Gospel in Art: The kingdom of God is in the midst of you

Triumph of St Ignatius of Loyola by Andrea Pozzo 1694 © Church of Sant'Ignazio, Rome

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 13 November 2025
Luke 17:20-25

At that time: Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus answered them, 'The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, "Look, here it is!" or "There!" for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.'

And he said to the disciples, 'The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, "Look, there!" or "Look, here!" Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.'

Reflection on the painted church ceiling

Throughout the Gospels, many people come to Jesus with questions. His answers rarely follow the pattern they expect. In today's reading, the Pharisees ask him when the kingdom of God will come. They have heard him proclaim that "the kingdom of God is at hand," and they want a date, a timetable, a clear sign. But Jesus doesn't answer in those terms. He refuses to turn the mystery of God into a calendar event. Yes, there will come a time when the kingdom is revealed in its fullness, but Jesus shifts their focus away from speculation about the future toward the reality of the present. The kingdom, he explains, is not something distant or hidden in the mists of time; it is already among them, already at work wherever hearts are open to God.

AnAnd this is where the Gospel speaks directly to us. The kingdom of God is not a distant promise or something we will only see after death. It is already here, quietly unfolding in the world around us. Jesus reminds us that God's kingdom is not only a future hope but a present reality. Each of us have to help build the kingdom on God in this very life we have been given. Each act of kindness, every moment of forgiveness, every effort to build peace or serve others becomes a small stone in that kingdom's foundation. This is what makes our faith so dynamic and exciting: we are not simply waiting for heaven to come, but actively cooperating with God in its creation!

I think that is why spectacular church ceilings work so beautifully: they draw the heavenly realm down into our earthly one, blurring the line between what is divine and what is human. They make us lift our eyes, quite literally, toward heaven, reminding us that God's presence is not remote but woven into the very air we breathe. A perfect example is Andrea Pozzo's magnificent ceiling fresco in the Church of Saint Ignatius in Rome, completed in 1694. Pozzo, a Jesuit painter, architect, and master of perspective, transformed the flat ceiling into a breathtaking vision of heaven opening above the congregation. At its centre, Saint Ignatius of Loyola is lifted toward the light of the Holy Trinity, surrounded by a glorious host of angels, saints, and personifications of the four continents (Asia, Africa, Europe, and America) symbolising the universal reach of the Gospel.

Pozzo's genius lies in how he uses illusionistic perspective where painted columns, clouds, and figures appear to soar endlessly upward, so that the physical ceiling seems to vanish. Standing beneath it, one feels caught between earth and heaven. We visually see heaven already part of our reality, the very kingdom of God already at work here.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-17-20-25-2025/
and
Video: The Art of Remembrance - From The Monuments Men to The Last Post: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/53644