Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Congratulations with the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord!

In the second petition of the Lord’s Prayer, we say the following: “Thy Kingdom come.” These words can be understood in different ways. We can understand them literally: Thy Kingdom come here on earth, that is, let the end of our time come, let the Saviour come to earth so as to judge both the living and the dead, so as to reward the righteous. We can also explain these words in a similar fashion, but with the understanding that a foretaste of the Kingdom of God is prepared for the righteous after their repose: make it so that I inherit the Kingdom of Heaven after my death.

Of course, the issue is that not everyone will inherit the Kingdom of God, but only the righteous. It is somewhat frightening to pray for the second coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom of God, if we are unsure of our own personal holiness. Therefore, we can also understand the words of the second petition of the prayer Our Father in the same way as we explained the words of the first petition, that is: Thy Kingdom come within us. To inherit blessedness after death and also a place in proximity to Christ after the Second Coming and the resurrection of the dead, we must first establish the Kingdom of God here on earth within ourselves. This means to have Christ within us, to feel His presence, to safeguard peace and tranquility within ourselves.

How can we do this in our noise-filled, bustling, unchristian world? How can we protect a sense of peace and a feeling of the presence of God within ourselves? It seems to me that we can establish this inner Kingdom of God in the following ways: firstly, without a doubt we must participate in the sacramental life of the Church. Jesus Christ Himself said: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5) and in another place “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you” (John 6: 53). A person who has not been baptized nor chrismated and who does not commune cannot have eternal life and will not enter into the Kingdom of God. The second thing that cannot but help in the establishment of the Kingdom of God within ourselves is the reading and careful study of Holy Scripture, especially the Gospel. That person who constantly remembers our Saviour, His incarnation, ministry, suffering, crucifixion, death, and resurrection will always have the inner strength to accept any troubles, sorrows, and temptations with a calm soul, to avoid falling into sin, and to retain the ability to preserve within his or her heart the Kingdom of God.

Today and every day, Brothers and Sisters, let’s pray earnestly that the Kingdom of God be established and strengthened within us, so that when we come face to face with our Creator, we receive from Him not only an inner, but also an outer peace and inherit a place of blessedness in the Heavens.

priest Alexis