OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE - 25 November, 2018
THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST: TRUTH, MERCY AND PEACE
(Dan 7:13-14; Apoc 1:5-8; Jn 18:33-37)
From today, we enter the final days of the Church's year. We end as we began, with Jesus. The entire liturgical year is centred on him: we inaugurate the pastoral year on the hopes of 'Advent', embracing it with both the joys of Christmas and the pains of Lent. We count our blessing all through the ordinary times of the year; and now, we end by celebrating Christ's kingship and kingdom.
The entrance into Christ's kingship and kingdom is open to all. Yet, only ‘those who receive him and believe him (Jn 1:12) through baptism, have kin-ship with Christ. But it is also in fact, all those who, from their baptism, strive to reflect in their personal lives, all the teachings of Christ's Gospel, give the witness that Christ needs. The picture of Christ the king therefore, is about God's greatness amongst his people. The glory of Christ is more in the hearts that hear the truth of his Gospel.
In our world, people are thought of highly, if they have lined up behind them, the paraphernalia of riches and power. Worldly rulers and earthly kingdoms showcase the glories of the worldly world: the force of arms, the muscle of economic might, the pettiness of pleasure, or all of them combined. This is the way of the world, the individuals and nations who make their authority felt (Lk 10: 42). But we do not celebrate Christ the King with military parades or the exhibition of nuclear missiles and the ballistic warheads.
The truth we know is that, these ephemeral worlds never endure. Like the world of Pilate in today's Gospel, the ‘gestapo’ worlds are transiting away. Contextualised within the framework of today's readings the brutality of terrorist acts across the length and breadth of nations also remind us of a worldly world caught in the traps of its own foolishness. A violent world drifting away into a self-imposed annihilation, pretends that it is killing innocent people for God's pleasure: shame!
Everyone who is on the side of truth, hears the voice of Christ (Jn18:37). On the heels of the first world war, amidst the rubble and carnage wrecked across the universe, the voice of truth, ringing through the Church inaugurated the feast of Christ the king in 1925. The servants of Christ hearing his voice, called out to the world to celebrate the prince of peace, to entrench the values of love and acceptance; and to work together for God’s kingdom of righteousness and peace. The progress made was soon swept away in the wishes of the powers of this world who hunger to exercise power powerfully.
Likewise, the selfishness and arrogance of the worldly-minded resent the kingdom of Christ. In the world of the godless, the only god is man and the things that man likes and wants. Thus, we all know that there once was, the Persian, Greek and Roman empires. There once was, the European kingdoms of totalitarianism, fascism and Nazism. There once was, Bolshevism in Soviet Russia. But today, those worldly kingdoms and many more like them are history, even as the voice of truth continues to speak through their debris.
The kingdom of Christ is the kingdom of peace. Peace in our hearts so that peace may come to our world. The peace of soul offered in a true kingdom of Christ does not seek to enslave her sons and daughters with a free choice towards absolute license. The kingdom of Jesus Christ espouses responsible freedom under the voice of truth. In effect, the moral values allowed in governance, ensures that absolute, individual permissiveness have no place in Christ's kingdom - which is why, even though Christ's kingdom is in the world, yet Christ explains, “my kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).
A kingdom not of this world is often difficult for the worldly man to comprehend. So, in politics, the debates and manipulations rage in our societies about what is salutary and beautiful. Christ's kingdom is here and now with us as Church, yet it is a kingdom marching forward daily to its consummation in Christ the faithful witness: Christ who is, who was and who is to come...
Fr Modestus
THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST: TRUTH, MERCY AND PEACE
(Dan 7:13-14; Apoc 1:5-8; Jn 18:33-37)
From today, we enter the final days of the Church's year. We end as we began, with Jesus. The entire liturgical year is centred on him: we inaugurate the pastoral year on the hopes of 'Advent', embracing it with both the joys of Christmas and the pains of Lent. We count our blessing all through the ordinary times of the year; and now, we end by celebrating Christ's kingship and kingdom.
The entrance into Christ's kingship and kingdom is open to all. Yet, only ‘those who receive him and believe him (Jn 1:12) through baptism, have kin-ship with Christ. But it is also in fact, all those who, from their baptism, strive to reflect in their personal lives, all the teachings of Christ's Gospel, give the witness that Christ needs. The picture of Christ the king therefore, is about God's greatness amongst his people. The glory of Christ is more in the hearts that hear the truth of his Gospel.
In our world, people are thought of highly, if they have lined up behind them, the paraphernalia of riches and power. Worldly rulers and earthly kingdoms showcase the glories of the worldly world: the force of arms, the muscle of economic might, the pettiness of pleasure, or all of them combined. This is the way of the world, the individuals and nations who make their authority felt (Lk 10: 42). But we do not celebrate Christ the King with military parades or the exhibition of nuclear missiles and the ballistic warheads.
The truth we know is that, these ephemeral worlds never endure. Like the world of Pilate in today's Gospel, the ‘gestapo’ worlds are transiting away. Contextualised within the framework of today's readings the brutality of terrorist acts across the length and breadth of nations also remind us of a worldly world caught in the traps of its own foolishness. A violent world drifting away into a self-imposed annihilation, pretends that it is killing innocent people for God's pleasure: shame!
Everyone who is on the side of truth, hears the voice of Christ (Jn18:37). On the heels of the first world war, amidst the rubble and carnage wrecked across the universe, the voice of truth, ringing through the Church inaugurated the feast of Christ the king in 1925. The servants of Christ hearing his voice, called out to the world to celebrate the prince of peace, to entrench the values of love and acceptance; and to work together for God’s kingdom of righteousness and peace. The progress made was soon swept away in the wishes of the powers of this world who hunger to exercise power powerfully.
Likewise, the selfishness and arrogance of the worldly-minded resent the kingdom of Christ. In the world of the godless, the only god is man and the things that man likes and wants. Thus, we all know that there once was, the Persian, Greek and Roman empires. There once was, the European kingdoms of totalitarianism, fascism and Nazism. There once was, Bolshevism in Soviet Russia. But today, those worldly kingdoms and many more like them are history, even as the voice of truth continues to speak through their debris.
The kingdom of Christ is the kingdom of peace. Peace in our hearts so that peace may come to our world. The peace of soul offered in a true kingdom of Christ does not seek to enslave her sons and daughters with a free choice towards absolute license. The kingdom of Jesus Christ espouses responsible freedom under the voice of truth. In effect, the moral values allowed in governance, ensures that absolute, individual permissiveness have no place in Christ's kingdom - which is why, even though Christ's kingdom is in the world, yet Christ explains, “my kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).
A kingdom not of this world is often difficult for the worldly man to comprehend. So, in politics, the debates and manipulations rage in our societies about what is salutary and beautiful. Christ's kingdom is here and now with us as Church, yet it is a kingdom marching forward daily to its consummation in Christ the faithful witness: Christ who is, who was and who is to come...
Fr Modestus