Finding The Kingdom In The Here And Now: Living in JOY

We have been taught to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as in heaven." We also pray, "The Kingdom, the power and the glory are Your, NOW and forever." So where do we find the Kingdom now, on earth? The Kingdom is not something to be stumbled over but a mystery to be discovered and lived. How each one of us makes that discovery takes a personal and individual form. The Kingdom is not merely a puzzle to be solved by looking in obscure places or at mysterious and magical ways. It is a way of life to be discovered and explored in ourselves, savored and then shared with others. It is simply God's presence with us and within us. Sr. Kathryn Hermes, F.S.P. says, "See it (the Kingdom) within you. The gift of this seeing is a special awareness, a receptivity, a sensitivity to how God moves within us, captivates us, surprises us, draws us, motivates us, entices us into the kingdom." Our life's work consists of accepting this gift of seeing in order to find this kingdom within ourselves and live out of it.