Thursday of the Second Week of Advent

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Matthew 11:11-15

In these Scripture verses, Jesus is telling His followers to keep their eyes aimed towards the Kingdom of heaven. We are reminded here to not be so connected to earthly possessions, but rather to keep our treasures stored in the Kingdom of heaven. Due to the coronavirus and acts of violence marked in history this year, there is unrest in our world, and “…the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence…” Jesus states even further here that “…the violent are taking it by force.” When we obsess too much over our desires here on earth, God’s Will for us cannot be clearly seen. Therefore, not only His Will, but his Kingdom is being rejected as well by man and it suffers so greatly from that.

How appropriate is it during this time, where there is a lot of controversy in our nation, that we receive this message during our Advent season, reminding us of the dangers of violence and how God’s Kingdom cannot make itself known to us if we do not choose to accept it. That is why during this Advent season, which is an opportunity for us to slow down and quiet the mind while awaiting the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I choose to hear about the Good News of Christ Jesus and His Kingdom. I do not desire to dwell on controversial news that could lead to the violence, causing God’s Kingdom that we are destined for to suffer so greatly.

My prayer for this Advent season is that more people are “…willing to accept…” the Kingdom of heaven for what it is, without causing its suffering by promotion of violence or by going against God’s Will. One day all of us will hopefully see each other again in peace and harmony eternally in this Kingdom that is perfect. Keep aiming for that this Advent season and always. Do not lose hope.

Daniel Cutrone, SFC '24