Ezekiel 34: 11-12.15-17,
Psalm 23:1.2a.2b.3.5.6(R.1),
1 Corinthians 15:20-26.28,
Matthew 25:31—46 Full Readings
Saint CeciliaChrist, the King of the Universe
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe! This is the last Sunday of the Church year which means we focus on the final and glorious things to come! It also means that next Sunday is already the First Sunday of Advent.
When we say Jesus is a king, we mean that He is our Shepherd and the one who rules heaven and earth. As our Shepherd He desires to lead us personally as a loving father would. He wants to enter our lives personally, intimately and carefully, never imposing Himself but always offering Himself as our guide. He desires to become the absolute ruler and monarch of our souls. However, He does not impose this on us, he becomes our King and guide if we freely accept Him in our hearts and follow His commands. We shall never stray when Christ is the King of our hearts and all our lives.
He wishes to establish his kingdom here on earth and this is done when we accept him and be his sheep and He our shepherd. This can also be realised in the whole world when we become the instruments of his love and justice as Christian in civil society. We become His instruments to help convert the world by seeing and making sure that His truth and law is respected within civil society. It’s Christ’s authority as King that gives us the authority and duty as Christians to do all we can to fight civil injustices and bring about a respect for every human person. All civil law ultimately gains its authority from Christ alone since He is the one and only Universal King. With this we shall be able to withstand the final judgement as we see in today’s readings.
The second reading shows that God is the true king over the whole universe. Christ had delivered the kingdom to God the father after destroying every rule, every authority and every power (1 Cor 15:24). He must reign until all his enemies are put under his feet, the last of which is death. He accomplished this through his resurrection. The parable of the last judgement shows that everybody will be rewarded according to his/her deeds. It is a call to be sensitive to the needs of the people around us and offer them the needed help.
Both the first reading and the gospel speak of separating sheep from goats. It is a distinction used by God who has only one criterion: how we love others. Our lives are successes or failures on the basis of what we have done to alleviate hunger, thirst, exile, nakedness, disease, prison. Jesus tells us that our religion is summed up in the diligence and zeal with which we fight against these situations. To drive home this truth even more, he uses the image of the final judgement not to show us what will happen at the end of the world, but to teach us what should really count in our lives. Let us reflect on the three aspects from these readings.
1. Judgment Day: All of our life is, in a sense, preparation for the judgment we face at life's end. That is when we go before Our Lord and give account for everything we have done or failed to do. No excuses will be accepted, no more "second chances" given. Jesus' mercy doesn’t mean he ignores justice. "Mercy differs from justice, but is not in opposition to it," wrote Pope Saint John Paul II in his 1980 encyclical, Dives in Misericordia (Rich in Mercy). Would I be ready to face the Lord this very day? If not, why not? What facet of my life do I need to change right now?
2. The Sheep: The sheep to be saved are the people who helped others, who showed mercy, who didn't turn a cold shoulder to someone in need. Our Lord doesn't praise them for their many prayers so much as for their good deeds. Prayer is important, of course. But it's not enough. Christ wants our love for him to be reflected in our love for others. Oddly, many of those to be saved will not have realized that it was Christ they were helping. Do I see Christ in those who need help? Do I see Christ in my family members? My co-workers? The demanding boss? The unpopular classmate? The smelly beggar?
3. The Goats: It's scary to think that those who will be lost were not necessarily "bad people." In this passage, Our Lord doesn't chide them for doing wicked things. He doesn't accuse them of starting wars or peddling drugs or committing acts of terrorism. Rather, he faults them for the sin of omission, for things they didn't do. "You gave me no food …. You gave me no clothing." We may think ourselves good Christians because we don't cheat on our taxes or look at pornography or miss Mass on Sundays. But acts of charity are key, too. We should do these without neglecting the others.
Therefore, brethren, on this Sunday, let us know that our final judgement by Christ the King of heaven and earth is based only on our capability to love when we are still here on earth. Our help to people should be motivated only by the love of Christ. Every good deed done for the love of Christ is actually done to Christ. If we want to reign with him eternally in his heavenly kingdom, we have to feed the hungry, help the sick, the naked, those in the prison and such others.
Let us Pray
Lord Jesus, be the Master and Ruler of my life. May your love rule in my heart that I may only think, act, and speak with charity and good will for all.
Happy Solemnity and Be Blessed.
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