Christ the King
The Last Sunday of Ordinary Time 2020
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November 22, 2020
Ezekiel 34:11-17; Psalm 23; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28; Matthew 25:31-46
The year 2020 has not given us the clarity of perspective that most people wished for, and it will soon come to an end. The church year comes to an end this week and the church in the U.S. finds itself at a curious point. The report on former Cardinal McCarrick damns the clerical legacy of the hierarchy, and it calls into question the way saints are made and how a holy system permits McCarrick’s rise. The bishops in the U.S. met earlier in the week to select new posts within the Bishops Conference, and this will determine whether some bishops will continue to resist the direction Pope Francis is steering the church or will they engage his evangelical vision.
Since the bishops last met, mass and liturgical worship has been shut down or interrupted because of the pandemic, which raises untimely and unpopular questions about religious liberties and the right to ignore public health regulations. The church has not sufficiently grieved together the loss of so many lives due to COVID-19 while new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths soar. The upcoming winter seems grim and cold though the promise of vaccines float on the horizon. The political climate in Washington has surfaced the deep ideological divides that rest in our church and there remain disagreements on ways to engage cultural shifts. Climate change, race relations, cultural sensitivities, and defining what a consistent platform for life looks like are topics that will provide much discourse and discernment.
The church in the U.S. looks to the bishops to see in which direction they are moving; the church looks to see what type of leadership the bishops will endorse. As in everything, the style defines who we are. This brings us to the feast we celebrate today, the feast of Christ the King, which was instituted a century ago because the church wanted to project a confident, all-knowing, all-powerful king. However, the readings selected by the church for our hearing are anything but that. This king is a humble shepherd who pays attention, not to the strong, noble, or powerful, but to the ordinary person and the least fortunate among us. So my question to you is: What type of leader do you need Jesus to be for you today? Culturally, we have been conditioned since our youth to select the strong one, the wisest, the victor, the smartest, the elevated, most remote ruler, the most absolute and firm in conviction, declarative in speech, but I ask you to reflect upon this question: What do you really need from God today based upon what is happening in our tumultuous world? Some need those qualities I just mentioned, but others need the one who is kind, affirming, striving to take care of you in the best way possible, the one who respects your freedom and is slow to anger, rich in mercy, and with compassionate understanding. Do you need to all-powerful king who stands above you or the gentle shepherd who stands by you and with you? It is a matter of what you need today.
To which image of Jesus do you pray? Who do you want gazing upon you as you stand before him and he looks upon you in wonder and beholds your magnificence? As Catholics, we can hold both images, but this feast is more than our relationship to Jesus. The Gospel reminds us that we are given to each other as a community and our entrance into heaven is determined by how well we have treated and cared for one another. We need each other for salvation and our task is reconciliation, integration, and understanding with increased compassion. When we do that, we stand together as a church before our Christ who welcomes us into his eternal kingdom, and kingdom of goodness and happiness, a kingdom where we sincerely belong.
Scripture for Daily Mass
First Reading:
Monday: (Revelation 14) I, John, looked and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of rushing water or a loud peal of thunder.
Tuesday: (Revelation 14) I, John, looked and there was a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud one who looked like a son of man, with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
Wednesday: (Revelation 15) I, John, saw in heaven another sign, great and awe-inspiring: seven angels with the seven last plagues, for through them God’s fury is accomplished.
Thursday: (Revelation 18) He cried out in a mighty voice:“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. She has become a haunt for demons. She is a cage for every unclean spirit,
a cage for every unclean bird, a cage for every unclean and disgusting beast.”
Friday (Revelation 20) He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, which is the Devil or Satan, and tied it up for a thousand years and threw it into the abyss, which he locked over it and sealed, so that it could no longer lead the nations astray until the thousand years are completed.
Saturday (Revelation 22) An angel showed me the river of life-giving water,
sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the street, On either side of the river grew the tree of life that produces fruit twelve times a year, once each month.
Gospel:
Monday: (Luke 21) When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest.
Tuesday: (Luke 21) While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, “All that you see here–the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”
Wednesday (Luke 21) “They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
Thursday (Luke 21) “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is at hand. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Let those within the city escape from it, and let those in the countryside not enter the city, for these days are the time of punishment when all the Scriptures are fulfilled.
Friday (Luke 21) Consider the fig tree and all the other trees. When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near; in the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near.
Saturday (Luke 21) Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
Saints of the Week
November 22: Cecilia, martyr (2nd or 3rd century), is the patron saint of music because of the song she sang at her wedding. She died just days after her husband, Valerian, and his brother were beheaded for refusing to sacrifice to the gods. She is listed in the First Eucharistic prayer as an early church martyr.
November 23: Clement I, pope and martyr (d. 99) is also mentioned in the First Eucharistic prayer. He is the third pope and was martyred in exile. He is presumed to be a former slave in the imperial court. He wrote a letter to the Corinthians after a revolt and as pope he restored ordered within the ministries.
November 23: Columban, abbot (d. 615) was an Irish monk who left Ireland for France with 12 companions to found a monastery as a base for preaching. They established 3 monasteries within 10 years. Columban opposed the king's polygamy and was expelled. He set up monasteries in Switzerland and Italy before he died. Though he was expelled, the monasteries were permitted to remain open.
November 23: Miguel Pro, S.J., martyr (1891-1927) lived in Guadalupe, Mexico before entering the Jesuits. Public worship was forbidden in Mexico so Miguel became an undercover priest often wearing disguises. He was arrested and ordered to be shot in front of a firing squad without benefit of a trial. Before he died she shouted out, "Long live Christ the King."
November 24: Andrew Dung-Lac and companion martyrs (1785-1839) were missionaries to Vietnam during the 17th through 19th centuries. Over 130,000 Christians were killed, including priests, sisters, brothers, and lay people. Many of these were Vietnamese citizens.
Fourth Thursday: Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. is derived from a mix of European and Native American traditions. Joyous festivals were held in Europe to give thanks for a good harvest and to rejoice with others for their hard work. It is a day to give thanks for the many blessings we have received through God's generosity throughout the year.
November 25: Catherine of Alexandria, martyr, (d. 310) is said to have been born in Egypt to a noble family. She was educated and converted to Christianity because of a vision. She refused to marry a man arranged to be her husband by the emperor, and she denounced him for persecuting Christians. She was arrested, tortured, and killed.
November 26: John Berchmans, S.J., religious (1599-1621), was a Jesuit scholastic who is the patron saint of altar servers. He was known for his pious adherence to the rules and for his obedience. He did well in studies, but was seized with a fever during his third year of philosophy and died at the age of 22.
This Week in Jesuit History
- Nov 22, 1791: Georgetown Academy opened with one student, aged 12, who was the first student taught by the Jesuits in the United States.
- Nov 23, 1545: Jeronimo de Nadal, whom Ignatius had known as a student at Paris, entered the Society. Later Nadal was instrumental in getting Ignatius to narrate his autobiography.
- In 1927: the execution of Fr. Michael Augustine Pro, SJ, by leaders of the persecution of the Church in Mexico.
- Nov 24, 1963: The death of John LaFarge, pioneer advocate of racial justice in the United States.
- Nov 25, 1584: The Church of the Gesu, built in Rome for the Society by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, was solemnly consecrated.
- Nov 26, 1678: In London the arrest and imprisonment of St Claude la Colombiere. He was released after five weeks and banished.
- Nov 27, 1680: In Rome the death of Fr. Athanasius Kircher, considered a universal genius, but especially knowledgeable in science and archeology.
- Nov 28, 1759: Twenty Fathers and 192 Scholastics set sail from the Tagus for exile. Two were to die on the voyage to Genoa and Civita Vecchia.
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