well, and yet, our lives never seem to run as we would like them to.
As Jesus did with James, John, and all the others, he is taking us through corridors and down streets of life that we just can’t figure out. There is a lot we don’t understand about God and his ways.
We pray, we ask, we fast, we storm heaven with our petitions. Isn’t God listening? Is he deaf? Deep down we know the answer to that. But we don’t like the answer. God is listening, he hears us clearly. But he knows that if we are ever to get what we really want - love and happiness - we will have to go through much that we don’t understand before we are equipped to handle all that love and happiness.
James and John finally made it to Christ’s kingdom where they are enjoying more prestige and perks than they had ever dreamed of. But the road they had to travel to get there was very rough and full of confusion. Just like ours. God knows what he’s doing in your life, and it is for your best. Trust him!
