Homily (Reflection) for the Solemnity of
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, (A) (26th November,
2017) on the Gospel and the Solemnity
Ezek
34:11-12.15-17;
Ps 22:1-3.5-6 (R.
v.1);
1Cor 15:20-26.28;
Matt 25:31-46.
This Sunday is known
by various names for various reasons: 34th Sunday of the year
because it is the Sunday after the 33rd Sunday, last Sunday of the
Year because it is the last Sunday of the Church’s Liturgical Year, the
Solemnity of Christ the King because today, the Universal Church celebrates the
Solemnity of Christ the King. Again, in this part of the world because the
Solemnity of Corpus Christi falls in the rainy season, the Eucharistic
procession that accompanies it is shifted to the Solemnity of Christ the King.
The Solemnity of
Christ the King was established in 1925 by Pope Pius XI as an antidote to the
secularism in the world. Just as today, people live their lives irrespective of
what God wants. Hence, what we profess today is our belief in the kingship of
Christ as a God the Word Incarnate, Redeemer and Judge of the living and the
dead. His kingdom is supreme, universal, eternal and spiritual.
Topic:
Celebrating Christ the King.
In more developed countries, the citizens
are bothered with what they will do for their countries. But in the less
developed countries, the reverse seems to be the case; people look forward to
seeing what the country will do for them. With this in mind, as we celebrate
the solemnity of Christ the universal King, what bothers you as Christ’s
subject – what Christ will do for you or what you can do for Him? There is no
doubt that we come to Christ the King today with our burdens just as we
normally do all the time after all he told us: “Come to me, all who labour and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28). But in the gospel, we saw the picture of how the
judgement day will be. It reads:
All the nations will
be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his
right hand and the goats at his left (Matt
25:32-33).
One might wonder: who are the sheep to be kept on the right?
We read from the gospel what the king (God) will say to them:
Come, you that are blessed by my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for
I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to
drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me
clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited
me (Matt 25:34-36).
On the other hand, to those on the left, He will say:
You that are accursed, depart from
me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was
hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me
clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me (Matt 25:41-43).
As we can see the separation will not be based on any other
thing other than how much we are ready to give back to God. Probably one might
wonder like the nations that will be gathered how they could give something to
God. We can only achieve this by being helpful to our brothers and sisters.
Hence, we also read: “... Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the
least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matt 25:40, cf. Matt 25:45).
Through the prophet Malachi God is asking us: “A son honours his father, and a servant his
master. If then I am a father, where is my honour? And if I am a master, where
is my fear? says the LORD of hosts ...” (Mal
1:6). God expects our gifts today as we celebrate Christ’s kingship. As we
consider what and how to offer to Christ our universal King let us read from
the address of Saint Andrew of Crete:
Let us greet him, not with olive
branches, but with the good deeds of mercy shown to one another. Let us strew
beneath his feet like garments the desires of our hearts, that he may walk in
us and dwell wholly in us, that he may reveal us whole in himself and himself
whole in us.... (In The Divine Office: The liturgy of the hours according to
the Roman rite, III, p. 770).
So as we celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King we
should focus more on what we will do for God in our lives and in the lives of
our brothers and sisters.
Bible Reading: Is 58:1-14; 59:1-21; Tob 4:5-19; Matt
5:38-48; Lk 6:27-36.
Thought for today: Is
Christ your King? If yes, what do you offer Him and if not, who is your King?
Let
us pray: God, as we
celebrate Christ your Son as the universal King, may we always be submissive to
His rule especially in all we do – Amen.
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