SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING
26 NOVEMBER 2017
During
November, as the farmers are harvesting their crops, we have been praying for
our loved ones whom the Lord has harvested through death. But in remembering them, the Lord has also
been speaking to us through the Sunday readings. He has reminded us that sooner or later, that
same harvest awaits us.
Jesus has been
using parables to prepare us for that unknown time in the future when he will
come for us, not only at the end of our lives, but also at the end of time. These parables are not intended to frighten
us or to fill us with dread. They
express the Lord’s loving concern for us.
He wants us to be like the five wise bridesmaids, making sure that we
have enough oil to accomplish the works of righteousness and invited to the
eternal wedding feast of the Lamb. Like
the first two servants in last Sunday’s parable, we need to take risks and
invest the talents entrusted to us to build up the Kingdom of God here, and
participate in it fully after he comes.
Today, we hear the parable of the
risen Christ separating sheep from goats at the end of time. The image of the Good Shepherd seated on his
throne on our Triumphal Arch helps us understand. The Good Shepherd is drawing all of his sheep
from Bethlehem on the left and Jerusalem on the right, and not a select few. However, unlike sheep, we can make
choice. We are sheep when we choose to respond
to those in need: when we feed the
hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care
for the sick, and visit those in prison.
We are goats when we fail to respond to those in need.
When George
Lucas first produced Star Wars, he
gave an interesting interview about a common theme in so many accounts of good
defeating evil. In those classic tales, the hero encounters someone who
appears to be the least. However, the
person who appears to be least is the powerful one who helps the hero to
succeed. In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker encounters Yoda. That small, quirky character helps Luke to
become a true hero. In a sense, this is the point of today’s parable. Jesus wants all of us to be heroes by
recognizing in those least ones who come to us in need the Good Shepherd inviting
us to be seated on his right side for eternity.
If we are to be the heroes of this
parable, then we need to become more aware of Christ’s presence in those who
come to us in need. To be honest, both
the sheep and the goats were unaware that they were serving Christ. Like the sheep, we may not recognize Christ
in those people who need our assistance.
But, if we respond to them, we respond to Christ.
If we are to be heroes, then we need
to be generous. The parable calls us to
stop worrying about ourselves, our own comfort, and our own needs. Jesus calls us to be generous in sharing
those gifts he has generously given us.
He invites us to trust his example to seek out the lost, to bring back
the strays, to bind up the injured, and to heal the sick. He invites us to trust that we can accomplish
these tasks in small ways and in daily efforts.
If we are to be heroes, we will also
know the joy of serving those in need.
Charles Dickens reminds us that Scrooge was a miserable miser who dwelt
in the darkness of tending to his own needs.
It was only in responding to a poor, crippled boy that he found the joy
of sharing himself. There is a definite
joy in being good and humble servants. You
know that joy when you take a meal to a sick neighbor or prepare a casserole
for the Homeless Shelter. You know that
joy when you deliver gifts from the giving tree or welcome a family to safety
when they have escaped persecution in another country. You know that joy when you made sacrifices to
build this new church. The Lord does not
want sour superheroes. He wants joyful
heroes who recognize him in the ordinary situations of life.
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