Posted on 11/25/2017 7:33:42 PM PST by Salvation
Pastor’s Column
Solemnity of Christ the King
November 26, 2017
There was an interesting story in the paper about a man who had raised a hippo, almost from birth. Even as the wild animal grew, he fed it and cared for it and considered it to be a kind of friend and pet. He was also warned that this animal remained wild. As it grew, it began raiding neighbors’ crops and causing mischief. Eventually, as hippos are prone to do, he turned on his “friend” and mauled him to death without any provocation.
This story is almost like a parable. We cannot really make friends with sin and expect to come out of the encounter alive. We may have a relationship with our “friend” for a long time; but, true to its nature, sin will eventually turn on us and destroy us if we do not deal with it adequately.
Jesus teaches us that at the last judgment many will be caught by surprise, even those of us who hear and try to follow this gospel (Mt 25:31-46). One of the things we don’t realize is that sin comes in two forms. Sins of commission are those we do, like lying or stealing. Sins of omission are those that we ought to have done and failed to do. And this is precisely what is so startling about the last judgment: Jesus will base the last judgment on what we did with our lives and whether we asked for forgiveness sincerely.
Jesus makes it so easy for us! He tells us in advance that we are in the middle of a timed test (our lifetime) and what the correct answers are. The key is that we don’t know how long our individual test will be (our last day on earth), nor do we know which disguises Jesus will wear today when we meet him, but we do have hints.
What hints? Jesus tells us that if you gave Jesus a coat, he was the recipient; if you are patient with a relative or friend over Thanksgiving, that was him too; if you ever held a door open for someone or let them go in front of you at the store checkout line, that was Jesus. The test of our faith and our love is precisely this: how did we treat the ordinary people in need around us? No one is expendable in God’s eyes. Every person we encounter, no matter how flawed, is Jesus in disguise. These are the components of our test and this is where the sins of omission come from!
Like the unfortunate man with the hippo, we can kid ourselves for a long time that we don’t have a potential problem in our lives. Fortunately, the Lord gives us lots of warnings about how to deal with the dangerous hippos we may be “friends” with and is always ready to forgive us when we fail.
Father Gary
Readings:
Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17
Psalm 23:1-3, 5-6
1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28
Matthew 25:31-46
Many saints and Church leaders have seen a connection between Christ’s words in the Gospel for the Solemnity of Christ the King (see Matthew 25:31-43) and His promise to be present in the Eucharist (see Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:15-20).
For instance, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta used to say of her work with the destitute: “In Holy Communion we have Christ under the appearance of bread. In our work we find Him under the appearance of flesh and blood. It is the same Christ. ‘I was hungry, I was naked, I was sick, I was homeless.'”
St. John Chrysostom, the great patriarch of Eastern Catholicism, said the same thing in the fourth century: “Do you wish to honour the body of Christ? Do not ignore Him when He is naked. Do not pay Him homage in the temple clad in silk only then to neglect Him outside where He suffers cold and nakedness. He who said: ‘This is my body’ is the same One who said: ‘You saw me hungry and you gave me no food’, and ‘Whatever you did to the least of my brothers you did also to me’ . . . What good is it if the Eucharistic table is overloaded with golden chalices, when He is dying of hunger? Start by satisfying His hunger, and then with what is left you may adorn the altar as well.”
The Church year ends today with a vision of the end of time. The scene in the Gospel is stark and resounds with Old Testament echoes.
The Son of Man is enthroned over all nations and peoples of every language (see Daniel 7:13-14). The nations have been gathered to see His glory and receive His judgment (see Isaiah 66:18; Zephaniah 3:8). The King is the divine shepherd Ezekiel foresees in today’s First Reading, judging as a shepherd separates sheep from goats.
Each of us will be judged upon our performance of the simple works of mercy we hear in the Gospel today.
These works, as Jesus explains today, are reflections or measures of our love for Him, our faithfulness to His commandment that we love God with all our might and our neighbor as ourselves (see Matthew 22:36-40).
Our faith is dead, lifeless, unless it be expressed in works of love (see James 2:20; Galatians 5:6). And we cannot say we truly love God, whom we cannot see, if we don’t love our neighbor, whom we can (see 1 John 4:20).
The Lord is our shepherd, as we sing in today’s Psalm. And we are to follow His lead, to imitate His example (see 1 Corinthians 1:11; Ephesians 5:1).
He healed our sickness (see Luke 6:19), freed us from the prison of sin and death (see Romans 8:2,21), welcomed us who were once strangers to His covenant (see Ephesians 2:12,19). He clothed us in baptism (see Revelation 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:3-4), and feeds us with the food and drink of His own body and blood.
At “the end,” He will come again to hand over His kingdom to His Father, as Paul says in today’s Epistle.
Let us strive to be following Him in right paths, that this kingdom might be our inheritance, that we might enter into the eternal rest promised for the people of God (see Hebrews 4:1,9-11).
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Father Edward McIlmail, LC
Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for this chance to spend time with you in prayer. You are the Prince of Peace and the Lord of Mercy. I trust in your goodness and love. I love you and earnestly long to love you more each day.
Petition: Lord, help me to translate my faith in you into good deeds done for others.
1. Judgment Day: All of our life is, in a sense, a preparation for the judgment we face at life’s end. That is when we go before Our Lord and give account for everything we have done or failed to do. No excuses will be accepted, no more “second chances” given. Jesus’ mercy doesnt mean he ignores justice. “Mercy differs from justice, but is not in opposition to it,” wrote Pope Saint John Paul II in his 1980 encyclical, Dives in Misericordia (Rich in Mercy). Would I be ready to face the Lord this very day? If not, why not? What facet of my life do I need to change right now?
2. The Sheep: The sheep to be saved are the people who helped others, who showed mercy, who didn’t turn a cold shoulder to someone in need. Our Lord doesn’t praise them for their many prayers so much as for their good deeds. Prayer is important, of course. But it’s not enough. Christ wants our love for him to be reflected in our love for others. Oddly, many of those to be saved will not have realized that it was really Christ they were helping. Do I see Christ in those who need help? Do I see Christ in my family members? My co-workers? The demanding boss? The unpopular classmate? The smelly beggar?
3. The Goats: It’s scary to think that those who will be lost were not necessarily “bad people.” In this passage Our Lord doesn’t chide them for doing wicked things. He doesn’t accuse them of starting wars or peddling drugs or committing acts of terrorism. Rather, he faults them for the sin of omission, for things they didn’t do. “You gave me no food . You gave me no clothing.” We may think ourselves good Christians because we don’t cheat on our taxes or look at pornography or miss Mass on Sundays. But acts of charity are key, too. We should do these without neglecting the others.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I don’t want to end up with the goats at the Last Judgment. That’s why I want to take my faith seriously. I want to have a generous heart. But do I limit my generosity? Why can’t I see you in my neighbor? You have loved me unconditionally. Help me to respond to your love by loving others unconditionally.
Resolution: Before noon, I will perform one small act of charity for someone close to me.
On the final Sunday in the liturgical year, it is time to remember things that wed prefer to forget.
For starters, we recall that there is an infinite qualitative difference between us and God. He is immortal and infinite. We are not. Each one of us will come to our individual end. But so will our society, our world, even our universe.
Another thing to call to mind on this day is that while the Son of God came the first time in a way both lowly and hidden, he will come one day in a way both public and glorious. Yes, he is the Lamb of God. But He is also the Lion of Judah. He takes away the sin of those who let him. But he is also will bring things hidden in darkness into the light, call a spade a spade, and insist that all bear the consequences of their choices.
That is what any judge does. And he will come in glory, says the creed, to judge the living and the dead.
But what will the Last Judgment be like? By what criteria will we be judged?
Only one passage in the Gospels provides a sneak preview of that day of reckoning — Matthew 25:31-46. First of all, note that most of Jesus parables have a jarring punch-line. Hes always upsetting the preconceived notions of just about everyone, especially the most religious of the bunch, whether they be Pharisees or disciples.
Clearly, all of us expect that the Judge will condemn evil and impose sentence on the guilty. And we tend to think of evildoing as stepping over the line and infringing on the rights of others, taking their possessions, maybe even taking their lives. The language of the Our Father lends itself to this interpretation of sin when it says forgive us our trespasses.
The problem with this understanding of sin is that it is incomplete, even shallow. Lots of people think that, as long as they dont lie, cheat, and steal, but just keep to themselves and mind their own business, they deserve big rewards from God.
The story of the Last Judgment addresses these decent folks. Imagine their shock as they swagger smugly up to the judges bench expecting praise only to be sent off to eternal punishment! Why? Because they neglected to do the good that love required them to do. They did not commit offenses or infractions of the law; they did nothing positively destructive. Its just that, in the presence of suffering, they heartlessly did absolutely nothing. Their sin was not a sin of commission but a sin of omission. But notethese sins of omission ultimately seal the fate of the damned.
There are lots of negative commandments, often expressed as thou shalt nots. But the two most important commandments are positive thou shalts. You shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, and strength and you shall love thy neighbor as yourself. These commandments require an interior disposition that naturally produces outward actions. If you are hungry, you love yourself enough to go to the fridge or drive to McDonalds. If you truly love your hungry neighbor as yourself, you dont just say a prayer and offer sympathy (James 2:15-17). Loving God with all your heart doesnt mean giving a respectful nod to God and then going on your merry way. It means going out of your way, passionately seeking to love him and serve him in the least of his brethren.
In this Last Judgment scene, we see how these two commandments, these two loves, are really one. Jesus makes clear that loving God with your whole heart is expressed in loving your neighbor as yourself. And whenever you love your neighbor in this way, you are actually loving the Son of God.
So ultimately, the judgment is simple. It all comes down to love. The judge happens to be the King of hearts.
This is offered as a reflection upon the readings for the 34rd Sunday of the Year, the Feast of Christ the King, liturgical cycle A (Ezek. 34:11-17, Psalm 23, I Cor. 15:20-28; Mt 25:31-46). It is reprinted here with the permission of the author.
Today, Jesus turns from parable to prophecy. How have the parables prepared us for this prophecy?
On this Feast of Christ the King, the last Sunday of the liturgical calendar, the Church gives us a Gospel reading that looks back and looks ahead (something we often routinely do at the end of our calendar year). Our readings lately in St. Matthew have taught us that Jesus, like the bridegroom and the master in the parables of the virgins and the talents, will return. We have understood from both of them that His return will precipitate an accounting (Have we been wise? Have we been faithful stewards of His graces?) Today, Jesus describes this future event, no longer using stories to make His point. Yet the lessons from those parables, instructing us to be rich in the good works that come from our faith in Him, pervade His description of it. What in it seems familiar?
First, we notice that in both the parables of the virgins and talents, there was an invitation given. At the wedding feast, after a long delay, a cry went up, Behold, the bridegroom. Come out to meet him! (Mt 25:6) In the parable of the talents, also after a long delay, the faithful servants heard from their master, Come, share your masters joy! (Mt 25:21) Today, as Jesus describes His return as the Son of Man who sits on a throne (yes, after a long delay), with all the nations assembled before Him, the righteous will hear, Come, you who are blessed by My Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. The parables prepared us for this final invitation the Lord will extend to the righteous in all nations. Why do they receive the invitation? It is because throughout their lives, in response to their faith in Jesus, they took seriously His teaching about love of neighbor. They understand that true love of God must express itself in true love of neighbor. Any love of God that neglects neighbor is the kind Jesus constantly warned us about in the Gospels, in His many run-ins with the Pharisees. It is empty and hypocritical.
Next, notice that both the righteous and the accursed have trouble remembering actually seeing Jesus. They seem to have no sense of having cared for or neglected Him. They simply lived their lives according to their allegiances. The righteous cared about following Jesus and so heeded His words. Jesus counts their actions as having been done for Him, too, so closely does He identify Himself with people for whom He died. The accursed neglected or ignored others. Their allegiance was to themselves. They are shocked that in their self-absorption, they were blind to Jesus. In the end, they go to the place of utter, relentless self-absorption, an eternal punishment.
What a timely reading this is for us as we end one liturgical year and begin another! We are reminded of the inevitability of Christs return and our day of reckoning. We have our imaginations full of the many stories and teachings Jesus has given us in this past year to live our faith in Him, to be doers of the Word, not just hearers. No matter what we find in ourselves as we review our readiness to see Jesus, now is the time to check our allegiance. With Whom do we want to spend eternity? A babe and His mother will soon invite us to the side of a manger. May we be ready to answer their call to, Come!
Possible response: Lord Jesus, help me to really believe that the best way I can prepare to see You is to see You now in my neighbor.
This prophecy was written by Ezekiel during the time when Judah was in captivity in Babylon, about 592-570 B.C. Judah was in exile there because of the complete collapse of the kings who sat on Davids throne in Jerusalem. Although there were a few good kings from time to time, most of them broke faith with Israels covenant with God, often practicing idolatry and making alliances with foreign powers to protect them from enemies, instead of trusting God. Kings in Israel were supposed to be like the shepherd-king, David, described in Scripture as a man after Gods own heart (1 Samuel 13:13-14). By the time of the Exile, so utterly had the kings failed that God vows: I Myself will look after and tend My sheep. The LORD goes on to describe Himself as the Good Shepherd, Who cares lovingly for His sheep, pasturing and protecting them, seeking out the lost and healing the injured. We know, of course, that this is a prophecy of the Incarnation. Jesus, the Son of David and true Shepherd-King, fulfills all these promises made so long ago: I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep (Jn 10:11).
Notice that Ezekiel speaks of a coming judgment of the sheep and goats, just as Jesus did in our Gospel reading. The idea of a final judgment was not new in Israel. That is why Jesus, Who called Himself by the same name God gave Ezekiel, Son of Man, uses this prophecy to describe the separation of sheep from goats at the end of time. God has long prepared His people for this event in salvation history. He is still preparing us now, if we have ears to hear.
Possible response: Heavenly Father, thank You for not leaving Your sheep without a shepherd. Every bishops staff reminds me of Your love.
The psalm picks up the theme of Ezekiels prophecy and Jesus fulfillment of it: The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. How ironic that David, the first shepherd-king of Israel, wrote a beautiful poem that recognized the LORD as his own Shepherd. Even before the Incarnation, David experienced Gods loving kindness and protection in his life, making the comparison with how a good shepherd cares for his sheep. On this Feast of Christ the King, let us remember that Jesus will one day return as King over all the nations (He already rules as King in His Church) with a shepherds tender heart, and He will call His sheep to dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.
Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.
St. Paul fills out for us some more details of the return of Christ the King at the end of time. He tells us that not only will all those who belong to Christ be brought to eternal life, but all Gods enemies will be thoroughly vanquishedevery sovereignty and every authority and power. The last of His enemies to be destroyed will be death itself. If we ever wonder why Jesus is taking so long to return, we can surmise that it has something to do with the royal battle happening now that is knocking out His enemies. We might be tempted to think, as we look around us, that it doesnt look like the kingdoms enemies are being defeated. However, did it look like sin, death, and the devil had been dealt a mortal blow while Jesus hung on the Cross? Looks can be deceiving.
When all has been accomplished, Jesus will hand over the kingdom to His God and Father. That is when His own will hear the words we long for: Come, you who are blessed by My Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
King Jesus, come!
Possible response: Lord Jesus, help me never to doubt the victory of goodness, truth, and life that You have already won.
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