OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE
23 NOVEMBER 2014
When
we began November with the Solemnity of All Saints, we heard the Sermon on the
Mount from Saint Matthew's Gospel. Jesus
spoke to his disciples and told us eight ways in which we can be blessed, or
happy. True happiness, he says, lies in becoming
detached. We can be poor in spirit, when
we are detached from material things. We
can mourn, when we are not addicted to “feeling good” all the time. We can be meek, when we are not self
centered. We can thirst for
righteousness, when we are detached from sin.
We can be merciful, when we are detached from revenge. We can be clean of heart, when we are
detached from evil thoughts. We can be
peacemakers, when we are free from hatred.
We can endure insult and persecution, when we don’t care what other people
think. With the saints as our models,
these are the standards for us as we continue our mission to live and proclaim the
Kingdom of God.
Today, we
hear another familiar passage from the Gospel of Matthew. On this last day of the Liturgical Year, it
is addressed to all the nations gathered at the end of time. Even though Jesus avoids using the title of
“king” for himself in his earthly ministry, he clearly is the King seated on
his glorious throne. He is the loving
shepherd who knows each of us by name, and he will bring justice to his sheep at
the end of time. He addresses this
parable to those whom he has sent out on mission to proclaim the presence of
the Kingdom of God. He knows that it is
a difficult mission. In living
detachment, they will have to depend on the kindness of others. That is why those who provide them with food,
water, shelter, clothing, care in sickness, and concern when they are thrown
into prison will be judged as sheep. Those
who treat them with kindness are caring for Christ, even if they do not
recognize him.
He also
addresses this parable to us, entrusted with the task of living and proclaiming
God's Kingdom. As we live the
beatitudes, our efforts to become more detached will lead us to treat those who
come to us in need with greater respect.
The six acts of mercy mentioned in the parable form the basis for our
seven corporal works of mercy (with burying the dead being the seventh). These corporal works of mercy are very
specific ways in which we continue to live the detachment of the Beatitudes. Most importantly, Jesus reminds us of the
reason why we should treat others in this fashion. In treating them with respect, we are
recognizing Christ in them.
It is never
comfortable to think about the end. We
have been praying in a special way during November for those who have already
died. In doing so, we remember that the
end will come for each of us also, not only at the end of the world, but at the
end of our lives. That is why Saint
Paul’s words in the second reading can be so comforting. Christ has already died and been raised from
the dead. Using a metaphor from the
ancient Temple Sacrifice, he is the first fruits. He is already leading us on the way to the
Father. He tells us to focus on the
present and the ways in which sharing in Christ's dying is already a sharing in
his resurrection.
So, instead
of fretting and worrying about what will happen at the end, the best way to prepare
is to practice the corporal works of mercy now.
Practicing those corporal works of mercy keeps us out of the goat
department and squarely into the flock of Jesus Christ. It takes a lot of faith to recognize Christ
in those who come to us in need. Our
Saint Vincent de Paul Society does that all the time. We have to look beyond appearances and not
make judgments. We look into their eyes to
see the face of Jesus Christ through our eyes of faith. In serving them, we serve Christ. In serving Christ, we serve the Shepherd and
King who will not forget our works, who knows that we are sheep, and who will
put us on his right hand as long as we act as members of his flock now.
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