Jul 19, 2026 Written by 
Angolo dell'ottimista

The Kingdom is near: definitively present

The Kingdom is near: definitively present

If in Christ the Kingdom of God "is near" and indeed present, definitively in the history of humanity and the world, at the same time its fulfilment continues to belong to the future. And so Jesus commands us to pray to the Father, "Thy Kingdom come" (Mt 6:10).

4. We must keep this question in mind as we deal with the Gospel of Christ as the "good news" of the Kingdom of God. This was the "guiding" theme of Jesus' proclamation, which speaks of the Kingdom of God above all in his numerous parables. Particularly significant is the parable that presents the Kingdom of God as a seed that a sower sows in the ground he has cultivated (cf. Mt 13:3-9). The seed is destined to "bear fruit" by its own virtue, without doubt, but the fruit also depends on the soil in which it falls (cf. Mt 13:19-23).

5. On another occasion, Jesus compared the Kingdom of God (the "Kingdom of Heaven" according to Matthew) to a mustard seed, which "is the smallest of all seeds," but once it has grown, it becomes a leafy tree, in whose branches the birds of the air find shelter (cf. Mt 13:31-32). He also compares the growth of the Kingdom of God to "yeast" that ferments flour so that it becomes bread to feed people (cf. Mt 13:33). However, Jesus also dedicates another parable to the problem of the growth of the Kingdom of God in the soil that is this world, that of the good wheat and the weeds sown by the "enemy" in the field sown with good wheat (cf. Mt 13: 24-30). Thus, in the field of the world, good and evil, symbolised by wheat and weeds, grow together "until the harvest", that is, until the day of divine judgement: another significant allusion to the eschatological perspective of human history. In any case, it tells us that the growth of the seed, which is the "word of God," is conditioned by how it is received in the field of human hearts: this determines whether it produces fruit and yields "a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold" (cf. Mt 13:23) according to the dispositions and responsiveness of those who receive it.

[Pope John Paul II, General Audience, 27 April 1988]

83 Last modified on Sunday, 19 July 2026 20:22
Rate this item
(0 votes)
don Giuseppe Nespeca

Giuseppe Nespeca è architetto e sacerdote. Cultore della Sacra scrittura è autore della raccolta "Due Fuochi due Vie - Religione e Fede, Vangeli e Tao"; coautore del libro "Dialogo e Solstizio".

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Latest from don Giuseppe Nespeca

Previous
« The precious Pearl and communication. Between reality and illusion
Next
Co-existence and intertwining »
back to top
The dialogue of Jesus with the rich young man, related in the nineteenth chapter of Saint Matthew's Gospel, can serve as a useful guide for listening once more in a lively and direct way to his moral teaching [Veritatis Splendor n.6]
Il dialogo di Gesù con il giovane ricco, riferito nel capitolo 19 del Vangelo di san Matteo, può costituire un'utile traccia per riascoltare in modo vivo e incisivo il suo insegnamento morale [Veritatis Splendor n.6]
St Augustine rightly commented: “Christ showed himself indifferent to her, not in order to refuse her his mercy but rather to inflame her desire for it” (Sermo 77, 1: PL 38, 483) [Pope Benedict]
Sant’Agostino commenta giustamente: “Cristo si mostrava indifferente verso di lei, non per rifiutarle la misericordia, ma per infiammarne il desiderio” (Sermo 77, 1: PL 38, 483) [Papa Benedetto]
In the divine attitude justice is pervaded with mercy, whereas the human attitude is limited to justice. Jesus exhorts us to open ourselves with courage to the strength of forgiveness, because in life not everything can be resolved with justice. We know this (Pope Francis)
Nell’atteggiamento divino la giustizia è pervasa dalla misericordia, mentre l’atteggiamento umano si limita alla giustizia. Gesù ci esorta ad aprirci con coraggio alla forza del perdono, perché nella vita non tutto si risolve con la giustizia; lo sappiamo (Papa Francesco)
The Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy refers precisely to this Gospel passage to indicate one of the ways that Christ is present:  "He is present when the Church prays and sings, for he has promised "where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them' (Mt 18: 20)" [Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. 7]
La Costituzione sulla Sacra Liturgia del Concilio Vaticano II si riferisce proprio a questo passo del Vangelo per indicare uno dei modi della presenza di Cristo: "Quando la Chiesa prega e canta i Salmi, è presente Lui che ha promesso: "Dove sono due o tre riuniti nel mio nome, io  sono in mezzo a loro" (Mt 18, 20)" [Sacrosanctum Concilium, 7]
For Jesus we are not a "mass", a "multitude"! We are individual "persons" with an eternal value, both as creatures and as re-deemed persons! He knows us! He knows me, and loves me and gave himself for me! (Gal 2:20) [John Paul II]
Non siamo “massa”, “moltitudine”, per Gesù! Siamo “persone” singole con un valore eterno, sia come creature sia come persone redente! lui ci conosce! lui mi conosce, e mi ama e ha dato se stesso per me! (Gal 2,20) [Giovanni Paolo II]
The grain of wheat that "falls to the ground and dies" becomes the promise of bread (Pope John Paul II)
Il chicco di grano che “cade in terra e muore” diventa la promessa del pane (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
The power of faith can move mountains (cf. Mt 17:20): the Lord can illuminate even the deepest darkness [Pope Benedict]
La forza della fede può spostare le montagne (cfr Mt 17,20): il Signore può illuminare anche la tenebra più profonda [Papa Benedetto]
By willingly accepting death, Jesus carries the cross of all human beings and becomes a source of salvation for the whole of humanity. St Cyril of Jerusalem commented: “The glory of the Cross led those who were blind through ignorance into light, loosed all who were held fast by sin and brought redemption to the whole world of mankind” (Catechesis Illuminandorum XIII, 1: de Christo crucifixo et sepulto: PG 33, 772 B) [Pope Benedict]

Due Fuochi due Vie - Vol. 1 Due Fuochi due Vie - Vol. 2 Due Fuochi due Vie - Vol. 3 Due Fuochi due Vie - Vol. 4 Due Fuochi due Vie - Vol. 5 Dialogo e Solstizio I fiammiferi di Maria

duevie.art

don Giuseppe Nespeca

Tel. 333-1329741


Disclaimer

Questo blog non rappresenta una testata giornalistica in quanto viene aggiornato senza alcuna periodicità. Non può pertanto considerarsi un prodotto editoriale ai sensi della legge N°62 del 07/03/2001.
Le immagini sono tratte da internet, ma se il loro uso violasse diritti d'autore, lo si comunichi all'autore del blog che provvederà alla loro pronta rimozione.
L'autore dichiara di non essere responsabile dei commenti lasciati nei post. Eventuali commenti dei lettori, lesivi dell'immagine o dell'onorabilità di persone terze, il cui contenuto fosse ritenuto non idoneo alla pubblicazione verranno insindacabilmente rimossi.