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Homily for Thirty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (The Solemnity of Christ the King)

READ: (Ezek 34: 11, 12, 15-17; 1 Cor 15: 20-26, 28; Matt 25:31-46)

REFLECT: Christ the king searches the lost sheep, gives his own life and judges righteously in love and service…

Dear friends, today we are celebrating the Solemnity of Christ the Universal King. Today is the last Sunday in Ordinary time and from next Sunday onward we would embark on a new season called ‘advent season.’ The last Sunday in ordinary time is perhaps apt and appropriate to celebrate, because, it marks the end of our journey, reaching Christ the Universal King, who is the Judge of heaven and earth. It was Pope Pius XI who instituted this feast in his encyclical, “Quas Primas” in 1925. It was a time of total destruction caused by the First Word War and Russian revolution gave rise to atheistic communism in the world. Indeed, it was a time of abandonment of Christian values and desire to become independent from God was growing high, relying solely on human power and strength. It was this background for Pope Pius  XI to institute the Feast of Christ the King to remind the world that Jesus is the true King and he is the only hope for salvation of the world.  

We celebrate the feast of Christ the King on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time immediately before the Advent Season begins, where the theme of Christ's dominion makes it appropriate to end the liturgical year with the power and authority of Christ in whom everything ends in final Judgment as a King. If only we believe and realize that Christ is the only King rules and reigns over our heart, we all would obtain true freedom, peace, joy and happiness in the world.

Today, our idea of a king and Kingdom is usually Power and authority, domination and dominion, war and battle, violence and bloodshed. But we have a King, who did not have a kingdom while he lived, yet lived in the midst of humankind and served the humanity with the war of hate rather with the scar of Love. A king usually takes control of one particular kingdom which has been entrusted to his care, unless or otherwise he invades other kingdom, captures and conquers it. But we have JESUS a king who is not limited to a boundary or destination, but rather a Universal King, a king of all and a king for all. So based on the liturgy of the word, I would like to share with you three points of reflection;

1.     God - the King who searches for the lost sheep

We all know that the image of a shepherd is not something new in the Old Testament or old in the New Testament. There are many who have been shepherds like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David etc. Perhaps God was a shepherd who went after the lost sheep or scattered sheep of Israel from the fold and Jesus was a shepherd to bring  back the lost sheep of Israel too.  However, the first reading from Prophet Ezekiel gives us a glimpse of how God as a shepherd of Israel would take initiatives by himself to bring back the people went astray.

Perhaps, this passage takes us back to the situation of people in exile, how they lost track and how they are to be put on the right track by God himself. God himself was disgusted with the leadership role of the people of Israel and so he takes upon himself as a responsibility to bring back his people to his own fold. That’s what we hear from the word of God in the frist reading from prophet Ezekiel, “I myself will search for my sheep, will seek out, rescue them, make them lie down, bind up the injured, strengthen the weak, feed them in justice but destroy the fat and the strong.” Yes, it is the assurance of God over the wayward sheep from the fold and a strong warning to those who have strayed the sheep from the fold.

Today, the rule of a king or leader is different and the concept or outlook of a king or leader would be different in the society, because of the convenience of life one looks for and comfort zone in which one is satisfied. A comfort seeking and convenient leadership has become the normal pattern, a very few leaders who go after the lost people to bring them back with dignity of human life to live and lead. Very aptly, Pope Francis said in a 2021 address about Christ the King, “His kingship is truly beyond human parameters. We could say that he is not like other kings, but he is a King for others.” Yes, Jesus is not a king for himself, a king born for others. The kingship of Christ does not scatter but gathers; the kingship of Christ does not destroy but saves; the kingship of Christ does not leave wounded but binds and bandages; the kingship of Christ does not make the weak weaker but stronger in union with him forever. Today, it is our choice as leaders in the world to search for the lost, strengthen the weak, bandage the wounded and rescue the abandoned in the society. So that all may live in unity and dignity as God’s children.

2.     Christ – the King who gives his own life:

Giving one’s life for his own people is the hallmark of great sacrifice and a great act of generosity. That being to us sinners, weak, the wayward, it adds a great significance for us as God does not abandon us completely but loves us unconditionally. The love of God expressed in Jesus Christ is the total self-giving of himself to us. In Jesus’ life we have found life; in Jesus’ life we have been saved from death. The second reading from first letter to Corinthians speaks to us the love with which God loved us in and through Jesus Christ.

The first reading very well points out that Christ is the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. Through Adam we all faced death but by Jesus we are made alive and are given new life to renew our commitment to God as God’s children. Christ hands over the kingdom to God the Father by the renewal of life he makes by his own death, so that God may be all in all.  This is one of the utmost quality of a king, who can give life, so that others can obtain life. Today, all of us own life although it is a gift from God. But none of us would choose to die for another or give up life for someone else. But Jesus has done a great act of sacrifice for love of us. It is by the sacrifice of Jesus that he has given us an opportunity to embrace God once again.

Pope Francis very beautifully points out that God embraces every one of us. “This is our king, the king of the universe, for He journeyed to the furthest confines of our human experience, entered into the black hole of hatred and abandonment, in order to bring light to every life and to embrace all reality.” The Pope adds that “the Lord gave of Himself totally, offering His life in service, showing God's loving closeness to each and every one of us. This is the king whom we acclaim and it would be good if we asked ourselves if the Lord, king of the universe is also king of our own lives.

Yes most of us on this solemn day, solemnly proclaim Christ as the Universal King but how many of us have made this universal king Jesus as part of our heart, as part of humanity and as part of the universe in the walk of life. we organize rallies or processions to solemnize the occasion of Christ the King, so great and grant, but is it just an eye-wash or really a heart-sprung action. A king has every right to save his subjects or his people entrusted to his care. But how many of us as leaders in the family, society, church or in every department are ready and willing to save someone even at the cost of risking one’s own life? Jesus has filled the vaccum or emptiness that was created because of sins and short-coming by the sacrifice of his own life, what God expects from us is not he sacrifice of one’s own life but service to humanity by the very life that we live. Let us live life to save humankind by ways of compassion and constant love for one another.

3.     Christ – the King who judges righteously in compassion:

A righteous king always stands for what is right and just. More than being just, he does what is pleasing to his subjects in a right way and righteous manner. The gospel reading of the day presents to us Jesus’ outlook on the judgment day. How every one needs to take into consideration of treating others as another Christ, bearing the image and likeness of God. For Jesus, loving the least of the society in their own insufficiencies and weakness is what so significant. It is not that we are to be choose in loving people who have power, position, honor and high-esteem of life rather love the lost, least and last of the society is more important than anything, because they too are God’s  own people and they too bear the image of God in their being and existence.

That’s why very emphatically yet fittingly Jesus says, “Whatever you do to the least of my people, you do unto me.” Perhaps, this is one of the classic statements that Jesus makes, underscoring the importance of loving those at the margins of the society, who would not even have the desire to help, support, serve and love. But Jesus is a different sort of a king, who is most sought after, because of his unusual way that does not fall in line with the world and its world view or values. Today, perhaps we do not have in our world in most of the places a king or emperor ruling a country, but we have somewhat a kind of leadership system that haunts human society in fear and trembling, without mercy and compassion, pride and arrogance. Very rarely we find who really serve and love the people as leaders in the society. Jesus does not ask us to do lots to people to win over the heart of Jesus rather he asks of us whatever we may do, even if it be little or bigger, we do it for Jesus himself. so all that we do to humanity is as equal as doing it for Jesus, because of the intrinsic relationship that we have has God's children by the image that we bear on ourselves.

Pope Francis while reflecting on the solemnity of Christ the King very beautifully shares the following; “make choices with eternity in mind, by thinking not about what they want to do, but what is best to do. That is the choice we have to make daily: what do I feel like doing or what is best for me? This interior discernment can result either in frivolous choices or in decisions that shape our lives. It depends on us. Let us look to Jesus and ask him for the courage to choose what is best for us, to enable us to follow him in the way of love. And in this way to discover joy.”

Yes, today, the feast of Christ the King is an eye-opener or an opportunity provider we can say, because the feast reminds us of the choice that we need to make in life of not what we want to do but what is best to do. It is not whatsoever is best or whosoever is best for me, I am best to them rather whatever they may be and whoever they may be, we can’t but love, because God’s image is imprinted in each one and we are to love everyone without human classification based on needs, wants, groups, languages etc. The best choice that we can make is to love everyone as God loves us equally and unconditionally. Although it is hard to make it part of us, yet with the grace and grandeur of God, we can make it, provided we are open to God’s grace and blessings for renewal and newness of life. Let us remember a gentle whisper and reminder from the solemnity of Christ the King that governments or its regimes may come and go but the only regime that reigns or rules forever is the rule of Christ the King, for Christ rules our hearts and reigns over our lives. Let us surrender our hearts and lives into the reign of Christ the King.

RESPOND:

Do we like Christ the King go after the lost sheep and gather them to the fold of Christ?

Do we like Christ the King give up one’s own life for the safety of others?

Do we like Christ the King Judge righteously and rightly with compassion for the love of humanity and for the love that God has shown?

Let us gather the lost sheep of Christ into Christ’s fold, give up our own life to obtain life for others and be compassionate in our service to entire humanity. May God bless our humble endeavor. Amen.

God bless us all! Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968