As we do on the 7th of every month, we will meditate today on a passage from the “Message of the Father” to Sr. Eugenia Ravasio:
Has My kingdom come? You honour very fervently the Kingship of My Son Jesus, it is true, and in Him you are honouring Me! But will you deny your Father this great glory of proclaiming Him ‘King’, or at least, of letting Me reign until all men can know and love Me? I desire you to celebrate this feast of the Kingship of My Son in reparation for the insults He received before Pilate and from the soldiers who scourged His holy and innocent humanity. I ask you not to suspend this feast, but, on the contrary, to celebrate it enthusiastically and fervently; but in order that everyone may really know this King, they must know His kingdom as well. Now, to achieve this dual knowledge perfectly, it is also necessary to know the Father of this King, the Maker of this kingdom. Truly, My children, the Church – this society I entrusted My Son to found – will complete its work by honouring Him Who is its Author: your Father and Creator.
The Kingdom of God… As we pray the prayer that the Lord taught us, every day we ask for this Kingdom to come. Do we have a vision of what it might look like? Perhaps we can catch a glimpse of it, inasmuch as we all have in our hearts – albeit deep down – the longing for a true kingdom of peace, in which love and justice rule. Jesus himself gave us to understand that in him this kingdom has already come to us (cf. Lk 11:20).
To celebrate the kingship of Christ, the Church has established a liturgical feast of her own. In his Kingdom, things are to be different from the way they are in this world: “You know that among the gentiles the rulers lord it over them, and great men make their authority felt. Among you this is not to happen. No; anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Mt 20:25-26). Thus, this Kingdom is not obscured by the thirst for power of fallen angels or by people greedy for power; but “whoever among you would be first among you, let him be your slave” (v. 27).
The Church would be the place where this Kingdom can become visible, and indeed it already is, even if it is still afflicted by human limitations, weaknesses and sins. Nevertheless, in Her knees are bowed before the true King, the One from whom all true kingship on earth comes.
But in the passage we hear today from the Father’s Message, He makes us see a lack. In celebrating and honouring the kingship of the Son of God, the Kingdom of God is not yet fully embraced, for all that Jesus did was at the behest of the Heavenly Father. In theory, we Catholics are clear about this, because Jesus testifies to it again and again (cf. e.g. Jn 12:49). But the Father gives us to understand that the First Person of the Holy Trinity is also to be honoured accordingly, He being the “Father of this King” and the “Creator of this Kingdom”. Jesus’ most ardent desire was the glorification of the Father. And this glorification must have a visible and palpable expression also here on earth.
Let us contemplate for a moment with John the vision described in the fourth chapter of Revelation, to get a glimpse of what the Kingdom of God looks like in its fullness:
“I saw a throne standing in heaven, and the One who was sitting on the throne, and the One sitting there looked like a diamond and a ruby. There was a rainbow encircling the throne, and this looked like an emerald. Round the throne in a circle were twenty-four thrones, and on them twenty-four elders sitting, dressed in white robes with golden crowns on their heads. Flashes of lightning were coming from the throne, and the sound of peals of thunder, and in front of the throne there were seven flaming lamps burning, the seven Spirits of God. In front of the throne was a sea as transparent as crystal. In the middle of the throne and around it, were four living creatures all studded with eyes, in front and behind. The first living creature was like a lion, the second like a bull, the third living creature had a human face, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was studded with eyes all the way round as well as inside; and day and night they never stopped singing: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty; who was, and is and is to come.’ Every time the living creatures glorified and honoured and gave thanks to the One sitting on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders prostrated themselves before him to worship the One who lives for ever and ever, and threw down their crowns in front of the throne, saying: You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you made the whole universe; by your will, when it did not exist, it was created.” (Rev 4:2-11)
If we keep in mind that the Kingdom of God is to be fulfilled “on earth as it is in heaven”, we can glimpse through the Holy Scriptures what the heavenly reality is like and imitate it here on earth. All honour God the Father. It is He who is worshipped and whose sovereignty of love extends to all. From Him all receive light and splendour. By consciously worshipping Him, one becomes aware of this and all beings take their rightful place before their Creator and Redeemer. If this order is also fulfilled on earth, men can receive all that the Father has prepared for them.
This is the great theme of the Father’s Message, which is dealt with in various ways: God wants people to have a share in His glory! That is why the Church must carry out her work and establish a liturgical feast in honour of God the Father, the Father of all mankind. When she does so, what is natural in heaven can be realised even more on earth. If men recognise, honour and love God as their Father and Lord, they can receive grace upon grace; love can grow, peace can spread, and true brotherhood can arise among men.
A FINAL NOTICE: During the last few months, since we concluded the Novena to God the Father, we had invited those who felt particularly called to honour the First Person of the Blessed Trinity to report to us, as representatives of their respective nations, so that together we might give to our Heavenly Father that worship and love which He asks for in the Message given to Mother Eugenia Ravasio. If anyone had not heard this invitation and would also like to be part of this “Work of love” of the Heavenly Father, you can still send us an email to the following address, indicating your name and the country you come from: contact@jemael.org.