DOCTRINE AND FAITH
(Ezek 34,11-12.15-17; 1 Cor 15,20-26.28; Matt 25,31-46: )
Today the Church rejoices at the Solemnity of Christ the King, this Sunday, marks the beginning of the week that ends this Liturgical Year. The mystery of Christ is the major and central theme of our contemplation in the Liturgical Year. The mysteries which we contemplate include: His coming to the world and hidden life in Nazareth; His public life and works of salvation; His passion and death on the cross; and finally the victory of his resurrection and ascension into heaven from where he sent the Holy Spirit which he had promised.
Today, the liturgy presents Jesus as a king of the universe and the readings help us understand the type of king he actually is. Jesus is a shepherd king as prophet Ezekiel pre-announced in the first reading. Jesus affirms this when he said: I am the good shepherd. Jesus is a guide-king of his people, a king that shows the way of salvation, walks in front of his people showing them good example. Jesus is also a king that leads his sheep to pasture, who feeds his sheep, provides rest for them and does not take advantage of his flock. Jesus is also a king who goes in search of the lost sheep of his fold with love and affection in order to lead it back to the fold and does not abandon it to its destiny. He is the shepherd who treats the wound of the wounded sheep and takes care of the sick ones among his flock. He does not abandon any of them but rather spends fortune in order to cure them. The royalty of Christ presented in this perspective indicates a royalty that is based on tender and deep love, a love that enable the shepherd to be prepared even to lay down his life for the sheep as Jesus himself enunciated: The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep (John 10,11).
Paul sees in Christ’s resurrection a sort of sovereign regality as he became king for defeating death, subjecting death under him and destroying the grip of Satan on the world and men. The risen Christ associates us in his regal victory over death and brings us into his kingdom of light through his victory over sin and the life of grace which he communicates to us in view and expectation for the full participation in his triumph over death that will be ours at the final resurrection.
In the scene presented to us in the Gospel reading, Jesus appears in his regal prerogative as supreme judge of humanity as God the Father has entrusted him with all powers including that of judgement. This scene could cause one to faint on account of hearing words of condemnation coming from Christ: Go away you who are cursed, into the eternal fire.However, we are to bear in mind that Christ as judge is, at the same time, loving and merciful endless. However, no one should abuse the mercy of God. He will judge us with the criterion of love. We will not be asked if we have done wonderful and miraculous things but if we have loved in a concrete way, the most needy of our neighbours. He will certainly ask if we have recognised him in those his most humble and lowly ones and if we have come to their help as if we were rendering help to him. But who are these humble and lowly ones of Jesus? They are the poor, the needy in all circumstances of life, the sick; the prisoners, the homeless, the jobless and the hungry, etc. Whatever concrete acts of kindness, comfort, help shown to them are directly done for Jesus. We have also to bear in mind that what we fail to do to them is what we fail to do for Jesus himself. This should help us reflect on our many attitudes of indifference and indisposition of being of help towards our needy neighbours.
Celebrating today Christ as King, means to us:
(a) that Jesus is our King, that we recognise and admit his sovereignty over us and that we would want him to reign in our hearts
(b) That we put all efforts to follow Christ the King especially, in serving our brothers in love, for this is the best way to participate in his sovereign regality.
(c) That we desire to be able to co-operate and work that the reign of Christ stands firmly and spreads more and more in the world. May we therefore pray the almighty God in today’s Eucharist celebration for the graces to be true followers of Christ, the King, and also ask for the graces to show real gratitude to God for his very many blessings of this Liturgical Year, which will end in the afternoon of Saturday 29, November 2014 and the new Liturgical Year begins with the First Vespers of the first Week of Advent in the evening of the same Saturday. Happy Solemnity of Christ, the King! Happy Sunday
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