NOBODY has a right to the Kingdom of God. Why? We are all sinners, as Saint Paul says, "all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," therefore, no one can claim that they have a right to the Kingdom of God.

The Gospel today tells us that the Kingdom of God is for those who deserve it, not for those who think they have a right to it.

It is appropriate that we pause a while and reflect on this.

In modern times, having "rights" is very important to us. Almost every one of us would claim our "rights," according to the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines.

But do we not know that our "rights" have corresponding "responsibilities"? That is why I am thinking of doing a research paper on the effectiveness of Responsible Freedom in the context of those undergoing seminary and priestly formation here in the Philippines.

As Christians and citizens of this country, we must be aware that we have rights simply because of our nature as human beings.

Wars are still waged, and millions die because of "rights." Vladimir Putin said he genuinely believes Russia has a "right" to Ukraine by historical boundaries. Israel claims it has a "right" to all of Israel because it was granted to it by God (The Promised Land of the Old Testament). China's "right" to Taiwan, Britain's "right" to the Falklands, and those claiming to own the West Philippine Sea.

Today, we argue, debate, and fight over the rights of the unborn child, the right to take another human life in capital punishment, the right to take my own life, the right to assist a person in ending their life, and so on.

What "rights" do we really have? Having a "right" has reference to human dignity. Our response to these issues is very relevant to today's Gospel.

The Kingdom of God, as we learned in Theology, is not really a place; it is not up there as early people believed. The Dean of Maryhill School of Theology, the Rev. Father Richard Diaz, CICM, clearly explained that the Kingdom of God is not some "pie in the sky" kingdom.