“Nor you can say: ‘ It is here ‘ or ‘ is there ‘, because the Kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17.20).

Responding to the question of the Pharisees about the arrival of the Kingdom of God, Jesus is very clear and direct, it’s as if He says: ‘ the Kingdom of God will not come from the North or the South, or the West or East. The Kingdom of God is present where I am and make God’s grace happens ‘.

You know, my brothers and sisters, our modern mentality is always looking for news, we soon get tired of this and that and someone always asks: ‘ Is there nothing new? ‘.

In the Kingdom of God people also do the same, always they want news, always something new and going on to say: ‘ that’s where God is present. ‘. I know a lot of times, people are looking for extraordinary things, they want a sign from heaven, they want to see if Jesus appeared here or there, they want to know if our Lady is in various corners and so on.

God can speak to whomever he wants, our Lady can be sent from heaven to appear in this or that situation, but our faith, our following of Jesus does not depend on apparitions, of demonstrations here or there.

Our faith depends on our belief, our commitment to Jesus Christ. Where we’re living according to the will of God by following his commandments, being generous and honest, we can be sure that the Kingdom of God is present.

The Kingdom of the Lord is present in our churches and communities; it makes itself present in each suffering person and, sometimes, scorned, but living God with such intensity that He’s there.

I like to be with the elderly, the sick people, because they are a manifestation of God so alive, by the intense way they live life, as you leave, their faces shine in the loving presence of the Lord. He is present everywhere, in His own way and His way to make the Kingdom of God happen.

We cannot neglect or fail to recognize the extraordinary presence of the Father among us.

God is present when a family gathers to pray, when working and his Kingdom is there when people come together to do good, to pray, when you hold hands for the new happening.

Sometimes, someone says, “Oh, my job is a tough place, it is like hell!”. Make your work heaven, it may be that there isn’t anyone to pray, to communicate their ideals; but take the presence of God wherever you are.

Be a divine presence, express the gifts of God for your life, by your example. If someone is reaching out to you to pray, to thank God, rest assured that, in your work, in a concentration camp, in a place where there are only negative things, God will be present, because we are his presence wherever we are.

God bless you!