Christ the King

                                    Christ the King

                                   

 

The Lamb of God Enthroned
Assumption church, Fairfield CT

Today's feast of Christ the King marks the end of the church year. Although Christians have always believed in the Kingship of Christ, the feast is a relatively recent one dating only from 1925. Pope Pius IX instituted the new feast after a devastating world war which saw millions killed and empires fall. The Kaiser of defeated Germany was forced to abdicate his throne; the Tsar of Russia was deposed and executed by angry revolutionaries; the Austrian empire--the heir to the Holy Roman empire which had lasted for over a thousand years--was broken up into a number of small states; and the Turkish empire, which had ruled the Middle East for over 500 years, was also overthrown, an event which led to the anarchy in that area which persists even today. Even though the English monarchy survived the war, the mighty British empire was mortally wounded.

At a time when the very idea of Kingship was on the way out, the Pope chose to emphasize the Kingship of Christ. The Second Vatican Council reemphasized the importance of the feast when it moved it from the last Sunday in October to the very last Sunday of the church year. Naturally, the theme of today's readings is Kingship. The first reading from the Book of Daniel speaks of one who has received “dominion, glory, and kingship.”

            His dominion is an everlasting dominion

That shall not be taken away,

His kingdom shall not be destroyed.

In America we have never been partial to kings or the idea of Kingship. We pride ourselves on being a government "of the people, for the people, and by the people." It wasn't only that our founding fathers revolted against King George III of England but their aversion to kingship went even deeper.

Kings were supposed to be God's divinely appointed representatives on earth. Their coronations were religious ceremonies where the new king would be anointed with holy oils by a religious leader. Political philosophers spoke of the "divine right of kings" to justify their power. Ever since the time of King Henry the Eighth, the kings and queens of England had acted as head of the Church of England. Old traditions held that the King even possessed miraculous healing powers. It was believed that merely touching his cloak could cure many physical maladies.

By the time of our revolution it was clear that most kings were not what they were supposed to be. Many had come to their thrones not by divine right or election but through violence and usurpation. Many did not behave like representatives of God especially when it came to being good shepherds. A King was supposed to be the best and noblest man in the nation but often he seemed to be the worst. Even if they started out with good intentions, power corrupted them.

But what if there was a person whose teaching was both simpler and wiser than any of the world's great philosophers? What if this same teacher was able to calm storms at sea and even walk on the angry waters? What if there was a person who did indeed possess miraculous healing powers? -- if merely touching his cloak could cure both physical and spiritual ailments? What if there was a person who could feed the multitudes not only with bread for a day but with the bread of everlasting life? What if there was a person whose power was so great that he could even bring the dead back to life? Finally, what if there was a person who rather than being corrupted by power, surrendered his own life for his people? Shouldn't we call that person our King?

In today's gospel from St. Luke we see our King on this last Sunday of the Church year on trial before the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate. In this scene Pilate puts the question to Jesus: “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered:

You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.

All year we have been reading St. Mark’s account of our Lord's journey to Jerusalem. We've followed Him on the journey, heard the famous parables, witnessed the miracles and the miraculous cures and healings. He asked us to take up our cross and follow Him and promised that if we would do so we would enter into His Kingdom. Actually, He said that His Kingdom would enter into us--that the Kingdom of God would be within us.

Let's end this Church year by visualizing the scene on the Cross. Let's imagine that we are one of the thieves being crucified along with Jesus and that our own journey through life is coming to an end. Wouldn't we want to hear the famous words in the gospel when the King turns to us and says,

            Amen, I say to you,

            today you will be with Me in Paradise.

Reading 1. Daniel 7: 13-14

Reading II. Revelations 1: 5-8

Gospel. John 18: 33b-37 (You say I am a king)

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Feast of All Saints

                                    All Saints Day

                                   

The month of November is sometimes called the month of the dead. As we look around we see the leaves falling from the trees, the sun riding lower in the sky and setting earlier and earlier. Animals are preparing for the long cold winter. 

The Church year also follows the cycle of nature. We begin this month with the great feast of All Saints, and then remember all the departed on All Souls day. Throughout the month we will remember our beloved departed and at the end of the month we will celebrate the feast of Christ the King where we will come face to face with the end of the world and the Last Judgment.

This weekend’s two great feasts deal not with death, however, but with triumph over death. The first reading for All Saints day is taken from the Book of Revelation. In his vision John sees an angel who holds off the powers about to destroy the world.

Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees

Until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.

John numbers these servants as 144000 but who takes time in a vision to count. Twelve is the mystical number that signifies completeness and 12 times 12 equals 144, as if to say completeness squared. Multiply 144 times 1000 and we realize that the vision includes a multitude. John says as much in the next verse,

After this I had a vision of a great multitude,

Which no one could count,

From every nation, race, people, and tongue.

The gospel for All Saints is the account of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus identifies the Blessed who will inherit the Kingdom. The are the poor in spirit, they who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.

The second reading for All Saints is from the first Letter of John. John identifies the saints not as marble or plaster statues but as the children of God. He says “we are God’s children,” and as such holds out the hope that we all can become like our Father in Heaven.

High up on the wall in the back of many churches, we can observe a great stained glass window that is often called a rose window because it is shaped like a flower with a central core with twelve petals surrounding the core. In the core there will be either the figure of the resurrected Jesus, or the symbolic Lamb of God. Symbols of each of the twelve Apostles will be found in the petals. There is that number 12 again signifying that the Apostles represent all the saints. Like the Apostles the saints were ordinary men and woman who by the grace of God were able to overcome their weaknesses, and become good and faithful servants.

Rose Window, Assumption Church
Fairfield CT

In a small chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome the great painter Caravaggio portrayed two of these ordinary men across from each other. He portrayed St. Peter about to be crucified at the end of his mission, and St, Paul at his conversion, the start of his mission. He portrayed them as ordinary human beings like us or our brothers and sisters being persecuted even today all over the world.

Reading 1. Revelations 7: 2-4, 9-14

Reading II. 1 John 3: 1-3

Gospel. Matthew 5: 1-12a (Blessed are the…)

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Bartimaeus, a Blind Man

                                    30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

                                

           

Today’s first reading from the book of the Prophet Jeremiah is about the Lord’s deliverance of his people from slavery. He speaks of an immense crowd finally able to return to their native land.

Behold, I will bring them back

From the land of the north;

I will gather them from the ends of the world,

With the blind and the lame in their midst…

In today’s gospel reading from Mark we can see that the cure of one blind man by Jesus is a fulfillment of the prophecy. Bartimaeus was the blind man’s name. Actually “bar” means “son of” and so the poor beggar is only identified as the son of his father, Timaeus. Bartimaeus is begging at the entrance to Jericho when he hears that Jesus is passing by followed by a large crowd.  He raises his voice and says, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.”

We are told that people tried to stop his shouting but he persisted until Jesus stops and calls for him. Immediately, the man jumps up and approaches Jesus who simply asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” His reply is simply, “Master, I want to see.” In a way, we can all put ourselves in the place of Bartimaeus when we approach Jesus. What prayer could we say that would be any better than “Master, I want to see.”

Mark does not bother with any details but only indicates that a few words from Jesus were enough to enable Bartimaeus to see. “Go your way, your faith has saved you.” 

Today, many people like to think of Jesus as a good man and a fine teacher. Despite the accounts of miracles like the one above, they find it hard to see that Jesus is something else. Such was not the case with the people who witnessed these miraculous healings as well as with the early followers of Jesus. In our second reading today, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews calls Jesus a High Priest according to the line of the ancient priest Melchizedek.

The role of the High Priest is to offer gifts and sacrifices for the remission of the sins of his people. He is also to deal patiently with the ignorant and the erring. While High Priests were taken from men to perform their role, Jesus was a unique and special case. He is the Son of God. His followers recalled the words at the Baptism.

You are my son: this day I have begotten you.

Jesus said that it was the faith of Bartimaeus that saved him and allowed him to see. But Bartimaeus could not see until he encountered Jesus on the road to Jericho.

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Reading 1.  Jeremiah 31: 7-9

Reading II. Hebrews 5: 1-6

Gospel. Mark 1Mark 10: 46-52 (Bartimaeus, a blind man)

A Ransom for Many

                                    29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

                                    

           

All three readings today deal with self-sacrifice, the central element of our Christian faith. The first reading is part of the suffering servant discourse from the book of the Prophet Isaiah. The words have always been applied to the work of Jesus.

If he gives his life as an offering for sin,

He shall see his descendants in a long life,

And the will of the Lord shall be accomplished through him.

The second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews tells us that in Jesus we have a priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses because He too was tested in every way.

In today’s gospel reading Jesus obviously applies the words of Isaiah to Himself but then also to all who would follow him.

For the son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

The remark of Jesus had been prompted by a dispute that had broken our among his followers. James and John had asked for special treatment in the Kingdom of God. It was a foolish request and Jesus told them, “you do not know what you are asking.” After all, to share in His glory would mean sharing in all the pain and suffering He was going to endure.

When the other apostles heard of the request of James and John, they became indignant at the two brothers. At that point Jesus calls them all together and tells them that the way of the Gentiles cannot be their way. Their place in the Kingdom of God will not be one of authority but of service.

Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;

Whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.

Whenever we hear the word “Gentile” in scripture we should broaden our horizon beyond biblical times. In those days, anyone not a Jew was called a Gentile by the Jews, who severely limited their contact with foreigners. Not only did Gentiles fail to acknowledge one God, but also their ways and customs were often regarded as unclean. Although Jesus went out of his way to praise and help virtuous Gentiles, he warned his followers to avoid their bad behavior.

You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them,

And their great ones make their authority felt.

The Gentiles are still with us today. Our great ones still make their authority felt. Even though we live in a democracy and our leaders call themselves public servants, they often act like the potentates of old. They constantly give speeches but rarely listen to anyone but their wealthy contributors. They take the best places at banquets or gatherings. During the recent visit of Pope Francis to America, leading politicians usually found their way to the front row even at Mass.

I recently found a wonderful example of true service right in my own parish community. Recently, my wife and I attended a dinner in our own parish to raise funds for “Off the Streets”, a small organization formed a few years ago to help the “homeless” find homes. It was created by a deacon of the Diocese of Bridgeport, and one of the deacons in my parish formed the local chapter.

“Off the Streets” found that families with children make up about 36% of the homeless population. Single men make up 44% while single women make up about 13%. The remaining 7% are unaccompanied minors. Surprisingly, about 44% of the homeless are doing paid work. However, these cannot afford the security deposit on an apartment, or the expenses involved in furnishing the apartment.

“Off the Streets” works to meet this need by providing the security deposit and the basic furnishings for an apartment. The organization relies entirely on volunteers who receive no pay. Its overhead is about $20 per month but so far it has managed to find housing for almost 1000 families and individuals.

In the Acts of the Apostles we find that deacons played a very important role in the very beginning of the church. When the Apostles found it difficult to tend to all the physical needs of their growing community, they appointed deacons to assist in the care of the needy. But over the centuries the diaconate became just a kind of temporary step in the process of ordaining a priest. However, after the Second Vatican Council the Church created the permanent diaconate as a way for the laity to take a more important role.

Today the deacons and volunteers who staff “Off the Streets” are literally following the words of Jesus to be servants of all. *

Reading 1.  Isaiah 53: 10-11

Reading II. Hebrews 4: 14-16

Gospel. Mark 10: 35-45 (a ransom for many)

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* Note In its brief existence, “Off the Streets” has succeeded in providing almost 1000 homeless individuals and families with a place to live. It has a devoted group of volunteers who work year round. In its pamphlet OTS explained how it helps.

*OTS generally pays security deposits and other upfront costs.

*OTS’ process can usually provide a fully furnished apartment in as little as two to fourteen days.

*OTS provides basic household (furniture, bedding, etc.) to help give our clients a fresh start.

*A bus ticket can get a homeless person off the streets when family from out of town are willing to take in the person.

The Off theStreets website provides much more information of what it does and on the ways others can help.

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