Memorial of Saint Stanislaus Kostka, religious

The readings today are about learning to see what is already before us — about finding God’s presence not somewhere far away, but here, in our ordinary days. The Book of Wisdom speaks of Wisdom as something alive and active, “reaching from one end of the earth to the other and ordering all things well.” Psalm 119 reminds us that God’s word is steady and sure, a foundation that does not shift with the times. And in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells the Pharisees that the Kingdom of God is not something that can be pointed to or announced with fanfare — because it is already among them.

These readings meet us where we are. They ask whether we, too, can recognise what God is doing now — not someday, not elsewhere, but here and today.

Saint Stanislaus Kostka lived this truth in a striking way. At seventeen, he walked hundreds of kilometres from Vienna to Rome because he believed God was calling him to join the Jesuits, even though his family opposed it. He left behind comfort and privilege to follow a quiet conviction in his heart. He saw with a clarity others could not: that God’s call is not something distant, but something immediate, personal, and worth trusting with one’s life. His journey reminds us that faith often begins in the simple act of taking the next step, even when we don’t yet know the way.

Here in Zimbabwe, that same invitation is real. It’s easy to think that the Kingdom of God will only come when things finally improve — when jobs return, when the price of bread is fair, when truth and justice win the day. But Jesus’ words cut through that longing: “The Kingdom of God is among you.” It is already taking root in the teacher who stays at her post for love of her pupils, in the nurse who treats the sick without resources, in families who keep faith alive when times are hard. The question is not whether God is present, but whether we can recognise him in these moments of quiet courage and simple goodness.

The Pharisees wanted a sign from heaven. We often want the same — something unmistakable, something that proves God is at work. But Wisdom moves differently. She reveals herself in steady endurance, in acts of patience, in the decision to do what is right even when no one sees. Catholic Social Teaching reminds us that faith becomes real when we act as though every person’s life carries dignity — when we see in others the image of God and respond with care and respect. The Kingdom grows not through grand gestures, but through small acts that build peace and justice where we stand.

Ignatian spirituality calls us to notice God’s presence in the details of our lives. In prayer, we can look back over our day and ask: Where did I see God? Where did I miss him? Where did I feel drawn toward generosity or peace? Jesus’ words in the Gospel — “The Kingdom of God is among you” — become a mirror held up to our hearts. If we are willing to look, we will find that grace has been there all along.

So perhaps today, as we honour Saint Stanislaus, we might pray for the grace to see with clear eyes — to notice where the Kingdom of God is already breaking through, quietly but powerfully, in our own communities.

And as we go into the week ahead, we might ask ourselves:

• Where have I already seen signs of God’s presence in the ordinary moments of my life?
• What small act of justice, kindness, or truth can I take to help God’s Kingdom grow here?
• When Christ says, “The Kingdom of God is among you,” how might he be speaking to me today?

May we, like Stanislaus, have the courage to trust what God shows us — and to walk toward it with faith and joy.