2019년 11월 24일 그리스도 왕 대축일(성서 주간)
제1독서
사무엘기 하. 5,1-3
그 무렵 1 이스라엘의 모든 지파가 헤브론에 있는 다윗에게 몰려가서 말하였다. “우리는 임금님의 골육입니다. 2 전에 사울이 우리의 임금이었을 때에도, 이스라엘을 거느리고 출전하신 이는 임금님이셨습니다. 또한 주님께서는 ‘너는 내 백성 이스라엘의 목자가 되고, 이스라엘의 영도자가 될 것이다.’ 하고 임금님께 말씀하셨습니다.”
3 그리하여 이스라엘의 원로들이 모두 헤브론으로 임금을 찾아가자, 다윗 임금은 헤브론에서 주님 앞으로 나아가 그들과 계약을 맺었다. 그리고 그들은 다윗에게 기름을 부어 이스라엘의 임금으로 세웠다.
제2독서
콜로새서. 1,12-20
형제 여러분, 12 성도들이 빛의 나라에서 받는 상속의 몫을 차지할 자격을 여러분에게 주신 아버지께 감사하기를 빕니다.
13 아버지께서는 우리를 어둠의 권세에서 구해 내시어, 당신께서 사랑하시는 아드님의 나라로 옮겨 주셨습니다. 14 이 아드님 안에서 우리는 속량을, 곧 죄의 용서를 받습니다.
15 그분은 보이지 않는 하느님의 모상이시며, 모든 피조물의 맏이이십니다. 16 만물이 그분 안에서 창조되었기 때문입니다. 하늘에 있는 것이든 땅에 있는 것이든, 보이는 것이든 보이지 않는 것이든, 왕권이든 주권이든 권세든 권력이든, 만물이 그분을 통하여, 또 그분을 향하여 창조되었습니다.
17 그분께서는 만물에 앞서 계시고, 만물은 그분 안에서 존속합니다.
18 그분은 또한 당신 몸인 교회의 머리이십니다. 그분은 시작이시며, 죽은 이들 가운데에서 맏이이십니다. 그리하여 만물 가운데에서 으뜸이 되십니다.
19 과연 하느님께서는 기꺼이 그분 안에 온갖 충만함이 머무르게 하셨습니다. 20 그분 십자가의 피를 통하여 평화를 이룩하시어, 땅에 있는 것이든 하늘에 있는 것이든, 그분을 통하여, 그분을 향하여 만물을 기꺼이 화해시키셨습니다.
복음
루카. 23,35ㄴ-43
그때에 35 지도자들은 예수님께, “이자가 다른 이들을 구원하였으니, 정말 하느님의 메시아, 선택된 이라면 자신도 구원해 보라지.” 하며 빈정거렸다.
36 군사들도 예수님을 조롱하였다. 그들은 예수님께 다가가, 신 포도주를 들이대며 37 말하였다. “네가 유다인들의 임금이라면, 너 자신이나 구원해 보아라.” 38 예수님의 머리 위에는 ‘이자는 유다인들의 임금이다.’라는 죄명 패가 붙어 있었다.
39 예수님과 함께 매달린 죄수 하나도, “당신은 메시아가 아니시오? 당신 자신과 우리를 구원해 보시오.” 하며 그분을 모독하였다.
40 그러나 다른 하나는 그를 꾸짖으며 말하였다. “같이 처형을 받는 주제에, 너는 하느님이 두렵지도 않으냐? 41 우리야 당연히 우리가 저지른 짓에 합당한 벌을 받지만, 이분은 아무런 잘못도 하지 않으셨다.” 42 그러고 나서 “예수님, 선생님의 나라에 들어가실 때 저를 기억해 주십시오.” 하였다.
43 그러자 예수님께서 그에게 이르셨다. “내가 진실로 너에게 말한다. 너는 오늘 나와 함께 낙원에 있을 것이다.”
November 24, 2019
The Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Reading 1
In those days, all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said:
"Here we are, your bone and your flesh.
In days past, when Saul was our king,
it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back.
And the LORD said to you,
'You shall shepherd my people Israel
and shall be commander of Israel.'"
When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron,
King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD,
and they anointed him king of Israel.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (cf. 1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Reading 2
Brothers and sisters:
Let us give thanks to the Father,
who has made you fit to share
in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.
He delivered us from the power of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.
Gospel
The rulers sneered at Jesus and said,
"He saved others, let him save himself
if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God."
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
"If you are King of the Jews, save yourself."
Above him there was an inscription that read,
"This is the King of the Jews."
Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
"Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us."
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
"Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal."
Then he said,
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
He replied to him,
"Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise."
http://evangeli.net/gospel/tomorrow
«This is the King of the Jews»
Fr. Joan GUITERAS i Vilanova
(Barcelona, Spain)
Today's Gospel makes us raise our eyes to the cross on which Christ is in agony on Calvary. Here we see the Good Shepherd giving up his life for his flock. And, there up high is the sign that reads, «This is the King of the Jews» (Lk 23,38). This man who is suffering so horribly whose face has been so disfigured, is the King? Could it be possible? The good thief, one of the two men condemned at each side of Jesus, understands. He says with faith, «Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom» (Lk 23,42). Jesus' reply is consoling and certain, «Truly, you will be with me today in paradise»(Lk 23,43).
Yes, we profess that Jesus is King. “King” with a capital “K”. Nobody could ever be at such a level of royalty. The Kingdom of God is not of this world. It is a Kingdom that is entered through Christian conversion. A Kingdom of truth and life, a Kingdom of holiness and grace, a Kingdom of justice, love and peace. A Kingdom that is born from the Blood and water that pours from Jesus' side.
The Kingdom of God was a primordial theme in Our Lord's teaching. He never ceased to invite people to enter it. once, in the Sermon on the Mount, He proclaimed blessed the poor in spirit, for they would inherit the Kingdom.
Origenes, commenting on Jesus' saying that «The Kingdom of God is amongst you» (Lk 17,21), explains that he who asks that the Kingdom of God comes, is rightly doing so of the Kingdom of God that he has in his interior, that it be born, be fruitful and that it mature. He adds that «the Kingdom of God that we have inside us, if we progress in a continuos way, will achieve its fullness when that which the apostle says is accomplished: that Christ, once his enemies are subdued, will put His Kingdom in the Hands of God The Father, and that way God will be everything in everybody». The writer exhorts us to always say «Hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come».
We should live in the Kingdom now with holiness and we should be witnesses to the charity that testifies the authenticity of faith and hope.
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
As we close the Year of Luke (Year C) in the Lectionary Cycle on this Feast of Christ the King, we are invited to ponder one of the most poignant gospel passages – to enter deeply into the mystery of salvation and to recognize that Jesus’ Lordship or authority in our lives must first of all arise from gratitude.
Three mysteries of faith come into focus here that call upon our prayerful attention:
The Incarnation: This is the incredible mystery wherein the Creator Lord enters into the creation in its most vulnerable and humble reality and submits to the profound limitations of the creation (time, place, inexorable change, death, etc.) as one with no authority other than the evocation of loving care that vulnerability brings. All creation is good by virtue of being created from God’s Being through the Word spoken. But through human choice sin entered the world. Now the Word of God takes on human life and re-consecrates creation by a life of obedience to the Father – always grateful to the Father and always honoring the Father’s Will. Today’s first reading from the Second Book of Samuel says that the leaders of the tribes of Israel gathered to assert to David that, as his bone and flesh, they call upon him to lead them as king – one like them but given all the authority in their tribes, so that the good of all can be accomplished. Of course, as a descendent of David on both sides of his human family – Jesus is also the bone and flesh, not only of Israelites but of all humanity. By his victory in the battle against evils that assail all humans, Jesus has the authority that we need in our perfect leader to bring about the absolute common good for all creation. Jesus, as one of us in flesh and life, places a demand on us for our sakes and for all creation’s sake to cooperate with him as our Leader and Lord.
Salvation: Jesus’ role as savior from all evil and destruction is made plain in the second reading from Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. Quoting a hymn, popularly sung in the early Christian Churches, Paul asserts that all creation emerges through the authority of God’s spoken Word: “All things were made through Him and for Him,” and through that that same Word the fullness of life dwells and all things were reconciled. The very brokenness of the created order, brought about by human determination to attempt to be god rather than worship Yahweh, is healed and repaired for those who re-enter the Reign of God. If we want to live in the place of those saved, we look to Jesus to grant us entry into the Kingdom.
The Paschal Mystery of Transfiguration: The Father willed that Jesus would be obedient in all things to the Father – as the first parents had not been obedient. In the face of abuse, torture and humiliation, Jesus chose fidelity to the Father’s Mercy and refused anger or revenge of any kind. In today’s Gospel passage from Luke’s account of the Passion, we hear that the taunting and violence toward Jesus is carried to the last moment by one of the tortured men hanging for his crimes near Jesus. Yet the other, also a violent and guilty criminal, turns to Jesus and begs to be re-membered. The faith of the “good thief” speaks the faith of every sinner who, in God’s mercy, recognizes the possibility of forgiveness and gives his life to seek it – even imperfectly. It is in this willingness to allow God’s grace to reveal one’s own choices for evil, and the suffering they have caused, that the sinner has the courage to ask to be remembered – to be “membered” again among God’s own. God’s Spirit pours forth from the wounded heart of Christ to transfigure the sinner into a participant in Christ’s own Body. Thus, do members of the human family come home to God’s reign.
To recognize and honor the Kingship of Christ is to know our humanity in all humility and gratitude. It is to receive the gift of salvation from one like us in all things but sin, and it is to be drawn so close to Christ’s suffering in our lives that we can ask through suffering to be re- membered – placed with Christ in the Reign of perfect mercy and everlasting joy.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
THE PROBLEM WITH THE KING | ||
| "There was an inscription over His head: 'THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.' " �Luke 23:38 | ||
When we acknowledge that Jesus is our King, we imply that we are His subjects. It is so difficult for us to be subjects, for when we pray "Thy kingdom come," that means His will, not ours, is to be done (see Mt 6:10). When we enthrone Jesus as our King, we must necessarily dethrone ourselves. It is even more challenging for a citizen of the USA to be a subject. Our country is founded on the rejection of subjection to the King of England. Many people have come to the USA to escape from being subjected to kings. Our form of government is an alternative to being subjected to kings. We have made a "declaration of independence" from subjection to kings. Moreover, if we subject ourselves to King Jesus, we subject ourselves to a crucified King. If a king made us prosperous and victorious, we may be able to tolerate being his subjects. But why would we accept a King Who wouldn't protect us from suffering and death? A crucified King probably would not make it a priority to preserve the American lifestyle. He could "ruin everything." If Jesus insisted on being our King, and we insisted upon preserving our own independence, we probably would have no alternative but to crucify Him. What will you do with Christ the King? Will you sneer (Lk 23:35) and jeer at Him (Lk 23:36) or fear and draw near Him? Will you revile Him (Lk 23:39) or subject yourself to Him? | ||
| Prayer: King "Jesus, remember me" (Lk 23:42). | ||
| Promise: "He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son." —Col 1:13 | ||
| Praise: Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King in 1925. He appealed to individuals and states, admonishing that lasting peace is only realized when we submit to the rule of our Savior. |
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom"
Do you recognize that the Lord Jesus has been given all authority and power by his Father in heaven to reign over all creation - including the heavens and the earth? Jesus was crucified for his claim to be the Anointed King sent by the Father in heaven (John 18:37 and Luke 23:38) to establish his kingdom not only for his people Israel, but for all nations and peoples as well (Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 24:30 and Matthew 26:63-64).
God is King and Ruler over all
What is the significance and meaning of Jesus' kingship for us? Kingship today seems outdated and useless, especially in democratic societies where everyone is supposed to be treated equal and free. Many rulers in past ages claimed they had sovereign authority to rule by divine edict. But God did not give his people Israel a king at first. Why? Because God alone was their King and they needed no other. Nonetheless, God relented and chose David as King over Israel with the promise that God would raise up through David's royal line a Savior who would establish an everlasting kingdom of righteousness and peace that would endure for all ages (Psalm 89:29).
The Jews understood that the Messiah ("Anointed one") would come as God's anointed King to restore paradise and establish God's reign of peace for them. They wanted a Messianic King who would free them from strife and division and from foreign oppression. Many had high hopes that Jesus would be the Messiah and Ruler for Israel. Little did they understand what kind of kingship Jesus claimed to possess.
Jesus' claim to kingship
Jesus came to deliver his people, and the whole world, from the worst kind of tyranny possible - from bondage to sin, guilt and condemnation, and from the wages of sin which is death (Romans 6:23) and separation from an all-merciful and just Father who gave us his son to set us free and to adopt us as his beloved sons and daughters. Jesus came to conquer hearts and souls for an imperishable kingdom - a kingdom ruled not by force or fear - but by the power of God's righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
When Satan tempted Jesus during his forty day fast in the wilderness, he offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:8-9). Jesus knew that the world was in Satan's power. And this was precisely why Jesus came - to overthrow Satan's power and deception over the earth. Jesus knew that the way to victory was through submission to his Father's will and plan to lay down his life for us and reverse the curse of sin and death for us. The Father sent his only begotten Son into the world, not to condemn it, but to save it through the atoning sacrifice which Jesus would make for us through the shedding of his blood on the cross of Calvary.
Jesus came to restore Paradise for us - everlasting life with God
As Jesus was crucified on the cross alongside two criminals who were thieves, one mocked him for his claim to divine kingship. But the other thief recognized through the eyes of faith that Jesus was truly God's Anointed King and Savior. He petitioned Jesus to treat his poor soul with mercy and pardon, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Luke 23:42). Jesus not only granted him forgiveness, but a place with him in his everlasting kingdom. "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Jesus died not only as King of the Jews, but as King of all nations and Lord of the universe. His victory over the power of sin, Satan, and the world was accomplished through his atoning death on the cross and his resurrection on the third day. Jesus exchanged a throne of glory for a cross of shame to restore us from slavery to sin to glory with God as his adopted sons and daughters. That is why the Father exalted his Son and raised him in glory over the heavens and the earth. In the Book of Revelation Jesus is called King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). He now sits in glory at the right hand of the Father in heaven - and from his throne he rules as Lord over all Do you recognize Jesus Christ as your Sovereign King and Redeemer?
Which ruler and kingdom do you serve?
The Scriptures tell us that there are ultimately only two kingdoms in this world which are opposed to one another - the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. Each kingdom is ruled by one lord or master - the Lord Jesus Christ who is the true "Light of the World" - and the false messiah and deceiver who is called the "anti-Christ" and the "angel of light" who rules over men and women through the power of false promises, lies, and temptation to sin and disobedience.
If we follow the Lord Jesus and entrust our lives to him he will open our eyes to the light of his truth and guide us by his Holy Spirit along the path that leads to our true homeland with God. If we follow the course which is set by the ruler of this present world - a world which is opposed to Christ and blinded by Satan - then we will discover that sin, pride, and deception will lead us down a path of destruction, death, and separation, rather than life, freedom, and friendship with God and the people he has redeemed with the precious blood of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Which kingdom will you serve - today, tomorrow, and for all eternity? This present world will pass away, but God's kingdom will endure forever. If we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and King and submit to his rule for our lives, we become citizens of heaven and inherit an everlasting kingdom which is ruled by righteousness, peace, and love. Is the Lord Jesus the true King and Master of your life?
"Lord Jesus Christ, you are my King and there is no other. Be the Lord and Master of my heart, mind, body, and soul. May I always seek to do your will and to serve your kingdom above all else."
Psalm 93:1-5
1 The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved;
2 your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring.
4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the LORD!
5 Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: My kingdom is not of the world, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Listen, everyone, Jews and Gentiles, circumcised and uncircumcised. Listen, all kings of the earth. I am no hindrance to your rule in this world, for 'my kingdom is not of this world.' Banish the groundless fear that filled Herod the Great on hearing that Christ was born. More cruel in his fear than in his anger, he put many children to death (Matthew 2:3,16), so that Christ would also die. But 'my kingdom is not of this world,' says Christ. What further reassurance do you seek? Come to the kingdom that is not of this world. Do not be enraged by fear, but come by faith. In a prophecy Christ also said, 'He,' that is, God the Father, 'has made me king on Zion his holy mountain' (Psalm 2:6). But that Zion and that mountain are not of this world.
"What in fact is Christ's kingdom? It is simply those who believe in him, those to whom he said, 'You are not of this world, even as I am not of this world.' He willed, nevertheless, that they should be in the world, which is why he prayed to the Father, 'I ask you not to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one' (John 17:15-16). So here also he did not say, 'My kingdom is not' in this world but 'is not of this world.' And when he went on to prove this by declaring, 'If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have fought to save me from being handed over to the Jews,' he concluded by saying not 'my kingdom is not here' but 'my kingdom is not from here.'
"Indeed, his kingdom is here until the end of time, and until the harvest it will contain weeds. The harvest is the end of the world, when the reapers, who are the angels, will come and gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin (Matthew 13:48-41). And this could not happen if his kingdom were not here. But even so, it is not from here, for it is in exile in the world. Christ says to his kingdom, 'You are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world' (John 15:19). They were indeed of the world when they belonged to the prince of this world, before they became his kingdom. Though created by the true God, everyone born of the corrupt and accursed stock of Adam is of the world. [But] everyone who is reborn in Christ becomes the kingdom that is no longer of the world. For God has snatched us from the powers of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). This is that kingdom of which he said, 'My kingdom is not of this world; my kingly power does not come from here." (excerpt from TRACTATES on THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 115.2)
http://www.homilies.net/
Christ the King
Christ the King - Cycle C
Luke 23:35-43
There sits on my office wall at Mount Saint Mary College in New York a valuable antique. It is the beautifully handwoven figure of Christ the King - standing circa eighteen inches with gold thread et al. It was woven in Belgium at least a century ago. It was removed from the back of a Roman "fiddleback" chasuble about to be discarded. It was framed and given to me as a gift by a dear friend.
The clothing of this King are manifestly regal. Obviously one must address Him as "Your Royal Majesty." His beard is handsomely barbered. His face unlined. His fingers manicured. His waist is not a shade over thirty inches. It is the Christ straight out of the mind of a most romantic monarchist artist. No King ever looked this good.
College students coming into my office do not relate well to this King Christ. A knowledgeable sophomore did some research for one of her theology classes on the question. She shared her paper with me for which she received an A. She called attention to John 6,15. "Jesus, aware that they meant to come and seize Him to proclaim Him king, withdrew again to the hills by Himself." Then she said that even in today's Gospel, it is the soldiers who say in vs 37, "If you are the king of the Jews...". Smugly she pointed out the Nazarene remains silent.
Then of course, as I suspected, the sophomore triumphantly turned to the most famous of the passages about kingship in John 18,37. "'You are a king, then?' said Pilate. Jesus answered, 'King is your word. My task is to bear witness to the truth.'"
The majority of college students relate better to Gary Seibert's picture of the Teacher in the Jesuit weekly America. The writer Seibert suggests that Jesus Himself has very generously given us "a verbal self-portrait." "Indeed, as Jesus walked this earth, the Kingdom of God was His; He sorrowed; He was lowly; He hungered and thirsted for justice; His heart burst with compassion; He was singlehearted; He brought peace and was persecuted for holiness' sake; He was insulted and persecuted because of who He was." This Christ was the embodiment of "His program for personal and corporate freedom - which is what the Beatitudes are..." This Saviour clearly is no royal person. Rather, in the jargon of college students, He is clearly a Man who walks the talk.
The clever William O'Malley in The People's Catechism: Catholic Faith for Adults has written: "It might seem an unnecessary diversion to speak of Jesus' appearance, and yet what we think Jesus looked like has a strong negative effect on our willingness even to sit down and listen to what Jesus says, much less giving it an honest hearing. Even in our best moments, no matter what our resolutions, we cannot help in fact 'judging a book by its cover.'"
Virginia Ann Froehle in St Anthony Messenger shares the insights of the Master from other cultures. Their visions may hopefully enrich our own images of Him. The American Indians have labeled Him "the little buffalo calf of God." They have called Him such because, like the buffalo of the plains, He sustained and nourished their bodies and spirit. The Eskimos speak of Jesus as "the little seal of God" for the same reasons.
Froehle points then to the colorful language of Africa about the Teacher. He is "the serpent who moves through the forest without fear, the ax unafraid of the tree, the hoe that doesn't fear the thorns." He is likewise the vine that confidently climbs into the heavens.
In the country sections of the Andes, she says the people like to picture Him as a weeping child removing a thorn out of the sole of His foot. The tears helps them better to understand how He shares the human condition with them. The thorn reminds them of His passion and suffering for their own selves. This is a Christ whom they feel very comfortable with. He is one of their own. This is a Christ my college students can identify with.
When we meet this Christ in Heaven, hopefully we will make the words of the negro spiritual our own: "Sit down, brother." "Can't sit down." "Sit down, brother." "Can't sit down." "Sit down, brother." "Can't sit down. I just got to Heaven and I got to look around."
Frjoeshomilies.net
Christ the King
Msgr. Joseph A. Pellegrino
The Solemnity of Christ the King: The one on the Cross Next to Us
"Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation?" Those words from the Good Thief, whom we call Dismis, bother me. How could Dismis say that God is dying with them? I could perhaps see his line of thought if Dismis were a pagan. The pagan gods of Greece and Rome had all sorts of human traits and failings. Their gods could be punished, as some were in their myths. But Dismis wasn't a pagan. He was a Hebrew. And he didn't say "a god" is dying with them. He said God. Why would Dismis consider that God could be condemned?
The answer might be found in a terrible movement from the last century. In 1966 Time Magazine published a cover story that asked, "Is God Dead?" This blasphemous article suggested that modern man no longer needed God, so therefore, he is dead. They weren't original, the 19th century philosopher, Frederich Nietsche, said this in his book Thus Spoke Zarathustra. I couldn't stand having to study Nietsche for my philosophy degree. His theories led to Nazism. Those who claimed that God was dead did so because they didn't need him. He was no longer relevant to them. They had the world very well in control without having to be concerned with the presence of God.
Perhaps, Dismis could see through the hypocrisy of the Temple priests and leaders of the Jewish people, who really didn't want God imposing himself on the nice neat order of things they had established for themselves. They had things under control. They certainly didn't want a Messiah coming who would question their lifestyle. Jesus did exactly that. They didn't need this. They didn't need him. So he was condemned to death.
Here in the 21st century only a few people will say that God is dead, but many people act as though He is dead. They think that they don't need Him. They certainly don't want Him in their lives. They have everything under control, or so they think. And so they put God to death, attacking His Presence in the social structures of the world. Freedom of religion has been reduced to freedom from religion, and the Christmas Season has become the winter holidays.
When we push God aside, keep him out of our lives, or at least parts of our lives, we are joining those who tried to put Him to death. If we do this enough, we, in our minds, will no longer consider the actions of a living God in the world or in our lives. Those who think they don't need God are joining the people who condemned Jesus to death.
Jesus did not deserve to die. Dismis was very clear in stating from his cross that Jesus is an innocent man. Dismis also shouts out to the other criminal, that the two of them are certainly guilty and were suffering for their crimes. None of us are completely innocent. We are all dependent on the Mercy of God. Jesus did not need mercy from His Father. He was beautifully innocent. The one who was suspended on a cross for us, hanging between heaven and earth is the one whose death redeems us from the bondage of sin.
And so we pray in the Divine Mercy Chaplet:
For the sake of your sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
For the sake of your sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
And so the Catholic composer Matt Maher writes:
Lord, we need you. How we need you! ©CCLI License #2368115
Today's gospel presents this question: with whom do we identify? Do we identify with Dismis who recognized Jesus' innocence, and who realized that Jesus' death could be his passage to heaven, or do we identify with those who have no need for God and removed him from their lives, ignoring His presence?
Dismis looked at Jesus and said, "Remember me when you come into your Kingdom." Dismis saw that he was being crucified next to the ruler of the spiritual kingdom. He realized that Jesus was the King of Kings. The spiritual is real. Jesus is Son of God; yet is one of us. We are members of His spiritual kingdom.
This changes everything. The way that we approach life. The ultimate goal of our lives. Our plan to achieve this goal. Everything changes because we are members of the spiritual kingdom. We have experienced the love of Jesus. We need to live for Christ. We need to spread this love to others. We cannot be vengeful. We cannot be people of hate. We cannot allow or support any form of prejudice or bigotry. We are the people of Jesus Christ. We cannot join those who live in a way that says, "We don't need God."
We do need God. And we love needing Him. We want the world to know that Jesus is our King. We need to proclaim to others with our lives, "Jesus is your king too."
Jesus, remember us when you come into your kingdom.
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* Available in Spanish - see Spanish Homilies
Christ the King
Our Challenge
Bottom line: As we come to the end of the liturgical year 2019 that's our challenge. Do we recognize Jesus' universal kingship?
This Sunday we celebrate Christ the King. This year it coincides with something that will happen only once: commitment weekend for Called to Serve as Christ. I ask you to make a response in context of today's Feast.
We've arrived at this Feast after five months travelling with Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem. Now we've reached the end our journey where Jesus faces the torture and humiliation of the cross. on the way of the cross the Romans carry a sign announcing his offense. It doesn't say "thief" or "murderer". Instead it reads "This is the King of the Jews".
The Romans mock Jesus because they see him as the lowest, most miserable man in Jerusalem. But they are wrong. Soon St. Paul would say this about Jesus: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation."
Jesus is not only King of the Jews; he is King of the Universe. Paul continues:
"For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him."
As we come to the end of the liturgical year 2019 that's our challenge. Do we recognize Jesus' universal kingship? Or at least glimpse it? And that he will come in glory? The dying thief has given us a good prayer, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom". Amen.
Alexmcallister.co.uk
Christ the King
Feast of Christ the King
St Luke draws an important distinction in the first line of our Gospel text today. He says, "The people stayed there before the Cross watching Jesus. As for the leaders, they jeered at him." He distinguishes carefully between the response of the people and their leaders. It is the leaders who mock Jesus not the people. The people stay at the Cross reverently watching Jesus saying nothing.
We should clearly understand that whenever the Church makes reference to the role of the Jews in its liturgy it does not mean a whole race. It is not the entire People of Israel who condemn Jesus and bring about his death but the leaders of the day; those who have a self-serving interest this act of political expediency.
By pointing out that the people stayed and watched Jesus die on the Cross St Luke is drawing attention not to their passivity but to their expectation that something was about to happen. He implies that they are open-minded, indeed that they are open to conversion.
The people seem to understand that Jesus was no ordinary man and that this was, therefore, no ordinary death. No doubt a few of them actually realised that there was something about Jesus that was going to affect their lives in a deeply personal way.
This is confirmed a few verses later when St Luke tells us that many left the scene "beating their breasts". These ordinary people are clearly moved at the death of Jesus and are full of sorrow. To beat one's breast is a clear sign of repentance and by this action we understand that the people are deeply affected by his death and perhaps even that it is a moment of conversion for some of them.
However, the main focus of the Gospel reading is surely the interplay between the two criminals crucified alongside Jesus. Just as the attitude of the people is contrasted with that of their leaders so is the attitude of the good thief compared with the one who abuses Jesus. But here the focus is much sharper.
The abusive thief is angry. He lashes out at anyone within range even at Jesus his fellow victim who can hardly be responsible for his situation. This is contrasted with the resigned attitude of the Good Thief who accepts his fate and his own responsibility for it. His words to the Bad Thief are interesting, "You got the same sentence as he did."
The word used in Hebrew means both judgement and sentence so we can see this at two levels; all three are under the same sentence of death but all three in the moment of their death also face the judgement of God.
This makes sense of the Good Thief's earlier words, "Have you no fear of God at all?" The Good Thief is reminding his fellow criminal that they are approaching the moment of truth, the moment of divine judgement, and that this is not the time to be angry and blame other people but the moment to look inwards, to admit guilt and seek repentance from God.
He then calls on Jesus to "remember" him when he comes into his Kingdom. The Biblical use of this word "remember" is much deeper than just calling to mind. In a real sense it means "to make present". If Jesus remembers him then by this action the Good Thief will be brought into the Kingdom of Heaven.
We have come to the culmination of the Liturgical Year. We have experienced in the liturgy all the principal events of Christ's life. In a liturgical way we have accompanied him right through from his conception to his ascension into heaven. We have gone over the main content of his teaching and examined the miracles and those moments when he let his glory be seen.
Having walked with him throughout the year we now conclude with this great Feast of Christ the King and through our celebration of it we are reminded of the most important thing of all. We are reminded that each one of us will face death and judgement and that each one of us must do what we can while there is still time to prepare ourselves for that awesome day. And this means, in a word, that we must repent. We must acknowledge our own sinfulness and hopelessness and turn to God in all humility asking him to save us and heal us.
The Christian life is a life lived in acknowledgement of our utter dependence on God. This means that conversion is at its very heart. But conversion is not a one-off thing; no, it is a constant process. We have to continually remind ourselves that without God we are nothing and that we should therefore give him first priority in everything that we say or do. This is not easy; but the best starting point is that we want to do it, that we have the desire to give our lives to God always in our hearts. At least then when we fail, we will recognise that we have done so and it will be all the easier to repent and begin again.
When thinking about these things it is always good to think in terms of right–relationship. If we get into our heads the correct attitude we ought to have in our relationship with God then it will always be easy for us to see the way ahead. We know that he is the author of all life and that we are his creation; we realise that despite our constant desire to be independent of God we are actually totally subservient to him. We understand that we owe him our lives and we know very well that if he withdrew his attention from us just for a brief moment we would not continue to exist.
Christ is our King; he is king of our lives, he is king of our destinies, he is the king of all of creation. He is the ruler; we are the ruled. He is the healer; we are the patient. He is the saviour; we are the saved.
It is to him that we owe obedience, and it is to him that we pay honour and worship. He is so far above us that we pale into insignificance in comparison. And yet the wonder is that he loves us and wants to raise us up to be with him forever.
once we understand our true position in relation to him, we cannot put ourselves first in life any more. once we understand our true position in relation to him, we can be sure that he will always be first in our hearts, first in our thoughts, first in our lives.
More Homilies
November 20, 2016 The Solemnity of Christ the King
November 24, 2013 The Solemnity of Christ the King
