SUNDAY NOVEMBER 26, 2023
SUNDAY OF THE THIRTY FOURTH WEEK OF THE ORDINARY TIME YEAR A
SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE UNIVERSAL KING
Ezekiel 34:11-12.15-17
1 Corinthians 15:20-26.28
Matthew 25:31-46
THE MODEL OF THE KINGSHIP OF JESUS IS THAT OF LOVE AND CARE.
In our worldly concept, when we talk about royalty, kingship and POWER, what readily comes to our minds is splendour, glory, power and wealth. And most unfortunately, worldly power and authority is portrayed as authority to oppress and impress, powers to subjugate, wealth to gain, and pleasure to flaunt. This is absolutely worldly way of viewing power.
But in the case of Christ, and the divine, it is a radically different taste. First, we must acknowledge that the kingship of Jesus is far beyond that of the world. It extends from the heavenly realm into earth existence, while worldly power is very limited to the world.
Again, the Kingship of Jesus is a kingship that Scripture portrays as shepherding, that has attributes of caring, loving, upholding and enhancing and thinking less of self but more of the wellbeing and salvation of other.
Today, the Church begins the last week of the liturgical year with an annual or yearly celebration of the solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe.
By this celebration, the Church acknowledges and proclaims that the KINGSHIP of Christ extends beyond this world into the heavenly world where He is seated at the right hand of God Almighty. It is a KINGSHIP for all the kingdoms of the earth. That everything is under his rule, his power, his influence and his domain. Nothing is outside himself. Christ reigns as King of all kings. His domain is all that is in heaven and on earth. Every power, every authority, every principalities are under his rule and domain. To him be glory both now and forever.
Second, the readings of today lays great emphasis on the kind of kingship which Jesus owns and has. Our first reading, from the prophecy of Ezekiel talks about the model of the rulership akin to our God. And Ezekiel brings the great idea of a Shepherd. He gave the attributes of a Shepherd as one who goes after his sheep, searches for them, cares for the sheep, binds up the wounded, looks for the lost, watches over the weak, supports them, and takes them to good pastures to feed and nourish them. A Shepherd also protects the life of the sheep, guides them to good pastures, and fights their aggressors, and their enemies for them. And a Shepherd will as well judge between the sheep, punish the stray, the wicked and adjudicate for the weak and the oppressed.
The psalm of today lays great emphasis on the mission and task of the good shepherd which our king is, giving credence to the promises made by God in the first reading regarding his nature as our shepherd.
In the first letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, our second reading, Paul gives a precise analysis of the character of the KINGSHIP of Christ as one who died for his sheep, who gave his life for the sake of his sheep, and redeemed his flock from the subjugation of sins and thereby releasing man from the consequences arising from the fall of the first man, Adam. And he raised man to the status of adopted children, and gave man the most precious gift of the ressurection. And so, Christ became the first to show man compassion and to chart the way for man’s total redemption by his death and resurrection. God thereby subjected all powers, authorities and sovereignty under Christ. So Jesus’ kingship is sacrificial, giving, loving and very strong and generous for the good of his flock and his own.
For us who are under Christ’s KINGSHIP and under his rulership, we are expected to be like our Father and our Lord and Shepherd because our God who is our King is building for us a kingdom different from this worldly kingdom. It is a kingdom of love and peace, a kingdom of justice and mercy, and an everlasting kingdom.
As such the gospel gives us the character that must be associated with the kingdom of God and those who live in it. We must be caring, loving, sacrificing, forgiving and upholding one another. On these basis are we admitted, accepted, judged and taken into God.
It is more a practical Christianity, feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, visiting the sick and those in prison, clothing the naked, taking care of the sick, the weak, the disadvantaged, the physically challenged and the feeble in us. It is about humanity and being human to the extent that we help, we uphold and we sacrifice for others. We give and keep giving to people without expecting any reward, but just giving until the last.
That is the character, attribute and the glories of belonging to the KINGSHIP of Jesus. His kingdom is that of love, mercy, kindness, forgiveness, patience, compassion meted to others.
We can see that our world is radically opposed to this ideals of Christ’s Kingdom. We must rise then to establish this kingdom in our midst otherwise, our claim to making Jesus King of the universe may be false and unrealistic. Until we reflect this in our everyday life and journey of life, so that Jesus may be truly king of our souls, our live and our world, we may be living false life.
King of the Universe, Jesus Christ, and King of our lives and our world, may we live to extend your kingship to all around us by reciprocating these attributes of love, kindness, peace, mercy and joy. May we live out these same virtues thereby establishing your kingdom in our lives, our souls and our world through the power of the Holy Spirit for the glory and honour of our God. Amen.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
