Gospel Reflection 2019/2020

SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE

22 Nov 2020

[Matthew 25: 31-46]

Anyone familiar with St Ignatius of Loyola would have heard about his Spiritual Exercises. The Spiritual Exercises are a compilation of meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices developed, compiled and promoted by St Ignatius himself to help people deepen their relationship with God.

In one of the prayer exercises, St Ignatius proposes a meditative prayer on ‘the Two Standards’ – a ‘standard’ being the flag of a kingdom. We are asked to mediate on the standard (the kingdom) of Christ and the standard (the kingdom) of Satan, and then we are required to make a conscious and concrete decision which side we are on – with Jesus or with Satan.

Jesus has made it very clear that, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. [Mt 12: 30]” In the war between good and evil, there is no in-between and no fence-sitting, we must take side for we are either for Christ or against Christ.

So the insistent question is: Whose side are we on?

And this is also the theme for the last Sunday in the Ordinary Time as we conclude the liturgical year celebrating the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.

When Jesus takes His seat on the throne of glory, He will separate us one from another just like the shepherd separating sheep from goats: Are we the ‘sheep’? Or are we the ‘goats’?

Note that the stark difference between the sheep and the goat is LOVE. It is LOVE that distinguishes the sheep from the goat. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love! [1 Jn 4: 7]

In the evening of life, we will be judged on LOVE alone. [St John of the Cross]

We will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in…" [Mother Teresa]

If we sincerely choose to follow Christ, then we must imitate Him and walk in His footsteps, to love as He loves. Yes, to be qualified as the sheep of His flock, we need to be true disciples of love and service.

All power, all authority, all dominion and all sovereignty in heaven, on earth, and under the earth belong to our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings, the Lord of lords. Every tongue will confess, every head will bow, and every knee will bend at the name of Jesus – He is the King of the Universe.

Even when trials come, tribulations strike and turbulences rise, we the sheep of His flock can be assured that our Lord is always in control. For He has promised that He Himself is going to look after His flock and keep all of it in view… He will be a true shepherd to all of us… [Ez 34: 11, 15]. We will have nothing to fear – He will shepherd us along the right path… and in His house, we shall dwell for ever and ever! [Ps 22 (23)]

Let our fervent prayer be:

“Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life.”