On this, the last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year, the Church calls us to think of the end of our lives, our final judgment and our final destiny – the Kingdom of God. The apocalyptic vision that we hear in today’s first reading from the Book of Daniel sets the tone by speaking about the coming of a “Son of man” who receives dominion, glory and kingship over all peoples, nations, and languages who will serve him. The passage from the Book of Revelation that we hear today is based on this vision from Daniel and declares that Jesus Christ is the “ruler of the kings of the earth.” In today’s Gospel account from John, we hear Pilate ask Jesus if he is “the King of the Jews.” Jesus responds, “My kingdom does not belong to this world.”
In all these readings, we are called to acknowledge our Lord’s kingship over us. As his followers, we believe that our kingdom is not here but with our Lord and God in heaven. And so, we live in this world as subjects to our Lord and not subject to the gods of this world. As we come to the end of the liturgical year – next Sunday is already the first Sunday of Advent – let us reflect on this truth and rededicate ourselves to reflecting it in our lives.
I think we can all recognize that the Church today faces pressures from without and crisis from within. In addition to the challenges that we face in an increasingly secular society, we must also tend to the wounds inflicted on the Church by priests and bishops who either committed acts of sexual abuse themselves or failed to respond to abuse with justice when they had the opportunity. The celebration of this Feast of Jesus Christ as King of the Universe gives us a good opportunity to the embrace the deepest truths of our faith and to rededicate ourselves to the reign of Jesus Christ in every aspect of our lives.
As we hear predicted in today’s readings, all the powers of this earth will fade away, while the kingdom of God will remain. We have seen in the course of history that all of the great empires of the world – just think of the Greeks, the Romans, the Mongolians and the Mayans – have long since vanished, but the Church has persevered. This is due to the reality that, in its essence, the Church is not ruled by men but by the Spirit of God.
Faced with growing secularism in his day, Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast of Jesus Christ King of the Universe in 1925 with his encyclical Quas primas (“In the first”). He recognized that attempting to “thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law” out of public life would result in continuing discord among people and nations. Even before the clergy sex scandal broke in 2001, there had been a concerted effort within many sectors of society to undermine the influence of the Church. Today’s feast reminds us that while governments and secular movements come and go, Jesus Christ reigns as King forever.
The Church has faced oppression from its very beginning – from pagan Rome to the present. We are citizens of this country and of the world. But, we are citizens first and foremost of the Kingdom of God. When Pope Francis visited the White House a few years ago, he encouraged all American Catholics with these words:
American Catholics are committed to building a society which is truly tolerant and inclusive, to safeguarding the rights of individuals and communities, and to rejecting every form of unjust discrimination. With countless other people of good will, they are likewise concerned that efforts to build a just and wisely ordered society respect their deepest concerns and their right to religious liberty. That freedom remains one of America’s most precious possessions. And, as my brothers, the United States Bishops, have reminded us, all are called to be vigilant, precisely as good citizens, to preserve and defend that freedom from everything that would threaten or compromise it.
On this, the last Sunday of the liturgical year, let us reflect seriously on the end of our lives and rededicate ourselves to preparing ourselves for that time when Jesus Christ, our Lord and king, will establish his kingdom in its fullness and draw to himself all those who listen to his voice and belong to the truth!
RETIREMENT FUND FOR RELIGIOUS COLLECTION
Three weeks ago, I had the privilege of joining the O’Hara family in dedicating a bench in our grotto to the memory of our beloved Sr. Liz, who died just a little more than a year ago. Someone described Sr. Liz so well when she said, “Sr. Liz was the heart of the parish.” Her quiet outreach to so many in our parish touched us all and we are grateful for her tireless service here for 22 years. Sr. Liz was a wonderful example of the many consecrated religious women and men throughout our Archdiocese who have dedicated their lives to serve in a wide variety of ministries, teaching in our numerous elementary schools, high schools, colleges and universities, caring for the sick and marginalized, and serving our parishes in countless ways. These consecrated men and women have brought the person of Christ to us through their loving care. Both in active ministry and in contemplative life, we recognize the fruits of their labor.
With gratitude to our many religious congregations and recognizing the pressing difficulties they confront with declining numbers and the costly obligations for the care of their aging members, we join with our Archdiocese in taking up the national Retirement Fund for Religious Collection next weekend. This appeal enables us to demonstrate our genuine appreciation for their service. I am confident that you will be generous in your response to this collection and I ask your continued prayers for all of the consecrated men and women throughout our Archdiocese.