November 26, 2017

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Ezekiel 34: 11-12, 15-17; 1 Corinthians 15: 20-26, 28; Matthew 25: 31-46 The feast of Christ the King…what comes to mind when I think of Jesus as King? The only ‘king’ concept I grew up with was a monarchy and this made me think of England. As I continued in school, I was taught there are many monarchies in the world. Google says there are 43 or 44 countries that have monarchs as the ceremonial or the real head of state. Seven of them (including Vatican City) is where absolute power is vested in a single person and the monarch is the head of state as well as the government. The others are Brunei, Swaziland, Saudi Arab, and Oman. Now Qatar is an absolute monarch, but the head of state and the head of the government are different persons. The UAE is a federal presidential elected monarch, which is a federation of seven absolute monarchies or the Emirates. There are 16 Commonwealth realms which treat Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch, Canada among them. There are 21 constitutional monarchies where the monarch is the head of state, but unlike in an absolute monarchy, not the only or even the main source of political power. This is vested in the head of the government who is elected by common citizens. This just distracts us from Jesus, Christ our King. I turn to today’s readings for clarification. The siege of Jerusalem started in 587 BC. In 605 BC Nebuchadnezzar II, the kings of Babylon defeated the Egyptian Pharaoh and then invaded Judah. To avoid the destruction of Jerusalem, its king, Jehoiakim changed his allegiances from Egypt to Babylon. This led to Babylon bringing great hardships upon the people. Many of them became captives and were led back to Babylon. Many others fled to other countries. Today, Ezekiel compares them to scattered sheep but the prophet also gives a great message of hope. He opens with these words, “Thus says the Lord God: I Myself will look after and tend My sheep.” David’s kingship has failed. He and his successors gradually did not serve God and now God is calling His scattered sheep home. God takes the initiative to bring them from their hiding places. He will not neglect them. At last they will be experiencing all the benefits they would have received had David’s royal house truly done their job…they took care of themselves and did not help the people: the poor, the injured, the sick, the weakened. The strong will no longer take advantage of the poor and weak. “The lost I will seek out….the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal” Then Jesus was sent by the Father to tell us that each person is created in love, and led by the grace and help of the Spirit to love so that all can continue to be people of love, just as Jesus taught us and most especially showed us. This coming of Christ that Paul describes is brought out in plain, simple, complete uncompromising way in Jesus’ description of the final Judgment Day. Judgment Day. Jesus will separate the sheep (those who will be saved), from the goats (those who will be condemned). The seventh chapter of the Book of Daniel sets the scene in a vision he had in Babylon. The Son of Man is accompanied by His angels, and will carry out this final judgment while sitting on His throne and surrounded by all the nations. Scripture scholars debate as to the distinction between the sheep and the goats; the bottom line is that there are many theories, nothing positive. The ones who are chosen will inherit the kingdom. Why? Because they have successfully lived the Corporal works of mercy for Jesus. He is in each person. God is in each person. God is not some potentate who is uncaring. God is present in love in everyone. So when hungry and He was fed and thirsty and He was refreshed, and a stranger and He was welcomed, and naked and he was clothed, and ill and He was taken care of, and in prison and He was visited. Those saved were unaware that this was Jesus they were serving and caring for so they asked ‘Where did we see You?’ “Amen I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.” Then the condemned are addressed, rejected and condemned. They want to know why? They thought they were good people. They cared for those they loved and some more. The reason for their condemnation is just the opposite of those declared as being saved. They did not carry out the Corporal works of Mercy for Jesus. In their own defense, they said they had no idea that it was Jesus they were avoiding. If they had known or if Jesus had told them it was He, certainly they would have helped. Jesus said, “Amen I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for Me.” THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE FINAL RULING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE! I’m remembering listening to a TV account immediately after the horror of the World Trade Towers on 9/11. A reporter was asking a fireman what it was like…’ hell’… why are you going back…’they’re still people there, I will go back as long as they’re still people there’ … Why? … ‘It’s what I have to do’… you might be killed. ‘But I might be able to help some one…and for that one, its worth it.’ IT IS AMAZING, but heroes seldom recognize themselves as heroes. It could be a pilot landing a plane safely, a person jumping in to save a child struggling in a pool, a quick reaction to rescue one who never saw danger coming. Heroes? Yes. Lovers? Yes. By my Baptismal promises, I have been asked, commissioned even to help others see God’s love in me. This tells them that God is love, loves them and has taught me to be love. It is countercultural today, so many live by ‘me first.’ Jesus is saying, ‘You did this….for Me.’ I fill in the blanks….when people say: ‘Thank you….I say, What did I do? You loved me when I was unloveable to myself…you gave me a smile that lifted me up…you complimented me and did I need it…you listened to me and no one else did that day…you just were so kind and loving, I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t there.’ Fr. Basil Pennington, the Cistercian writer on Centering Prayer sums it up this way: “‘You did it to me.’ These five little words can be a true guide for our lives. Living them can transform us. Someday Jesus will say to you and to me: ‘You did it to me.’ How will we feel then? Which side will we be on at that moment? Will we lamely say: “Lord, if I had known…?’” So I reflect: • I look at my recent activity and see where I have seen the face of Christ in a sister or brother in need? • I see a person on the street corner with a sign needing help. Do I feel a tug in my heart? Do I put this person in a category which contains all sorts of unsavory people? • Do I respect the dignity of a person in need? • How do I make a good judgment without becoming judgmental? Sacred Space 2017 says: “This message is simple, Lord, You will judge me on my love of and service to others. You are there in the poor, the sick, the prisoners, the strangers. May I recognize Your face. Saint Matthew’s hearers struggled with what would happen to non-Jews, because they themselves were the Chosen People. Jesus says that with His coming into the world, everyone is a ‘chosen‘ person. Everyone is to be treated with limitless respect. Jesus is already present, but in disguise, in every person. What do I see when I see the needed? Do I focus on the hidden glory of others? How would I fare if human history were to be terminated today?