Two steps of the Kingdom

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As we begin the yearly season of fasting, praying, and almsgiving — the traditional time to dive a bit deeper into the most sacred mystery of our faith: the suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus — it’s an appropriate time to ask: Why?

Why did God, who so loved the world, send His only Son?

Of course, John 3:16 tells us it is “so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” Much attention is rightly given to the victory over sin and death that the Paschal Mystery accomplishes and thus opens the gates of heaven for us as we enter the eternal Kingdom of God.

But that is only part of the promised Kingdom.

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus begins His public ministry with these words: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15).

So, wait, is the promised Kingdom of God in heaven, or is it here and now?

As with many questions to the faith, the answer to both questions is yes.

We tend to focus on the aspect of Jesus’ coming as it applies to our sin, forgiveness, and hope for heaven, but sometimes we neglect the proclamation from Jesus that the Kingdom of God is at hand.

You might be thinking: I know some history, I read the news, and I do not see too much Kingdom of God happening.

On the one hand, Jesus’ coming into the world was, in a way, the first step of the Kingdom, and the last step is His second coming. So, yes, the Kingdom is in process. On the other hand, Jesus left the work of building the Kingdom on Earth to us. He entrusted the Church to bring His grace, love, and salvation to the world.

But even though almost 2000 years have passed, a lot of work remains. So, how exactly are we to assist in bringing God’s Kingdom on Earth?

First off: Pray!

When Jesus taught us to pray, He included this petition: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven.” Thus, we are to pray that the perfect justice, peace, grace, mercy, and love that is in heaven will come to pass on the Earth.

But we are also asked by Jesus to do more than pray.

We are asked to work hard for the Kingdom by growing in holiness and by putting that holiness as the service of the poor, our community, and our Church, all in the name of Jesus.

In the Beatitudes and in the parable of the sheep and goats, Jesus teaches that we are blessed when we are poor in spirit; when we mourn; are hungry for and thirsty for righteousness; are meek and merciful; are clean of heart and are peacemakers; and are persecuted and insulted for His name.

He makes this very pointed and practical in the parable mentioned above. When we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome a stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit the prisoner, we not only inherit the Kingdom, but we are also doing these things for Jesus Himself. But more importantly, when we fail to do these things, we fail to do them for Jesus, and the gates of the Kingdom are closed to us.

The prayer and action Jesus calls for are not suggestions, they are our marching orders.

Lent is a great time to take stock of our impact on the Kingdom of God here on Earth. Maybe our Lenten obligations can keep this in mind.

We can offer our fasting as prayer for the Kingdom and maybe find one specific way to put our faith into action for those in need in our community.

The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, and Jesus wants us to get our hands dirty.