Jesus was getting a taste of success. The seventy whom he had sent out with no resources, “like lambs among wolves” (Lk 10:3), had just returned full of excitement, telling of their success. His way of powerlessness was working. The things that were hidden from “the wise and the intelligent of this world” – hidden by their very wisdom and intelligence – were being made visible through these simple men, these “little ones.” Every disciple needs to learn again to see like a child; we must be like children, Jesus said, if we are to enter the Kingdom of God – which means the presence of God. For the children everything in the world is wonder, not for the adults.
Everyone has eyes and ears, but not everyone can see or hear. The sight is the same, the sound is the same, but the perception is different for each person.
Every Sunday Mass, the word of God is proclaimed. Everyone hears the same proclamation; everyone sees the same liturgy celebrated. But the effect is not the same for everyone. There are some who come out from the Mass the same way as they entered. But there are others who, after hearing the same readings, seeing the same liturgy, go home at peace with God, receiving enlightenment from God.
The Holy Spirit plays a big role in helping a person experience the revelation of God through seemingly ordinary events. But for the Holy Spirit to work, it needs openness from our part, a willingness to listen and make available our hearts for the Holy Spirit to start working and reveal what is hidden. The danger for some of us is that we don't think God can surprise us with anything. In the first reading today Isaiah was trying to instill hope, painting a vision of an ideal world that awaited the Israelites. Critics might say he is nuts…. A wolf the guest of the lamb? Wild animals led by a child? Never happen.” They remind us that the One we call “God” is beyond anything we can imagine!
When we control our lives too much, we don't allow the Lord to use the Holy Spirit to enter our lives giving us new perspective on how we can look at things. Let us trust in the Holy Spirit and take a chance!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Feast of St.Andrew., MATTHEW 4:18-22
Today, is St. Andrew's Day, a festivity celebrated in a solemn way amongst Eastern Orthodox Christians. In the first three gospels Andrew is not mentioned except in lists of the Twelve. But in John’s gospel he appears three times, and in each case he is introducing other people to Jesus! First of all, his brother, Simon Peter. Then in John 6:8 he is bringing forward a boy with five loaves and two fish. And in Jn 12:20-22 he is bringing some Greeks to Jesus.
In John’s gospel, Jesus first called this same Andrew, and Andrew introduced his brother Simon (Peter) to Jesus (1:40). And when Jesus invited them to follow him they leave everything and follow him “at once. When Jesus calls we cannot tell Jesus: “afterwards”, “later on”, “I'm busy now”... To be a follower of Christ entails "leaving our nets" — liberating ourselves from material attachments, comfort zones, anything that hinders us from following Jesus completely and unconditionally.
Apostleship means being sent forth to do whatever God calls us to do. Jesus called the Apostles to take his message to all the world. Today's first reading describes the need to take the message out! It starts in the home. Jesus first told his disciples to go to the lost sheep of Israel. We could be the best evangelizers in the world or the best at what we're gifted to do, but if we can't bring Jesus to our families, something's wrong. Being good apostles and terrific evangelizers does not mean that we're going to be successful at changing the hearts and minds of family members. "Not everyone has heeded the good news." But it's at home where we learn to love others unconditionally. It's at home where we become good at forgiving. And it's at home where we're tested and strengthened in serving others with joy. Fulfilling our vocation of joy in the home is more about what we do than what we say. How well do we imitate Jesus when we're with family?
Ask the Lord to be effective evangelizers at home and outside on this feast of St.Andrew.
In John’s gospel, Jesus first called this same Andrew, and Andrew introduced his brother Simon (Peter) to Jesus (1:40). And when Jesus invited them to follow him they leave everything and follow him “at once. When Jesus calls we cannot tell Jesus: “afterwards”, “later on”, “I'm busy now”... To be a follower of Christ entails "leaving our nets" — liberating ourselves from material attachments, comfort zones, anything that hinders us from following Jesus completely and unconditionally.
Apostleship means being sent forth to do whatever God calls us to do. Jesus called the Apostles to take his message to all the world. Today's first reading describes the need to take the message out! It starts in the home. Jesus first told his disciples to go to the lost sheep of Israel. We could be the best evangelizers in the world or the best at what we're gifted to do, but if we can't bring Jesus to our families, something's wrong. Being good apostles and terrific evangelizers does not mean that we're going to be successful at changing the hearts and minds of family members. "Not everyone has heeded the good news." But it's at home where we learn to love others unconditionally. It's at home where we become good at forgiving. And it's at home where we're tested and strengthened in serving others with joy. Fulfilling our vocation of joy in the home is more about what we do than what we say. How well do we imitate Jesus when we're with family?
Ask the Lord to be effective evangelizers at home and outside on this feast of St.Andrew.
Saturday,LUKE 21:34-36
First reading from Daniel expresses God's victory over those attacking His people. The fourth beast mentioned is said, to be the Greek king Antiochus. Here he rails against the God of the Israelites, pressuring them to change their laws and cease celebrating feast days. This same king and his army were earlier shown to have suffered a massive defeat from the people of the "Most High," the Israelites, who won their freedom from this oppressor and established self-rule.
Today's gospel, taken in fuller context, appears to combine two widely scattered events. Jesus predicts that the Jerusalem temple will be destroyed by the Romans, an event that did take place in 70AD after Christ's death. He also speaks of the wars and massive tribulations in the cosmos that will precede His second coming at the end-times. Christ's theme is our need to always be prepared, for we know not the day or the hour of the assaults coming our way.
Being vigilant is far more than being prepared by making material preparations to protect our homes and sustain our lives. Our spiritual condition, our not growing "drowsy," will determine our ability to deal with any extreme situations. Prayer gives us insights, makes us watchful, yet quiets our anxieties and provides the strength to continue living in God's Word. In the end our faithfulness will enable us to stand with Christ and be presented to the Father as His children.
Work as if everything depends on us, but pray as everything depends on God."( St. Ignatius).Prayer and vigilance lead to each other. If we do not make prayer a habit,like the air that we breathe, we will suffocate in a polluted world. How much importance are we giving to our habits and life of prayer?
If there is any lethargy and spiritual carelessness in our lives, let us wake up from it. Let us keep focus on the real meaning of our life and the limited time that we have to conquer and grow in love. Let us react promptly and firmly to all the inspirations that God sends us.
Today's gospel, taken in fuller context, appears to combine two widely scattered events. Jesus predicts that the Jerusalem temple will be destroyed by the Romans, an event that did take place in 70AD after Christ's death. He also speaks of the wars and massive tribulations in the cosmos that will precede His second coming at the end-times. Christ's theme is our need to always be prepared, for we know not the day or the hour of the assaults coming our way.
Being vigilant is far more than being prepared by making material preparations to protect our homes and sustain our lives. Our spiritual condition, our not growing "drowsy," will determine our ability to deal with any extreme situations. Prayer gives us insights, makes us watchful, yet quiets our anxieties and provides the strength to continue living in God's Word. In the end our faithfulness will enable us to stand with Christ and be presented to the Father as His children.
Work as if everything depends on us, but pray as everything depends on God."( St. Ignatius).Prayer and vigilance lead to each other. If we do not make prayer a habit,like the air that we breathe, we will suffocate in a polluted world. How much importance are we giving to our habits and life of prayer?
If there is any lethargy and spiritual carelessness in our lives, let us wake up from it. Let us keep focus on the real meaning of our life and the limited time that we have to conquer and grow in love. Let us react promptly and firmly to all the inspirations that God sends us.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday,LUKE 21:12-19
The creepy image of God’s hand writing on the wall may terrify anyone. But the image of Daniel, an alien, risking everything to speak truth to a tyrant is even more haunting.
The movie, “A Man for All Seasons” shows the moral courage of St. Thomas More like Daniel. Because they were sane people with a lot to lose, they didn’t want to be heroes. They took a stand even though they knew the potential cost. Today’s saint Catherine of Alexandria is another model for courage.
Catherine lived in early Christian times. She was the daughter of a wealthy pagan couple of Alexandria, Egypt. She was a very beautiful girl whose great interest was in learning. Catherine loved to study deep questions of philosophy and religion. One day she began to read about Christianity. Soon she became a Christian.
St. Catherine was only eighteen when Emperor Maxentius began persecuting the Christians. Fearlessly, the lovely young Christian woman went to tell him what she thought of his cruelty. When he spoke of the pagan gods, she very plainly showed him that they were false. Maxentius could not answer her arguments. Therefore, he sent for fifty of his best pagan philosophers. Once again, it was Catherine who proved the truth of her religion. All fifty philosophers were convinced that she was right. In great fury, Maxentius had every one of them killed. Next, he tried to win her by offering her a queen's crown. When Catherine absolutely refused it, he had her beaten and thrown into prison.
While Maxentius was away at camp, his wife and an officer were very curious to hear this amazing Christian girl speak. They went to her cell. The result was that they and two hundred soldiers of the guard were converted. For this, they were all put to death. Catherine herself was placed on a wheel full of spikes to be tortured to death. When the wheel began to spin, it mysteriously snapped in two and fell apart. Finally, St. Catherine was beheaded.
In today’s Gospel from Luke, Jesus suggests that this is what every Christian must be prepared to do.
“They will seize and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name.”
We may wonder, Is this what we signed on for when our parents had us baptized? Most of us just want to stumble through life as painlessly as possible.
However if we take our faith seriously, we will face times when we will be called to take a stand or to speak truth to power. But the closing words of today’s Gospel should give us the strength to do so:
“You will be hated by all because of my name but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of perseverance and the courage to witness our faith like Daniel, Thomas More and Catherine.
The movie, “A Man for All Seasons” shows the moral courage of St. Thomas More like Daniel. Because they were sane people with a lot to lose, they didn’t want to be heroes. They took a stand even though they knew the potential cost. Today’s saint Catherine of Alexandria is another model for courage.
Catherine lived in early Christian times. She was the daughter of a wealthy pagan couple of Alexandria, Egypt. She was a very beautiful girl whose great interest was in learning. Catherine loved to study deep questions of philosophy and religion. One day she began to read about Christianity. Soon she became a Christian.
St. Catherine was only eighteen when Emperor Maxentius began persecuting the Christians. Fearlessly, the lovely young Christian woman went to tell him what she thought of his cruelty. When he spoke of the pagan gods, she very plainly showed him that they were false. Maxentius could not answer her arguments. Therefore, he sent for fifty of his best pagan philosophers. Once again, it was Catherine who proved the truth of her religion. All fifty philosophers were convinced that she was right. In great fury, Maxentius had every one of them killed. Next, he tried to win her by offering her a queen's crown. When Catherine absolutely refused it, he had her beaten and thrown into prison.
While Maxentius was away at camp, his wife and an officer were very curious to hear this amazing Christian girl speak. They went to her cell. The result was that they and two hundred soldiers of the guard were converted. For this, they were all put to death. Catherine herself was placed on a wheel full of spikes to be tortured to death. When the wheel began to spin, it mysteriously snapped in two and fell apart. Finally, St. Catherine was beheaded.
In today’s Gospel from Luke, Jesus suggests that this is what every Christian must be prepared to do.
“They will seize and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name.”
We may wonder, Is this what we signed on for when our parents had us baptized? Most of us just want to stumble through life as painlessly as possible.
However if we take our faith seriously, we will face times when we will be called to take a stand or to speak truth to power. But the closing words of today’s Gospel should give us the strength to do so:
“You will be hated by all because of my name but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of perseverance and the courage to witness our faith like Daniel, Thomas More and Catherine.
Tuesday,LUKE 21:5-11
This is the final week of the liturgical year, that's why we have such strange readings every day. Anything coming to an end reminds us of our mortality. This is a week for meditating on the impermanence of all things. Because we do it with the Liturgy it’s not a dreary or terrible subject; it’s about life and death together – the inseparable mystery.
In the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas the disciples said to Jesus: “Tell us how our end shall be.” Jesus said: “Have you then discovered the beginning, that you seek after the end? For where the beginning is, there shall the end be. Blessed are they who shall stand in the beginning, and they shall know the end and shall not taste death.’ The beginning and the end are the same question, and it is a question that we can't think out fully, because it takes us beyond ourselves. Death is unthinkable. We can say we are thinking about ‘it’, but that’s not the real thing. That's why we tend to see others as mortal, but not ourselves really.
The destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem was not like the destruction of a church building. There are countless churches but there was only one Temple. To destroy that Temple was to destroy the identity of the Jewish people. So when Jesus said, “The days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down,” he was saying the unthinkable.
Jesus wasn't being a soothsayer when he warned that the holy temple would get torn down. He was talking about the here and now of his interaction with the disciples: The Messiah had come and therefore the stone temple was no longer needed.
His words can also apply to our own here and now: Our bodies, which are temples of the Holy Spirit, will die and decay, but our Messiah has come. If we follow him, we'll reach heaven. Our flesh and blood temples cannot save us; we need the Messiah. Living in him and through him today will secure our future in the kingdom of God, even if the Second Coming of Christ does not occur in our lifetimes.
This temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. This prophecy continues to
be fulfilled in history. It is the destruction of the kingdoms we have founded within ourselves which is founded on our plans and ambitions. They can be destroyed any time by carelessness, by the indifference of the other or even by natural disasters. They are precarious. Our house is built on sand as Jesus mentioned in Matthew. "Rain came down, the floods rose, gales blew and struck that house and it fell." But anyone who listens to the Word of God and acts upon it, that house is built on rock and nothing can destroy it. What are the “costly stones” that we placed in our temple or in our lives that we think should not fall.?
In the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas the disciples said to Jesus: “Tell us how our end shall be.” Jesus said: “Have you then discovered the beginning, that you seek after the end? For where the beginning is, there shall the end be. Blessed are they who shall stand in the beginning, and they shall know the end and shall not taste death.’ The beginning and the end are the same question, and it is a question that we can't think out fully, because it takes us beyond ourselves. Death is unthinkable. We can say we are thinking about ‘it’, but that’s not the real thing. That's why we tend to see others as mortal, but not ourselves really.
The destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem was not like the destruction of a church building. There are countless churches but there was only one Temple. To destroy that Temple was to destroy the identity of the Jewish people. So when Jesus said, “The days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down,” he was saying the unthinkable.
Jesus wasn't being a soothsayer when he warned that the holy temple would get torn down. He was talking about the here and now of his interaction with the disciples: The Messiah had come and therefore the stone temple was no longer needed.
His words can also apply to our own here and now: Our bodies, which are temples of the Holy Spirit, will die and decay, but our Messiah has come. If we follow him, we'll reach heaven. Our flesh and blood temples cannot save us; we need the Messiah. Living in him and through him today will secure our future in the kingdom of God, even if the Second Coming of Christ does not occur in our lifetimes.
This temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. This prophecy continues to
be fulfilled in history. It is the destruction of the kingdoms we have founded within ourselves which is founded on our plans and ambitions. They can be destroyed any time by carelessness, by the indifference of the other or even by natural disasters. They are precarious. Our house is built on sand as Jesus mentioned in Matthew. "Rain came down, the floods rose, gales blew and struck that house and it fell." But anyone who listens to the Word of God and acts upon it, that house is built on rock and nothing can destroy it. What are the “costly stones” that we placed in our temple or in our lives that we think should not fall.?
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Monday,34th week-LUKE 21:1-4
Today, as it happens so often, small things go by unnoticed: small alms, small sacrifices, small prayers; but what, at times, may look small and unimportant, may turn out to be the culmination or the center of everything. Only God will discover them in our heart, in the same way as only Jesus could see the poor widow's generosity. It is more than certain that poor woman did not play trumpets to announce what she was doing, and it is even possible she was ashamed and felt ridiculous before the eyes of the wealthy, who, while offering splendid gifts into the treasure box, were making others feel admired at their liberality. Yet, that woman's unselfishness, that caused her to drop the two small coins despite her poverty, deserved the Lord's praise.
The widow's generosity is a good lesson for us. We can be extremely generous, as the wealthy people that were «putting their gifts into the treasure box» (Lk 21:1). But, none of this will be worth the while if we only give “from our plenty”, without any loving or generous spirit, without offering ourselves along. She gave whatever she had, for she had God in her heart. It is better to have God in our soul than gold in the safe.
Perhaps many of us give to charity from our surplus and think we are making a sacrifice! Jesus is not asking us to give away our entire livelihood. He is seeking a willing heart that gladly makes sacrifices for the sake of his kingdom. He wants our trust. He wants us to rely on his generosity and his ability to protect us from financial ruin when we care enough to disregard the cost of helping others.
What do we think, happened to the widow in the Gospel story after she went home? Did she starve? Is that what we are afraid will happen to us if we are sacrificially generous? Do we believe that Jesus would praise those who make huge acts of love and then crush them as if their good deeds had been foolish?
Let us put our faith into action. We are called to be like the widow, give God our hearts and all that is in.
The widow's generosity is a good lesson for us. We can be extremely generous, as the wealthy people that were «putting their gifts into the treasure box» (Lk 21:1). But, none of this will be worth the while if we only give “from our plenty”, without any loving or generous spirit, without offering ourselves along. She gave whatever she had, for she had God in her heart. It is better to have God in our soul than gold in the safe.
Perhaps many of us give to charity from our surplus and think we are making a sacrifice! Jesus is not asking us to give away our entire livelihood. He is seeking a willing heart that gladly makes sacrifices for the sake of his kingdom. He wants our trust. He wants us to rely on his generosity and his ability to protect us from financial ruin when we care enough to disregard the cost of helping others.
What do we think, happened to the widow in the Gospel story after she went home? Did she starve? Is that what we are afraid will happen to us if we are sacrificially generous? Do we believe that Jesus would praise those who make huge acts of love and then crush them as if their good deeds had been foolish?
Let us put our faith into action. We are called to be like the widow, give God our hearts and all that is in.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
CHRIST THE KING. , XXXIV Sunday
First Reading: Daniel 7:13-14,: Revelation 1:5-8,: John 18:33-37
Many years ago, when Hitler's forces occupied Denmark, the order came that all Jews in Denmark were to identify themselves by wearing armbands with yellow stars of David. The Danes had seen the extermination of Jews in other countries and guessed that this was the first step in that process in their countries. The King did not defy the orders. He had every Jew wear the star and he himself wore the Star of David. He told his people that he expected every loyal Dane to do the same. The King said, "We are all Danes. One Danish person is the same as the next." He wore his yellow star when going into Copenhagen every day in order to encourage his people. The King of Denmark identified with his people, even to the point of putting his own life on the line.
Today is the feast of Christ the King. The king who shed his last drop of blood from his throne, the cross, to save his people. This is actually a pretty new festival in the church year. Its roots go back only to the late 1800's, when the world's great empires--British, American, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Japanese--were all at war or about to go to war somewhere.
After World War I, another pope designated the last Sunday in October as Christ the King Sunday, a day to remember that Christ received power and honor from God and was thereby made ruler of the universe. Eventually, Catholics moved Christ the King Sunday to the last Sunday of the church year, when they were already accustomed to reflecting on Christ's return at the end of time to rule over all creation, a theme which echoes throughout Revelation, the last book of the Bible.
Jesus is king, but he doesn’t force his kingship on anyone, but one has to accept his dominion by one’s own free will.
"Are you the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked. "Is that your idea," Jesus said to him, "or did others talk to you about me?"
Again later Pilate asked “So you are a king” .Then Jesus said: "You are saying that I am a king." With that statement Jesus is again putting Pilate on trial: "You have said it, but is it what you believe?"
Here is a story that illustrates what is going on in this dialogue between Jesus and Pilate: An Amish man was once asked by an enthusiastic young evangelist whether he had been saved, and whether he had accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior?
The gentleman replied, "Why do you ask me such a thing? I could tell you anything. Here are the names of my banker, my grocer, and my farm hands. Ask them if I've been saved."
Jesus could tell Pilate anything. What is important is what Pilate believes.
In his conversation with Pilate, Jesus finally does imply that he is a king. "My kingdom," he explains, "is not of this world." Not of this world. That's what it takes. That's what it takes to find a King who identifies with his people. A King of heaven, a King of kings from some place other than this world. Here is the twist. This world is His Kingdom, but it does not belong, or is owned or dominated by the ways of this world.
So Jesus is a king of a different order. Servant-leadership is the model that Christ the King has given us.
The story is told about the baptism of King Angus by St. Patrick in the middle of the fifth century. Sometime during the rite, St. Patrick leaned on his sharp-pointed staff and inadvertently stabbed the king's foot. After the baptism was over, St. Patrick looked down at all the blood, realized what he had done, and begged the king's forgiveness. Why did you suffer this pain in silence, the Saint wanted to know. The king replied, "I thought it was part of the ritual."
Our king Jesus was stabbed in the foot . . . and the hand, and the side and the head and that WAS part of the ritual. And, you and I are the ones who held the staff.
We need to allow Jesus to be the Servant King, the life-giving Master Who gave His life so that we might live more freely His life. The tension of course is that there are so many little personal tyrants within us urging for their places of power. Ego, fear, revenge, pleasure, AND many others struggle for supremacy and control.
In thousands of human hearts all over the world, Jesus still reigns as King. The Cross is his throne and the Sermon on the Mount, his rule of law. His citizens need obey only one major law: “Love God with all your being, and love others as I have loved you.”
The kingdom of God is already here in the sense that Jesus lives within and among us now. But we know also that his presence is obscured by the continued presence of evil in the world. In every moral decision we face, there’s a choice between Christ the King and Barabbas, and the one who seeks to live in his kingdom is the one who says, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” It can be so much easier to acknowledge the Kingship of Christ in our daily lives more on our lips than deep in our hearts.
As we celebrate the kingship of Christ today, let us remember the truth that he is not our King if we do not listen to him, love him, serve him, and follow him. If Christ is really King of my life, he must be King of every part of my life and I must let him reign in all parts of my life. We become Christ the King’s subjects when we sincerely respond to his loving invitation: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart.
On this great Feast of Christ the King, let us resolve to give him the central place in our lives and promise to obey his commandment of love.
Many years ago, when Hitler's forces occupied Denmark, the order came that all Jews in Denmark were to identify themselves by wearing armbands with yellow stars of David. The Danes had seen the extermination of Jews in other countries and guessed that this was the first step in that process in their countries. The King did not defy the orders. He had every Jew wear the star and he himself wore the Star of David. He told his people that he expected every loyal Dane to do the same. The King said, "We are all Danes. One Danish person is the same as the next." He wore his yellow star when going into Copenhagen every day in order to encourage his people. The King of Denmark identified with his people, even to the point of putting his own life on the line.
Today is the feast of Christ the King. The king who shed his last drop of blood from his throne, the cross, to save his people. This is actually a pretty new festival in the church year. Its roots go back only to the late 1800's, when the world's great empires--British, American, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Japanese--were all at war or about to go to war somewhere.
After World War I, another pope designated the last Sunday in October as Christ the King Sunday, a day to remember that Christ received power and honor from God and was thereby made ruler of the universe. Eventually, Catholics moved Christ the King Sunday to the last Sunday of the church year, when they were already accustomed to reflecting on Christ's return at the end of time to rule over all creation, a theme which echoes throughout Revelation, the last book of the Bible.
Jesus is king, but he doesn’t force his kingship on anyone, but one has to accept his dominion by one’s own free will.
"Are you the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked. "Is that your idea," Jesus said to him, "or did others talk to you about me?"
Again later Pilate asked “So you are a king” .Then Jesus said: "You are saying that I am a king." With that statement Jesus is again putting Pilate on trial: "You have said it, but is it what you believe?"
Here is a story that illustrates what is going on in this dialogue between Jesus and Pilate: An Amish man was once asked by an enthusiastic young evangelist whether he had been saved, and whether he had accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior?
The gentleman replied, "Why do you ask me such a thing? I could tell you anything. Here are the names of my banker, my grocer, and my farm hands. Ask them if I've been saved."
Jesus could tell Pilate anything. What is important is what Pilate believes.
In his conversation with Pilate, Jesus finally does imply that he is a king. "My kingdom," he explains, "is not of this world." Not of this world. That's what it takes. That's what it takes to find a King who identifies with his people. A King of heaven, a King of kings from some place other than this world. Here is the twist. This world is His Kingdom, but it does not belong, or is owned or dominated by the ways of this world.
So Jesus is a king of a different order. Servant-leadership is the model that Christ the King has given us.
The story is told about the baptism of King Angus by St. Patrick in the middle of the fifth century. Sometime during the rite, St. Patrick leaned on his sharp-pointed staff and inadvertently stabbed the king's foot. After the baptism was over, St. Patrick looked down at all the blood, realized what he had done, and begged the king's forgiveness. Why did you suffer this pain in silence, the Saint wanted to know. The king replied, "I thought it was part of the ritual."
Our king Jesus was stabbed in the foot . . . and the hand, and the side and the head and that WAS part of the ritual. And, you and I are the ones who held the staff.
We need to allow Jesus to be the Servant King, the life-giving Master Who gave His life so that we might live more freely His life. The tension of course is that there are so many little personal tyrants within us urging for their places of power. Ego, fear, revenge, pleasure, AND many others struggle for supremacy and control.
In thousands of human hearts all over the world, Jesus still reigns as King. The Cross is his throne and the Sermon on the Mount, his rule of law. His citizens need obey only one major law: “Love God with all your being, and love others as I have loved you.”
The kingdom of God is already here in the sense that Jesus lives within and among us now. But we know also that his presence is obscured by the continued presence of evil in the world. In every moral decision we face, there’s a choice between Christ the King and Barabbas, and the one who seeks to live in his kingdom is the one who says, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” It can be so much easier to acknowledge the Kingship of Christ in our daily lives more on our lips than deep in our hearts.
As we celebrate the kingship of Christ today, let us remember the truth that he is not our King if we do not listen to him, love him, serve him, and follow him. If Christ is really King of my life, he must be King of every part of my life and I must let him reign in all parts of my life. We become Christ the King’s subjects when we sincerely respond to his loving invitation: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart.
On this great Feast of Christ the King, let us resolve to give him the central place in our lives and promise to obey his commandment of love.
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