Jesus reveals His Second Coming will be unavoidably obvious to all men. Every Catholic man can grow in happiness by seeking the Gift of Wisdom from the Holy Spirit so he can more fully experience the Kingdom of God and by building the Virtue of Prudence so he can always rely on y the Holy Catholic Church on matters of faith.
Liturgy
32nd Week in Ordinary time – Thursday – Lk 17:20-25
Commentary
Jesus’ miraculous healing of The Ten Lepers draws great attention, including from the Pharisees, who push Jesus to reveal when the Kingdom of God is coming. The Pharisees’ question reveals they do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah; the common Jewish belief was that the Messiah would lead the Kingdom of God to elevate Israel to worldly dominance.
Jesus refutes the common misbelief that the Kingdom was a spectacular political event, saying, “the Kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed.” Ironically, in the Pharisee’s spiritual blindness and stubborn belief that a powerful sign would predict the coming of the Kingdom, they miss seeing the greatest possible sign: Jesus, the King, is right in front of them, and the Kingdom of God is already present. Jesus mysteriously confirms, “the Kingdom of God is in your midst”; Jesus the King is present, and where the King is, is the Kingdom.
Jesus then speaks to the disciples, cryptically revealing the Kingdom of God is not yet completely manifest. Jesus alludes to His coming absence after the Crucifixion, saying, “you will…desire to see…the Son of man…[but] will not…”, for He, “must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation”, a prophecy which will come to pass in His Passion. Jesus offers hope in the near term, promising to return with undeniable certainty, as obvious as lightening that fills the sky, a promise that is fulfilled in the Resurrection, and when Jesus appears to many during the forty days before His Ascension. Longer term, Jesus refers to His Second Coming when the Kingdom of God will be fully manifest (“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done”).
Be awed by Jesus Christ
Marvel at how Jesus, the Divine Prophet, offers revelations about the future: Divine Knowledge, that is eternal (outside of the “time” of Creation), Jesus has explicit and perfect knowledge of the future; Son of Man, Jesus offers mysterious insights into His actions in the future, some of which have already occurred, including the Passion, the Resurrection, the Ascension, the establishment of His worldwide Holy Catholic Church, and others, which are yet to be fulfilled (the astounding Second Coming).
Seek the Spirit to experience the Kingdom
Realize: Like the sinful Pharisees saw but did not recognize that Jesus the King was right in front of them, today, men, though they have witnessed that Jesus is still worshiped by most and have even been raised Catholic, are too immersed in the world to recognize the reality that Jesus and His Kingdom is now really present in the Holy Catholic Church.
Believe: Reflect upon the Revelation of the Kingdom (CCC 538-570).
Pray: Holy Spirit, give me the Gift of Wisdom so I am drawn to God and can experience His wisdom, I can experience the reality of being in Christ’s Kingdom, and I can receive the grace to live as a man of the Kingdom.
Rely only on the Church in matters of faith
Realize: Many perhaps well-meaning but confused men obsess about predicting the Second Coming, writing endless speculations and even fictional books and movies; every Catholic man should rely solely on the Church’s teachings in all matters of faith and reject dangerous speculations about Jesus.
Believe: Reflect upon He will come again in glory (CCC 668-682).
Pray: Jesus, Divine King, help me build the Virtue of Prudence so I accept and solely rely on the teachings of the Church on all issues of faith, I use reason to critically assess ideas against Church teachings, and I shrewdly reject false teachings that are inconsistent with the Church.