Phlm 7-20 / Lk 17:20-25
In every age there has been an ample chorus of voices proclaiming the imminent arrival of the end of the world. The volume only gets louder at the end of a century, to say nothing of a millennium. And people watch with fascination for signs and wonders and portents.
It has always been so, hence Jesus takes special pains to remind us in the Gospel that we already have what we’re looking for so anxiously: “The reign of God is already in your midst,” He says. Look no further.
The Holy Spirit already dwells within every one of us, only waiting for us to open our hearts and our lives to the Spirit’s healing and guidance. Life could take on a very different shape now, if we could bring ourselves to doing that with confidence and trust. That is the challenge that confronts us repeatedly across the whole span of our lives: to trust in the Holy Spirit’s presence, to open our hearts, and to keep them open. That task will never be complete in this life, but for some it has not yet begun.
May we not find ourselves in that sorry company.