[stephenkhoo]

Scripture Reflections
Sunday, 20 November, 2011, 34th Ordinary Week, Year A, Solemnity of Christ the King
OVERCOMING A GODLESS WORLD WITH THE VALUES OF THE KINGDOM

SCRIPTURE READINGS: EZ 34:11, 12, 15-17; 1 COR 15:20-26; MT 25:31-46

Today, being the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year, the Church celebrates the Feast of Christ the King. This feast may seem rather archaic and even irrelevant, given that few countries today are governed by monarchs. At most, these monarchs are only symbolic figureheads. Many, too, have lost their credibility as leaders, abusing their power, living immoral lives and/or amassing wealth at the expense of their people. This feast thus runs the risk of being misunderstood, for Christ’s Kingship has nothing in common with the current images of earthly kingship, or with any political or temporal power of whatever kind. Indeed, in the gospel of John, Jesus told Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world. (Jn 18:33-37)

Far from being irrelevant, this feast underscores the very purpose why it was instituted. When Pope Pius XI instituted this feast in 1925, the climate at that time was one of active secularism, where God was denied and society’s Christian structures were crumbling. The Church was losing its influence, not just in terms of politics but also in terms of morality. In instituting this feast, the Holy Father wanted to engage the world. Instead of turning away from the world, Pope Pius XI decided to resolutely turn to the world, confront it and re-conquer it under the banner of Christ the King. Vatican II was a response to this isolation of the Church from the affairs of the world. As a consequence, many Catholic lay associations, such as the Young Catholic Workers, were formed to combat the secular environment. The Church had to play its part in building society and the world.

The situation today is not very much different from that of the early 1900’s. Indeed, what we are seeing is the full-blown religious and moral decadence that began in the 19th Century. Today, secularism is manifested as irreligion and amorality. Euthanasia, stem-cell research involving human embryos, organ trading, same-sex union, etc are the offspring of a climate of materialism, relativism and pragmatism. Truly, when man refuses to acknowledge God in his life, he has no more reference point to explain himself, his origin, destiny, purpose, and the values that he holds. That is why the contemporary man lives an aimless and meaningless life, since he only lives for this world. Such a life will eventually end in nihilism or nothingness. The Church thus cannot afford to distance herself from the cultural, social and political realities in the world.

How then can we make sense of this feast? In the first place, it is better to avoid speaking of the Kingdom of God as a noun. Rather, it is better to speak of the reign of God. In other words, the Kingship of Christ is better understood not in terms of territory but a dynamic concept of Christ ruling our hearts. In this feast what we are celebrating is the eventual outcome of the goal of creation, which is for humanity to be reunited as a family and with God forever. Creation, which comes from God, can only find fulfillment when it is united with God. But more than just this claim, we are speaking of the universal significance of Christ for all of humanity, for only in and through Christ, can humanity return to God and find fulfillment. Hence, Christ is the King of the Universe.

In the second reading, the grandiose vision of the end of collective history is beautifully portrayed by St Paul. It is clear that the establishment of the Kingdom of God is realized when sin is overcome, especially death, which is the symbol of the ultimate consequence of sin. Death in the bible is more than just a biological death but it is the expression of alienation of oneself from people, from life and most of all, from God. Death therefore is always seen as the wages of sin, since sin alienates us from people in our lives because of selfishness and pride. Sin and death, as St Paul tells us, has been overcome by the death and resurrection of Christ.

How did He conquer death? Death can and will be destroyed only by love and compassion. The death of Jesus on the cross shows how sin and hatred is overcome by the love of God for humanity. On the cross, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” His resurrection proves that sin and evil cannot destroy goodness and truth. Hence, St Paul could say, “Just as all men died in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order: Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him.” Only when everyone has conquered sin and selfishness, and regained our sonship in Christ, can we then say that the kingdom of God is established. When we are all in Christ, His Spirit lives in us. As a consequence, we are united as one family of God.

In the light of Christ’s centrality, it is the mission of the Church to proclaim and witness to Christ, so that every man may fully realize his vocation, which is to be with God and to be reunited with the family of humanity. This is what it means to cooperate with Christ in the building of the Kingdom of God. As our king, Christ works in and through us. Each one of us is responsible for extending the reign of Christ, which is the proclamation of the love of God, justice and peace in the world.

This work of building the kingdom of God entails that we first come to the realization that all are called to be identified with Christ the true man. Only when we are identified with Christ, can we in the same vein identify our fellowmen with Christ as well. In His incarnation, God entered into history and assumed our history. He is in solidarity with every human person. This explains why Jesus said, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.” Consequently, we must have deep respect and love for every human person in the same way we have respect and love for Christ.

Our vision for the world is to build the community of love. In the final analysis what counts is not whether we have attended mass, prayed, fasted, know the doctrines of the Church, etc but whether we have loved like Christ. These are instituted means for us to be in union with the Lord, but they are not the ends themselves. They are important, but just using them in a perfunctory or superstitious manner will not bring us closer to Jesus. As Jesus said in the gospel, “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35). If we have truly contemplated the face of Christ, we will necessarily be inspired by the “new commandment” which He gave us: “Love one another, as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34).

When it comes to the exercise of charity and compassion, the Church has a preferential option for the poor and the marginalized. This explains why the Church always speaks on behalf of the migrants and for those living in poverty. To be identified with Christ is to be identified with the poor in His incarnation. Therefore we must not be caught by surprise as the people were when they asked the Lord, “Lord, when did we see you? Lord, when was it we saw you hungry, or thirsty, or naked, or in prison?” And the reply of Jesus is, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”

However, the poor are not reducible to only the materially poor but also the least, that is, the oppressed and the voiceless. It is therefore our Christian responsibility to go beyond simply being involved in the corporal works of mercy as listed in the parable, but we have to be prophetic in our days for society, for the voiceless and the oppressed. Unfortunately, although our Catholics have been quite generous when it comes to giving money to the poor, we are silent when it comes to social and moral issues.

We do not have enough Catholics engaging the media or making their voices heard on social and moral issues that affect the people of our country. Unless, Catholics are involved in the political, social, economic and cultural life of the country, how can the amoral, relativist and materialistic climate be transformed? The New Evangelization calls for a transformation of culture, politics, economy and ecology. When we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, we are challenged to try and influence the values of the world by inculturating the values of the kingdom proclaimed by Christ, which are the values of justice, compassion, love, and respect for the dignity of life, the sick, the poor and the marginalized.

To be identified with our fellowman in Christ, we must be in solidarity with them. Yes, like the Good Shepherd in the first reading, we are called to tend to the “the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded and make the weak strong …watch over the fat and healthy”, “rescue them from wherever they have been scattered during the mist and darkness .. show them where to rest” and be “a true shepherd to them.”

That is why on the feast of Christ the King, we must renew our faith and surrender to Christ who is our Lord and King. We must surrender our whole life to His Lordship. In other words, we must make an act of commitment to assume the lifestyle of Christ. We must endeavour seriously to eradicate sin in our lives. We must desire to live the gospel life and no longer be dictated by the world but only by the Word of God. Only by overcoming sin and evil in our lives, can we inculturate the gospel values in the society we live in. We must proclaim Him to be the King of the world, the Saviour of humankind.

It is not enough to proclaim Christ as our Universal King, but we must manifest that we are true and loyal subjects of His Kingdom. We must serve Him with all our heart, resolving to create the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Let us pray for this grace, for we know that the Kingdom cannot be brought about by human means except in the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us. In this way, Christ will reign in the hearts of all men, either consciously or unconsciously, thereby fulfilling the vision whereby Christ who lives in all by His Spirit will hand over the kingdom to the Father so that God will be all in all.