TWO KINGDOMS

 I had a dream about explaining to someone the two kingdoms of this world...the one of this present life with all its woes and sorrows and toil--and the one of the everlasting that comes after.  I woke up thinking about the "veil" that covers our hearts so that the soul cannot see and know what is true and real.  The curse of sin that satan goaded humanity into caused the loss of Light within our souls, so that it is darkened or covered so that its understanding and vision are obscured and limited. (2 Corinthians 3:16). It hides the Truth of Christ, His Sacraments, and His Word.  St. Paul speaks of the natural man not able to grasp the Truth because they are spiritually discerned...without the Spirit of Truth--one cannot understand. (1 Corinthians 2:9-16).  How angry sometimes we get at those who can't see what is so very obvious to us! We forget that they cannot see what we know...we don't expect a baby to know algebraic equations do we?  So why do we get frustrated at those who insist on worldly thinking because their souls have not been converted into His Kingdom?  Jesus clearly describes two very conflicting and different worlds--The Word even  makes distinctions of "those of the world" and "those chosen out of it"... the world of Pharoah and Egypt with its wealth, worship of false gods, and sexual pleasures  and the world of Ceasar and Rome with its barbaric authority and power and class divisions... versus the Kingdom of God.

One must be born again into the Kingdom of God thru conversion and the transforming power of Christ thru the Sacrament of Baptism...born of water and of Spirit...cleansing away the original sin of darkness off of the soul and "marking" that soul for God in this present darkness--anointed with Holy Oil into the priesthood of believers in Confirmation, to the continual cleansing of Sacramental Confession or Reconciliation with Him, and receive His Life in the Hidden Manna of the Holy Communion...all partaking of the Grace He opens to us in following Christ.  He has offered this Grace also in Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick as well...thoroughly equipping us for every need while in this world!  We may physically be present in pharoah, ceasar, and satan's world here and now...and at the same time be spiritually present in the Kingdom of God...I believe this is why there are two creation stories in Genesis...and the meaning of the vision of "wheel within a wheel" in the Old Testament.  One kingdom is temporary  and the other is Everlasting!