How the Kingdom Comes

“Christendom has before now taken up arms in its own defense; or even in a pathetic attempt to recover the Holy Places. Christian princes, before now, have tried to spread the faith at the point of the sword, always, nearly always, with disastrous results for religion. But the substantial victories of the Church have lain, always, in the sphere of the human conscience. Christ has reigned, not in the councils of nations, but in men’s hearts. If every country in the world professed the Catholic religion, set up religious emblems in the market places and voted special honours, special privileges, such revenue to the clergy–that would not be the reign of Christ on Earth. It would not be the reign of Christ on earth if the homage which men paid to religion was merely external, merely political; if they treated the emblems of Christianity merely as an ancestral tradition they were proud of; and a convenient rallying-point for civic sentiment, no more. Christ will reign in the world only where, only in so far as, he rules in human hearts” -Msgr. Ronald Knox

We are living in a time of seduction in which many of our brothers and sisters are thinking like the Pharisees:

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed;* nor will they say, ‘Behold, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Lk 17:20–21).

We have to learn to live by the power of the Holy Spirit and the loss of political and cultural clout is a gift of God for helping us do it. Blessed are the poor in spirit, not those who can kick ass. Ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit and the weapons of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control.

Those who seek the kingdom of heaven have a rare opportunity as those who worship power get all that they dream of.