The first and highest desire of a properly ordered soul is to love, adore, and worship God because He is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise: “Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things; because of your will they came to be and were created” (Revelation 4:11).
This supreme longing, as we have seen in the previous chapter, is perfectly expressed in the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer: “Hallowed be Thy Name.” Yet our love for God, when purified and elevated, leads us to a further longing, one that naturally flows from glorifying His Name: We desire to share in His glory by allowing Him to reign in us as we are consumed with a longing to see Him reign in every soul. This is the essence of the second petition: “Thy Kingdom come!”
Desiring to Share in God’s Glory
Saint Thomas Aquinas teaches that this second petition expresses the desire that we enjoy God’s glory, share in it, and thereby, “we love ourselves in God.” This is not a selfish desire because God desires that we share in His glory, which is the natural effect of fulfilling our highest desire of glorifying Him. To love ourselves in God is to love God for what He does and wills in us, giving us a share in His glorious Kingdom. This is the highest form of love we can have for ourselves, which leads to the highest love we can have for others as we love them as ourselves.
Recall that when a scribe asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment, Jesus replied,
“The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29–31).
These two commandments summarize the Eternal Law. They encapsulate the entire Gospel and are clearly depicted in the first two petitions of the Lord’s Prayer.
First, we love God for God’s own sake, and then we love ourselves and our neighbor as ourselves. Loving God first necessarily draws us into the desire that we and all people share fully in God’s Kingdom—now by grace and at the end of time in glory where we will see God face to face.
Jesus beautifully expresses this in His high priestly prayer, in which He intercedes for us, desiring that we share in His divine glory:
“And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:22–24).
Understanding this Eternal Truth is the perfect cure for every poor self-image. We are the Father’s gift to the Son. Jesus did not redeem us begrudgingly. When we recognize this, we no longer define ourselves by our weaknesses and sins, our failures or misfortunes. Instead, we take our identity in Christ alone, embracing His desire that we be one with Him as He is with the Father, and that we share in His eternal glory.
This divine adoption reshapes our entire self-understanding. The “kingdom” of the world offers countless competing identities that are rooted in changing circumstances rather than Eternal Truth, such as worldly success, talents, wealth, societal status, or physical appearance.
In stark contrast, our citizenship in God’s Kingdom establishes an identity that transcends all earthly categories and circumstances. As members of Christ’s Mystical Body, we are royal sons and daughters who participate in His eternal Kingship. This identity remains constant whether we experience worldly success or failure, health or illness, recognition or obscurity. It is unshakable because it rests not on our own merits or efforts, but on God’s unchanging love and Christ’s perfect sacrifice, by which we are made partakers of His life as His Mystical Body, the Church.
If God—the All-Powerful Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, the Great I AM, the Beginning and End of All Things—loves us in Christ, unites Himself with us, and desires to bestow a share of His eternal glory on us, what else matters? Nothing! To share in God’s life and glory is His greatest gift to us. When we pray “Thy Kingdom come” with absolute submission to His reign in our lives, we accept that gift, and in doing so, we love ourselves in God, as God loves us in Christ.
The Greek phrase used in this petition is elthétō hē basileía sou. The noun basileía, often translated as “Kingdom,” denotes far more than a geographical domain. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, “In the New Testament, the word basileia can be translated as ‘kingship’ (an abstract noun), ‘kingdom’ (a concrete noun), or ‘reign’ (an action noun)” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2816). The verb elthétō means “to come” or “to arrive.” As an aorist imperative, it expresses a strong, decisive petition: “Let it come!!!”—urgently, decisively, and completely. Let God’s kingship, kingdom, and reign come! This is prayed with both an eager longing and an active desire for God’s reign to be fully realized. This phrase is not merely a petition for God’s rule to be more fully established on earth, but also a pledge of submission to His divine Kingship and reign.
Saint Augustine warns that unless we desire God’s Kingdom, for ourselves and for all, we are like men who are blind or who close their eyes to the light. To pray that God’s Kingdom “come” is to pray that His presence be “manifested to men,” so that all may see, believe, and share in the glory of God’s reign (cf. On the Sermon on the Mount II.6.20).
In this petition, we make a threefold request:
- That Christ reign more fully in our hearts by grace, establishing His Kingdom in us.
- That the Church spread and flourish throughout the world.
- That Christ’s final return in glory be hastened.
The Kingdom “Among” Us
When will the Kingdom of God come? This was the question some Pharisees asked Jesus. He responded: “The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:20–21). In this passage, the Greek preposition translated as “among” can also be rendered as “within.” Both meanings hold great significance.
First, when Jesus said the Kingdom of God was among them, He was referring to Himself. Jesus is the Kingdom. The Kingdom is founded and lived within the very Person of the Son of God, and through Him, it extends to His entire Mystical Body: the Church on earth, in Heaven, and in Purgatory.
The Kingdom “Within” Us
When we translate Christ’s words as “the Kingdom of God is within you,” we recall Saint Augustine’s interpretation that when we say “Who art in the Heavens” in the Lord’s Prayer, “Heavens” refers to God’s dwelling in the saints. Wherever God dwells, there are the Heavens, and where there are the Heavens, there is God’s Kingdom.
Thus, if we are God’s dwelling place, and His Kingdom reigns within us, then this reality must be lived. Praying “Thy Kingdom come” is a petition for a future reality and an expression of a present commitment. This prayer is a renewal of the Covenant of Grace, a reaffirmation that we freely choose God as our King and Ruler. We ask that He exercise His Kingship in our lives, taking greater control, enlightening our minds, directing our actions, and reordering our desires according to His Truth.
Though God created humanity in a state of Original Innocence, sin separated us from His divine presence. Through the Incarnation and Passion, Jesus not only paid the debt of our sin—both Original Sin and our personal sins—He also became the bridge uniting divinity and humanity in an even more glorious way. No longer are we merely called to live in God’s presence; we are now invited to become one with Him in His Trinitarian Life, an indwelling made possible only through Christ.
Our unity with Christ begins in Baptism, when we are incorporated into His Mystical Body. It is only within Him, within His Body, that we find the Kingdom of Grace that we desire. This indwelling presence is nourished through the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, which deepens our communion with Christ and His reign within us.
Each of us has different joys and struggles, trials and temptations, hopes and ambitions. However, when we live in Christ and pattern our daily choices to reflect God’s Kingdom, then our similarities with each other will override every difference. Jointly we will become members of God’s one Kingdom dwelling in us, transforming us and conforming us into the one Mystical Body of Christ, the Church.
The Church: The Visible Kingdom on Earth
From a broader perspective, the Kingdom of Grace also encompasses the entire Church. The Church is the visible Kingdom of God on earth. As the Spotless Bride of Christ, she is holy and possesses the fullness of grace and truth. Yet her members, though sanctified, are still on the path to perfection.
Certain aspects of God’s Kingdom are already perfect, such as the Sacraments. Even if imperfectly celebrated, they remain perfect instruments of grace because Christ Himself is their cause. The Deposit of Faith—Sacred Scripture and Apostolic Tradition—is likewise perfect, preserved without error through the Holy Spirit. Christ’s promise to Peter and his successors ensures the infallibility of definitive teachings on faith and morals. Hence, despite the imperfection of the members of the Church hierarchy, the Deposit of Faith is interpreted and applied by God through the Church. This happens specifically through the Magisterium: the living, divinely assisted teaching office of the Church, entrusted to the pope and the bishops in communion with him, which authentically interprets and safeguards the Deposit of Faith in matters of faith and morals.
Therefore, when we speak of God’s Kingdom within the Church, we begin with God’s perfect manifestation of His grace through the Sacraments and His truth through the Magisterium. From there, we rejoice in how this fullness of divine life transforms our hearts, unites us with God, and draws us into communion with one another in Christ.
Incorporating the life of the Church in our daily lives includes our daily prayer and regular participation in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Confession. Furthermore, we foster a deep reverence for the pure and holy teachings of the Scriptures and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, with which we regularly familiarize ourselves, as well as with the lives of the saints. When each of us incorporates the visible Kingdom of God on earth—the Church—into our daily lives, we are strengthened, united, and made heirs of the King Himself, along with all our brothers and sisters.
A Prayer for and with All God’s Children
As with the previous petition, when we pray “Our” Father…Thy Kingdom come, we do so not just for ourselves, but for all of God’s children. We pray with the entire Church and for the entire world, with the expressed hope that many more will enter into God’s Kingdom.
First, it is helpful to pray and express this desire for all who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Together, our voices unite with Christ’s own prayer to the Father on our behalf. Our petition for God’s Kingdom to come is not meant to be prayed in isolation or self-interest. It is a prayer of charity, offered as much for others as for ourselves.
This unified prayer is made most manifest in the Liturgy, the public prayer of the Church, in which we cry out to God as one, pleading that all may conform more fully to Christ and that the Church may grow in holiness.
Evangelization: Spreading the Kingdom
The “our” in “Our Father dwelling in the Heavens…Thy Kingdom come!” also extends to those who do not yet know Christ or do not yet live in His grace. The Church’s mission is not only to sanctify her members but also to evangelize the world:
“Then Jesus approached and said to them, ‘All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18–20).
The Kingdom of God is not meant only for those who were raised in the faith, but for every soul God has created. That the world is often hostile to Christ and His Church should not deter us from our mission to bring the Gospel to all nations. We are called to desire this mission deeply and renew our commitment to it every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer.
The Kingdom to Come
A very common tendency is to live as if this life is primary. The afterlife often seems intangible and less real than the life we live now. Believing that and living in that way is a mistake. This life is like a drop of water compared to oceans. Eternity never ends; this life lasts until death and is nothing other than a preparation for eternity. It’s our time of testing, choosing, and determining our eternal destiny. Yet we so often see this life as an end in itself, when it is only a means to the end of eternal life in Heaven in preparation for Christ’s Second Coming.
In reflecting on this petition, the Catechism points to Christ’s Second Coming, when He will judge the living and the dead, and establish the New Heavens and Earth as the perfection and fulfillment of His Kingdom: “This petition is ‘Maranatha,’ the cry of the Spirit and the Bride: ‘Come, Lord Jesus.’” That passage continues by quoting the early Church theologian, Tertulian:
“‘O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?’ For their retribution is ordained for the end of the world. Indeed as soon as possible, Lord, may your kingdom come!” (CCC #2817)
We see in this passage an eager hope that Christ will soon return in glory—Maranatha, Come, Lord Jesus! What a beautiful hope and desire to have. When we see sin and chaos around the world, the despair written on so many faces, and the pain experienced by those caught in a cycle of sin, we respond with a confident hope in Christ’s return in glory.
When we profess in the Nicene Creed that Christ “will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end,” we are invited to gaze upon that day with the certainty of faith that it will come. When? Only God knows. But He will come again, and on that day everything will be changed. God will become the visible Ruler of all and the fullness of His Kingdom will be established.
Believing this is not the profession of some intangible and future event that “might” happen. It will happen! For that reason, when we pray for God’s Kingdom to come, we pray for that day. We pray that we will be ready for that day, and not just us, but that all people will be ready.
Praying for the fullness of God’s Kingdom is also a sacred commitment to live for that day, to perpetually prepare for it, and to hope in it. This is the Kingdom of Glory we await. We will share in that Kingdom only if we begin to share in Christ’s grace and glory here and now.
The Gift of the Holy Spirit: Piety
Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas associate “Thy Kingdom Come” with the Gift of Piety, one of the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Piety is more than external devotion—it is a supernatural virtue that inclines the soul to filial love, reverence, and submission to God as Father.
The Gift of Piety perfects the virtue of justice by enabling us to:
- Give God the worship and honor due to Him—not out of obligation alone, but out of love.
- Revere God with childlike trust in His fatherly care.
- Live in joyful submission under the Kingship of God.
The Gift of Piety moves us to:
- Desire God’s reign more fully in our lives and in the world.
- Foster childlike confidence in His providence.
- Delight in obeying and honoring God as a devoted child delights in pleasing a loving father.
Piety counteracts the worldly spirit of self-sufficiency and rebellion against divine authority. In a world that exalts autonomy and self-will, Piety teaches us that true freedom is found not in asserting our own rule, but in surrendering to God’s.
The Gift of Piety also fosters fraternal charity:
- It deepens our awareness that we are all children of the same Father and heirs of His Kingdom.
- It inspires love, support, and service toward our brothers and sisters in Christ.
- It impels us to desire that all may come to know, love, and live under God’s reign.
Because of this, Piety is intimately linked to evangelization and the expansion of God’s Kingdom.
The Gift of Piety deepens our longing for the Kingdom in its fullness:
- It transforms our prayer into the cry of Revelation: “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).
- It prevents spiritual complacency.
- It stirs us to seek the growth of God’s Kingdom in our hearts and in the world.
- It increases our longing for the return of Christ in glory and the establishment of His eternal reign.
The Beatitude: “Blessed Are the Meek”
Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas both associate “Thy Kingdom come” with the second Beatitude: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land” (Matthew 5:5).
Meekness is a powerful virtue, not a sign of weakness or passivity. It is spiritual strength under the governance of God’s grace, enabling one to submit humbly to God’s will and desire that He reign in every soul. The meek do not seek to dominate others; rather, they attentively discern how to further God’s Kingdom through His grace and wisdom.
Jesus’ life and His ministry are the perfect manifestations of meekness. He did not impose His kingship through force or political power; rather, He proclaimed a kingdom of interior conversion and submission to the Father’s merciful reign. He rejected the prevailing expectation that the Messiah would be a militant ruler who would restore Israel’s temporal sovereignty. Instead, He invited His followers to embrace the true yoke of kingship—the meekness of divine sonship: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light” (Matthew 11:29–30).
Jesus’ “yoke” is the free choice to unite ourselves with Him—His Cross and sacrificial love—so as to share in His glory. The meek are those who take on this yoke willingly, surrendering their own will to God’s perfect will.
One who is meek is free from pride and from the restless striving for earthly power. The meek soul joyfully submits to being governed by God rather than by self-will. Such a person is docile to the workings of the Holy Spirit and responds generously and willingly to divine grace.
Jesus promises that those who are meek “will inherit the land.” In worldly terms, to inherit the land implies dominance, honor, and power over others. But this inheritance is not of this passing world—it is the promise of eternal life in the New Heavens and New Earth, where God’s reign is fully established and His children inherit the riches of His divine life. Furthermore, this inheritance begins now by living a life ordered by grace and governed by the King.
This truth perfectly aligns with Saint Thomas Aquinas’ insight that the desire for God’s Kingdom to come is the highest form of love for ourselves because our greatest good is to be united with God and to share in His eternal glory. The meek understand this truth. They do not grasp at worldly power or fight for dominance but instead trust in the Father’s providence and await the inheritance He has prepared for them.
Aligning Our Desires
Call to mind the foundational premise of this book, taught by Saint Thomas Aquinas: “Prayer is the expression of our desires before God.” Therefore, “we should only ask for what we ought to desire.” The first and highest desire we should express in prayer is that God’s holiness be glorified and made manifest in us and throughout all creation. Flowing from that supreme desire is the second: that God’s Kingdom may come and reign ever more fully in our hearts and in the world.
This second petition is not only an expression of love for God; it is also the highest expression of love we can have for ourselves and for all people—that God’s reign take possession of our lives, and that He, our King, govern our every thought, word, and deed.
The presence of God’s Kingdom in our lives, here and now, fulfills our primary duty to glorify Him, crying out “Holy, Holy, Holy,” for living under His reign necessarily magnifies His glory through us. We become participants in that glory—manifestations of God’s presence in the world. This glorious participation reaches its fulfillment at the end of time, when Jesus returns in majesty and Thy Kingdom comes in its fullness.
- Do I truly desire this?
- Do my mind, will, and heart long for the coming of God’s Kingdom above all else?
- Do I live for this world or do I see this world as a preparation for the next?
- Do I believe in the New Heavens and New Earth to come and long for it with all my being?
The Proclamation of the Kingdom
Christ’s first proclamation in the Gospel of Mark was: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15). The Kingdom is already fully present and alive in Christ, but it is not yet fully realized on earth. This petition expresses a holy tension—a longing for God’s Kingdom to be more fully established within us and in the world, while we await its final fulfillment in Heaven.
Earthly “kingdoms” are ambitions that often compete with God’s holy Kingdom. We long for worldly success, riches, comforts, and security. Though none of these are sinful in and of themselves, God’s spiritual Kingdom of Grace and Mercy does not necessarily include these worldly goals. God often permits poverty, difficulties, and discomfort as a way of helping us turn to what truly matters: that God rules our lives.
Praying for God’s Kingdom to come is radical because within that prayer is a commitment to reorder our priorities. We entrust ourselves to God’s rule, placing Him at the center of our lives and laboring for the spread of His Kingdom through holiness, evangelization, and works of mercy. All selfishness fades away, and we learn to live selflessly, discovering the value of sacrifice. Ask yourself:
- What “kingdoms” do I find myself striving for—success, security, admiration?
- Am I willing to let God’s Kingdom reorder my priorities?
- What sacrifices is God asking of me so that His reign may grow in my life?
- Do I live as someone actively laboring for the coming of the Kingdom?
The Kingdom Within Us
When Jesus proclaimed, “The kingdom of God is among you,” or “The kingdom of God is within you,” He was revealing that He Himself is the Kingdom. He is the divine reign made present among us, and He desires to dwell within us. To understand this is to understand the intimacy of His rule: The Kingdom is not only an external reality to be awaited, but an internal mystery to be welcomed and embraced.
This truth calls us to examine the throne of our own hearts. Do we permit Christ to reign within us? Are we allowing His will to direct our own, or are we ruled by lesser desires? Worldly attachments, sins, distractions, and misplaced hopes often take root where only Christ should reign. If He is to be our King, then nothing else can govern our lives. His Kingdom within us is one of peace, purity, light, and divine order—marked by obedience, humility, and love.
To pray “Thy Kingdom come” is to invite Christ to take full possession of our souls, to dethrone all idols, and to bring every aspect of our lives into joyful submission to His reign. Pause and reflect:
- What rules my heart—Christ or something else?
- What sins, attachments, or desires stand in the way of His reign in me?
- Do I make time and space in my day to acknowledge His presence within me?
- Am I actively inviting Jesus to govern my thoughts, words, and decisions?
The Kingdom in the Church
Because Christ is the Head and the Church is His Mystical Body, His Kingdom is already present in the world through the Church. To welcome the Kingdom is to welcome the Church—not merely as an institution, but as the living vessel of grace, truth, and divine authority. This is especially true in the Sacraments, and above all in the Eucharist, where Christ is truly present—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Though hidden under the form of bread and wine, the King is there, reigning from the altar, offering Himself in love, and drawing us into communion with His divine life.
To live under the reign of Christ is to live within His Church. The keys to the Kingdom, first entrusted to Saint Peter and now held by his successors, signify Christ’s ongoing authority on earth. The pope and bishops in communion with him preserve the teachings of Christ with fidelity and proclaim them with authority. Listening to them with humility and faith opens the door to deeper union with Christ, and assures us of the safe path to eternal life.
The Church is also missionary by nature. She has received from Christ the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Every baptized person shares in this mission. Praying “Thy Kingdom come” requires a willingness to act—to evangelize, to witness, to love, and to serve. If we plead for the Kingdom to come, we must also offer ourselves as laborers in the vineyard. Examine your conscience:
- Do I recognize the Church as the visible presence of God’s Kingdom on earth?
- Do I receive the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, with faith and reverence?
- Do I listen attentively to the teaching of the pope and bishops, trusting in Christ’s voice through them?
- How am I participating in the Church’s mission to proclaim and build up the Kingdom?
- Am I willing to be sent by Christ to evangelize in any way He desires?
Our Longing for Heaven
It is all too easy to become entangled in the concerns of this world—work, relationships, security, comfort, and even good responsibilities—forgetting that this life is not our final home. Yet the petition “Thy Kingdom come” directs our hearts toward Heaven, the place of perfect communion with God, the fulfillment of every holy desire, and the destiny for which we were created. In Heaven, Christ will reign visibly and eternally. All sorrow will cease, every tear will be wiped away, and we shall see God face to face.
To long for Heaven is not to escape from our earthly responsibilities, but to live them in light of eternity. It means ordering our daily actions toward what is everlasting, letting our hope in the life to come shape our choices, our sacrifices, and our love. It means placing the joys and sufferings of this life in the larger context of divine providence.
Do we truly long for Heaven? Or have we become too comfortable, too distracted, or too preoccupied with what fades? The more we desire the Kingdom in its fullness, the more we will strive for holiness here and now. Heaven becomes not only our future hope, but our present guide. Reflect on the longings of your heart:
- Do I see Heaven as my true home, or do I live as if this world is all there is?
- Are there comforts or distractions that dull my desire for eternal life?
- How does my daily life reflect a longing for the Beatific Vision?
- Am I living in such a way that I would be ready to meet Christ if He came today?
Reordering Our Lives
It’s never too late, as long as we are alive on this earth, to diligently reorder our lives toward God’s Kingdom. Surrender all control of your life to God’s reign. Seek Him out within the Church, especially in the Sacraments and teachings. Resolve to imitate Christ by proclaiming the coming of God’s Kingdom, and live with hopeful anticipation of what is yet to come.
Father of us all, the One dwelling in the Heavens, may Your Kingdom come! Come, Lord Jesus! Come!
Let us Pray:
Father, Most Holy and Eternal God, You who are sanctified in the Heavens, in the souls of all Your saints, I cry out with all Your children, my brothers and sisters in Christ: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was, Who is, and Who is to come!”
Father of ours, may Your Name, Your Essence, Your Eternal Being be honored, praised, loved, and adored now and forever within the holiness of Your Kingdom. May Your Kingdom—Christ Your Son, the full radiance of You, Most Holy Father, and the Holy Spirit, fully glorified in the saints in Heaven—continuously come to earth, into the souls of all Your children, in anticipation of His final coming when every knee shall bow before His Kingship and the New Heavens and New Earth are brought to fulfillment.
Father, grant us also the precious Gift of Piety, that through this sacred reverence we may approach You with the trusting affection of devoted children. Inspire in our hearts a gentle humility, teaching us the true meaning of meekness, that we may embody the beatitude of Your Son: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” May our meekness reflect the strength and serenity of Christ, drawing others closer to Your Kingdom through patient charity, compassionate understanding, and unwavering trust in Your providence. Unite us ever more deeply to You, Father, through the gentle bonds of filial devotion, humility, and love. Amen.
Chapter Five: “Thy Will Be Done…”
Paperback – Kindle eBook – Audible – Google Play – Apple Books – and more!
