Video Transcript
Emily: Most of us have probably at least heard the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration. But do you really know the significance behind this moment in His life? Jesus had recently told His disciples that some of them “will not taste death until they see the Kingdom of God come with power” (Mark 9:1). Jesus then took His three closest disciples—Peter, James, and John—up a high mountain. While praying, Jesus’ appearance changes dramatically. His face shines like the sun, and His clothes become dazzling white. Moses, the great lawgiver, and Elijah, the greatest of prophets, appear at either side of Jesus and speak with Him.
Edmund: I always thought this moment in the Bible was a remarkable, supernatural event. But I wasn’t really sure what the meaning was, or what Jesus was trying to teach His disciples. So what are we supposed to make of this moment?
Emily: The Church has always seen this moment as a foretaste of the Kingdom of God, and a glimpse into Jesus’ glory as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We even celebrate this moment in the Liturgical year on the Feast of the Transfiguration and on the second Sunday of every Lent.
Edmund: And Jesus teaches us to pray the Lord’s Prayer, and to pray “Thy kingdom come.” We pray in this way because Jesus wants us to participate in inviting God’s Kingdom to come here on earth.
Emily: The Catechism explains in paragraph 2818: “In the Lord’s Prayer, ‘thy kingdom come’ refers primarily to the final coming of the reign of God through Christ’s return. But, far from distracting the Church from her mission in this present world, this desire commits her to it all the more strongly. Since Pentecost, the coming of that Reign is the work of the Spirit of the Lord who ‘completes his work on earth and brings us the fullness of grace.’”
Edmund: So praying “Thy kingdom come” means we are praying for Jesus’ final coming at the end of time. But we are also praying for God to continue His work of establishing and bringing the Kingdom of God more fully into the world, until that time when He comes again.
Emily: The Kingdom of God is in our midst in Jesus and in the Eucharist. Jesus invites us to be part of the Kingdom of God by joining His family, the Church.
Edmund: So we’re living during this time after the Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to be with us through the Church until the end of time. Ever since then, there has been a battle between the Kingdom of God and the powers of sin, death, and “the flesh.”
Emily: Jesus begins His public ministry preaching that “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe in the gospel.'” To carry out the will of the Father, Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom of heaven on earth.
Edmund: The Kingdom of God is not just a helpful analogy or an insignificant part of the Good News of Jesus’ message of salvation. The Kingdom of God is actually central to Jesus’ preaching, and it’s even a part of how He teaches us to pray.
Emily: And now, God’s work on earth is to invite people to share in His own divine life and experience the Kingdom of God. He does this by gathering people around His Son, Jesus Christ. This gathering is the Church, which is the seed and beginning of that kingdom (CCC 541).
Edmund: And by praying “Thy kingdom come”, we are also reminded of the invitation everyone has to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus teaches that following Him and accepting His words and life allow us to enter and experience the Kingdom of God here on earth.
Emily: The Kingdom of God is for sinners. Jesus said “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” He invites us all to conversion of heart, which is what we need in order to enter the Kingdom of God.
Edmund: And the Kingdom of God is also for the poor and the lowly. It’s for those who accept it with humble hearts. In the Beatitudes, Jesus describes the humble, the poor, the broken, and proclaims that “theirs is the Kingdom of God.” And Jesus identifies Himself with the poor of every kind, teaching us that active love towards them is the condition for entering the Kingdom.
Emily: And ultimately, this all means that praying “Thy kingdom come” means we are praying for the defeat of Satan’s kingdom of sin and death. This is foreshadowed in Jesus’ casting out of demons and His ability to heal people who are affected by sickness and raise people who have experienced death.
Edmund: The Kingdom of God is central to Jesus’ preaching, and it should be central to our prayer as well. This is why Jesus tells us to pray for the Kingdom to come here and now, and for us to experience the conversion and healing we need to experience the Kingdom of God more fully.
Emily: For the Kingdom of God to reign in us, we must be freed from slavery to sin. We also should participate in bringing the Kingdom of God to others through righteousness, joy, and peace we experience in the Holy Spirit. And finally, we should commit to striving for the justice and goodness God wants for all our relationships and for the world.
Edmund: When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, it should remind us that we are participating in the great Kingdom of God, and it’s coming here on earth. We are part of the Church, which is the foretaste of the Kingdom of God. And we also pray “Thy kingdom come”, as a way of looking forward in hope for the day Jesus will bring the fullness of the Kingdom of God at the end of time.
Emily: Jesus has promised us the Kingdom, and we can learn to trust this promise in the Lord’s Prayer. This is why the King of Kings has taught us to pray as a way of inviting God’s Kingdom to come here on earth.
