NOVEMBER 24, 2019 : SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Lectionary: 162

Reading 12 SM 5:1-3

In those days, all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said:
"Here we are, your bone and your flesh.
In days past, when Saul was our king,
it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back.
And the LORD said to you,
'You shall shepherd my people Israel
and shall be commander of Israel.'"
When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron,
King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD,
and they anointed him king of Israel.

Responsorial PsalmPS 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5

R. (cf. 1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Reading 2COL 1:12-20

Brothers and sisters:
Let us give thanks to the Father,
who has made you fit to share
in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.
He delivered us from the power of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

AlleluiaMK 11:9, 10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 23:35-43

The rulers sneered at Jesus and said,
"He saved others, let him save himself
if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God."
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
"If you are King of the Jews, save yourself."
Above him there was an inscription that read,
"This is the King of the Jews."

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
"Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us."
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
"Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal."
Then he said,
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
He replied to him,
"Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise."

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Meditation: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom"

Do you recognize that the Lord Jesus has been given all authority and power by his Father in heaven to reign over all creation - including the heavens and the earth? Jesus was crucified for his claim to be the Anointed King sent by the Father in heaven (John 18:37 and Luke 23:38) to establish his kingdom not only for his people Israel, but for all nations and peoples as well (Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 24:30 and Matthew 26:63-64).

God is King and Ruler over all
What is the significance and meaning of Jesus' kingship for us? Kingship today seems outdated and useless, especially in democratic societies where everyone is supposed to be treated equal and free. Many rulers in past ages claimed they had sovereign authority to rule by divine edict. But God did not give his people Israel a king at first. Why? Because God alone was their King and they needed no other. Nonetheless, God relented and chose David as King over Israel with the promise that God would raise up through David's royal line a Savior who would establish an everlasting kingdom of righteousness and peace that would endure for all ages (Psalm 89:29).

The Jews understood that the Messiah ("Anointed One") would come as God's anointed King to restore paradise and establish God's reign of peace for them. They wanted a Messianic King who would free them from strife and division and from foreign oppression. Many had high hopes that Jesus would be the Messiah and Ruler for Israel. Little did they understand what kind of kingship Jesus claimed to possess.

Jesus' claim to kingship
Jesus came to deliver his people, and the whole world, from the worst kind of tyranny possible - from bondage to sin, guilt and condemnation, and from the wages of sin which is death (Romans 6:23) and separation from an all-merciful and just Father who gave us his son to set us free and to adopt us as his beloved sons and daughters. Jesus came to conquer hearts and souls for an imperishable kingdom - a kingdom ruled not by force or fear - but by the power of God's righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).

When Satan tempted Jesus during his forty day fast in the wilderness, he offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:8-9). Jesus knew that the world was in Satan's power. And this was precisely why Jesus came - to overthrow Satan's power and deception over the earth. Jesus knew that the way to victory was through submission to his Father's will and plan to lay down his life for us and reverse the curse of sin and death for us. The Father sent his only begotten Son into the world, not to condemn it, but to save it through the atoning sacrifice which Jesus would make for us through the shedding of his blood on the cross of Calvary.

Jesus came to restore Paradise for us - everlasting life with God
As Jesus was crucified on the cross alongside two criminals who were thieves, one mocked him for his claim to divine kingship. But the other thief recognized through the eyes of faith that Jesus was truly God's Anointed King and Savior. He petitioned Jesus to treat his poor soul with mercy and pardon, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Luke 23:42). Jesus not only granted him forgiveness, but a place with him in his everlasting kingdom. "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Jesus died not only as King of the Jews, but as King of all nations and Lord of the universe. His victory over the power of sin, Satan, and the world was accomplished through his atoning death on the cross and his resurrection on the third day. Jesus exchanged a throne of glory for a cross of shame to restore us from slavery to sin to glory with God as his adopted sons and daughters. That is why the Father exalted his Son and raised him in glory over the heavens and the earth. In the Book of Revelation Jesus is called King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). He now sits in glory at the right hand of the Father in heaven - and from his throne he rules as Lord over all  Do you recognize Jesus Christ as your Sovereign King and Redeemer?

Which ruler and kingdom do you serve?
The Scriptures tell us that there are ultimately only two kingdoms in this world which are opposed to one another - the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. Each kingdom is ruled by one lord or master  - the Lord Jesus Christ who is the true "Light of the World" - and the false messiah and deceiver who is called the "anti-Christ" and the "angel of light" who rules over men and women through the power of false promises, lies, and temptation to sin and disobedience.

If we follow the Lord Jesus and entrust our lives to him he will open our eyes to the light of his truth and guide us by his Holy Spirit along the path that leads to our true homeland with God. If we follow the course which is set by the ruler of this present world - a world which is opposed to Christ and blinded by Satan - then we will discover that sin, pride, and deception will lead us down a path of destruction, death, and separation, rather than life, freedom, and friendship with God and the people he has redeemed with the precious blood of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Which kingdom will you serve - today, tomorrow, and for all eternity? This present world will pass away, but God's kingdom will endure forever. If we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and King and submit to his rule for our lives, we become citizens of heaven and inherit an everlasting kingdom which is ruled by righteousness, peace, and love. Is the Lord Jesus the true King and Master of your life?

"Lord Jesus Christ, you are my King and there is no other. Be the Lord and Master of my heart, mind, body, and soul. May I always seek to do your will and to serve your kingdom above all else."

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: My kingdom is not of the world, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Listen, everyone, Jews and Gentiles, circumcised and uncircumcised. Listen, all kings of the earth. I am no hindrance to your rule in this world, for 'my kingdom is not of this world.' Banish the groundless fear that filled Herod the Great on hearing that Christ was born. More cruel in his fear than in his anger, he put many children to death (Matthew 2:3,16), so that Christ would also die. But 'my kingdom is not of this world,' says Christ. What further reassurance do you seek? Come to the kingdom that is not of this world. Do not be enraged by fear, but come by faith. In a prophecy Christ also said, 'He,' that is, God the Father, 'has made me king on Zion his holy mountain' (Psalm 2:6). But that Zion and that mountain are not of this world.
    "What in fact is Christ's kingdom? It is simply those who believe in him, those to whom he said, 'You are not of this world, even as I am not of this world.' He willed, nevertheless, that they should be in the world, which is why he prayed to the Father, 'I ask you not to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one' (John 17:15-16). So here also he did not say, 'My kingdom is not' in this world but 'is not of this world.' And when he went on to prove this by declaring, 'If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have fought to save me from being handed over to the Jews,' he concluded by saying not 'my kingdom is not here' but 'my kingdom is not from here.'
    "Indeed, his kingdom is here until the end of time, and until the harvest it will contain weeds. The harvest is the end of the world, when the reapers, who are the angels, will come and gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin (Matthew 13:48-41). And this could not happen if his kingdom were not here. But even so, it is not from here, for it is in exile in the world. Christ says to his kingdom, 'You are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world' (John 15:19). They were indeed of the world when they belonged to the prince of this world, before they became his kingdom. Though created by the true God, everyone born of the corrupt and accursed stock of Adam is of the world. [But] everyone who is reborn in Christ becomes the kingdom that is no longer of the world. For God has snatched us from the powers of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). This is that kingdom of which he said, 'My kingdom is not of this world; my kingly power does not come from here." (excerpt from TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 115.2)

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Solemnity of Christ the King – Cycle C

Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended
that the reader look up and read that passage.

Introduction

Instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1926, this feast was celebrated on the last Sunday of
October to foster the awareness of Christ’s dominion over all people and to establish peace
among nations. After Vatican Council II, the feast was transferred to the last Sunday of the
Liturgical Year, the Sunday before Advent, on which the human race is consecrated to the
Sacred Heart through the Litany of the Sacred Heart and a prayer recited before the Blessed
Sacrament.
This feast celebrates Christ’s Kingship in an altogether non-worldly way. Jesus was
anointed by the Father with the oil of gladness as the Eternal Priest and Universal King. As
Priest He offered His life on the altar of the Cross and redeemed the human race by this one
perfect sacrifice of peace. As King He claims dominion over all creation that He may present
to the almighty Father a Kingdom of truth and life, a Kingdom of holiness and grace, a
Kingdom of justice, love, and peace.

1st Reading - 2 Samuel 5:1-3 (this same reading can also be found in 1 Chronicles 11:1-5)

The main purpose of 1 and 2 Samuel is to provide a history of the foundation of the
kingdom of Israel and the settlement of the throne on David and his line. In the chronology
of events, those portrayed in the book of Judges immediately precede those recounted in
the books of Samuel. At the end of Judges, the people saw a monarchy as the only way out
of a situation of internal strife and anarchy. Outside enemies had been reduced to one, the
Philistines, who were established along the Mediterranean coast; but the Philistines were
so formidable and expansionist that the very survival of Israel seemed to be at stake and
the tribes really needed to combine forces.
Samuel, who is regarded as the last of the judges, was the man chosen to bring about
this unification. God used him to make Saul the first king of Israel. Everything connected
with this choice of Saul, as with later events resulting from it, shows that God is still with
His people; He is going to bring them to new political and military heights. The Philistines
(descended from Egypt, son of Ham, son of Noah) are defeated, though not brought under
total control. Like the Ammonites (descended from Ammon who was the result of the
incestuous union of Lot and his younger daughter), Moabites (descended from Moab who
was the result of the incestuous union of Lot and his older daughter), Edomites [(red)
descended from Esau], and Aramites (descended from Shem), they become tributaries of
Israel. This whole campaign was brought to a conclusion during the reign of David, whose
vassal even the king of Tyre became. The effect of all this is that all Transjordan came to be
dominated by David.
Our reading today is of the anointing of David as king of Israel. David was 30 years
old and reigned for 40 years.
5:1 All the tribes of Israel came to David
David had been anointed king of Judah seven years earlier (2 Samuel 2:4).
in Hebron
A city in the hill country of Judah, about 20 miles south of Jerusalem.
and said: “Here we are, your bone and your flesh. 2 In days past, when Saul was our
king, it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back. And the LORD said
to you, ‘You shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.’” 3
When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron, King David made an
agreement with them there before the LORD,
They made a covenant – a sacred promise, accompanied by an oath, which binds them
together as a family.
and they anointed him
The use of oil as a refreshing ointment was extremely common in the ancient world. The
origin and precise symbolism of anointing as a sacred rite cannot be traced in Israel. It is
clear that the purpose of anointing a person or thing was to make it sacred. It was done
to priests, the tent of meeting, the ark, the furniture of the tent, and to kings. Saul, David,
and Jehu were anointed by a prophet; Solomon was anointed by a priest; probably either
sacred person could perform the ceremony.
king of Israel.
The two kingdoms did not thereupon coalesce, but remained distinct entities: David ruled
over a 2-fold kingdom that eventually drew apart (in 722 B.C., upon the death of Solomon).

2nd Reading - Colossians 1:12-20

In Paul’s time Colossae was a small city in Asia Minor, situated in a region called
Phrygia, in a valley of the Lycus River. Located in the same valley were Laodicea, about nine
miles to the northeast; and Hierapolis, twelve miles to the North. This whole area is part of
modern day Turkey. All that remains of Colossae today are some unimportant ruins.
Most of the inhabitants of the city, and in fact the whole region, were Gentiles,
although Josephus tells us that Antiochus III “The Great” (223-187 B.C.) decided to
transport 2000 Jewish families from Babylonia to Lydia and Phrygia. Acts 2:10 tells us that
residents of Phrygia were among the Jews who heard Peter’s address in Jerusalem on the
day of Pentecost.
Paul himself was not the founder of the Christian community of Colossae. Epaphras,
a Colossian who had been converted by Paul at Ephesus, had brought the faith to Colossae
and probably Laodicea and Hierapolis as well.
While he was imprisoned in Rome, Paul was visited by Epaphras who reported on
the dangerous doctrinal tendencies of some local teachers. These teachings were the
product of both Jewish and pagan influences. Basic to them was the belief that certain
angelic beings had control over human affairs, and even over all creation. It had then
become a primary concern to acquire a “knowledge” of these super beings and their
workings in order to appease them. This type of belief jeopardized the position of Christ,
who might be considered as one of, even if the most powerful of, many mediators between
God and the universe. Paul had to confront these errors vigorously and point out clearly
Christ’s unique place and all-powerful cosmic role in the universe.
The Jewish influence in the attempt to combine and resolve beliefs is evident in the
references to observing suggested days, seasons, circumcision, and other Jewish practices.
In some circles of Judaism there was a strong belief in the mediatorship and power of the
angels.
Paul had to counter these dangerous tendencies by pointing out the all-sufficiency of
Christ in His role in the universe. He had to point out that the fullness of the godhead was
not shared by a multitude of intermediaries; all the fullness of God and His power was in
Christ Himself. By His death on the cross, Christ had won a victory over all the forces that
were considered to control the universe.
12 [Let us give] thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance
of the holy ones in light.
Share in the inheritance of heaven (Romans 8:17). Inheritance is a family privilege, not a
benefit for servants and slaves.
“Why does he call it an inheritance? To show that by his own achievements no one obtains
the kingdom, but as an inheritance is rather the result of good fortune, so in truth it is the
same principle here. For no one leads a life so good as to be counted worthy of the
kingdom, but the whole is his free gift.” [Saint John Chrysostom (ca. A.D. 392), Homilies on
Colossians 2]
13 He delivered us from the power of darkness
The condition of enslavement to the devil of a person in the state of sin
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
The initiative is with God the Father – He rescued us, brought us. Like the Israel of old, we
have been delivered from captivity.
14 in whom we have redemption,
Since Christ has brought true freedom, the Colossians have no need to propitiate (appease)
any of the “higher powers.”
the forgiveness of sins.
This is the effect of baptismal union with Christ.
The remainder of this reading has the character of a primitive Christian hymn, possibly
having its origin in the liturgy.
15 He is the image of the invisible God,
Genesis 1:26 tells us that man was created in the image of God. However, only the second
person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son, the New Adam, is the perfect image and likeness of
the Father – all others bear the stain of sin.
the firstborn of all creation.
A position of supremacy, authority and power over all creation
16 For in him were created
Christ is the locality, the center of unity and harmony, in which the universe was created.
all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or
dominions or principalities or powers;
Even the invisible angelic beings who were thought to control the world where created
through the Wisdom of God.
all things were created through him and for him.
The universe finds its goal and perfection in Christ.
“‘All things were made through him and without Him was made not a thing’ (John 1:3).
From this ‘all’ nothing is exempt. Now, it is the Father who made all things through Him,
whether visible or invisible, whether sensible or intelligible, whether temporal for the sake
of some dispensation or eternal. These He did not make through angels or some powers
that were separated from His thought.” [Saint Irenaeus (between A.D. 180-199), Against
Heresies 22,1]
17 He is before all things,
This can be seen in the sense of prior existence, or the sense of importance, or both.
and in him all things hold together.
A reference to Wisdom as the cohesive power of the universe (see Wisdom 1:7)
18 He is the head of the body, the church.
For Paul, “head” signifies the principles of authority and vitality. Here, vitality means the
source of life and growth, which is the Greek concept of the relation of the head to the
human body. Not only is Christ the head of the cosmic body, He is the head of the Church.
“Christ is the head of the Church, if things heavenly and earthly live together in Him, such
that if the whole body is ever deprived of its head, that is, separated from its Creator, there
would be an insane and empty chaos.” [The Ambrosiaster (between A.D. 366-384),
Commentary on the Letter to the Colossians]
He is the beginning,
The Church is a new beginning – a new creation (Galatians 6:15. 2 Corinthians 5:17).
the firstborn from the dead,
Christ’s own resurrection is the cause of the resurrection of those who follow Him.
that in all things he himself might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness was
pleased to dwell,
The concept of fullness is found in the Old Testament (Isaiah 6:3). The fullness of God – His
presence, divinity, and wisdom – is in Christ who shares this with the Church, which in turn
affects all humanity. The emphasis is not on God’s immanence, but on the cosmic effect of
God’s power working in Christ and in the Church.
20 and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his
cross (through him), whether those on earth or those in heaven.
All creation must be restored to God (Romans 8:19-23). This implies a state of alienation: in
man by reason of sin, and in all creation by the loss of unity and harmony through sin. The
prevalent Jewish belief was that the world had fallen into the captivity of ruling world
powers through man’s sin. Christ overcame these angelic powers by taking away their
control over believers.

Gospel - Luke 23:35-43

We have now come to the conclusion of Christ’s journey to Jerusalem and His
passion – Christ is crucified.
35 The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him
Saint Luke clearly distinguishes the people who stood silently looking on from the rulers
who kept sneering at Jesus. Inspired by what they see, the people will repent of their
rejection of Jesus. Luke draws upon Psalm 22:7-8 (22:8-9 in the New American Bible) to
describe what is happening to Jesus.
and said, “He saved others, let him save himself
This becomes the refrain of taunting “save yourself.” These taunts recall Jesus’ temptations
in the desert – Jesus is tempted to save His life not by giving it away but by holding on to it.
What will save Jesus is His faith in a gracious God and Father, who will raise Him (and
consequently us) from the dead.
if he is the chosen one,
This taunt is true.
the Messiah of God.”
This taunt is also true.
36 Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine
Other translations tell us that this was sour wine. The soldiers’ actions are in accord with
Psalm 69:21 (69:22 in the New American Bible). John 19:30 tells us that Jesus drank this
sour wine from a sponge on a hyssop branch (what the Israelites in the first Passover were
to use to sprinkle the blood on their doorposts and lintel) and then said “It is finished.”
What was finished? Not the task of redeeming mankind; He still had to be resurrected and
ascend into heaven to accomplish that – what was finished was the fourth cup of the
Passover liturgy; the liturgy which was interrupted during the last supper. Luke 22:17 tells
us that after taking the third cup, Jesus said that He would not drink again until the
kingdom of God comes.
37 they called out, “If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 Above him there was
an inscription that read, “This is the King of the Jews.”
This also is true.
39 Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the
Messiah?
The Christian confession of faith is placed upon the lips of Jesus’ mockers.
Save yourself and us.” 40 The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you
no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? 41 And indeed, we have
been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but
this man has done nothing criminal.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you
come into your kingdom.”
The only deathbed conversion in scripture. The criminal has deep faith that the dying Jesus
is truly a king and can dispense the pardon and mercy which only a king can.
43 He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today
Good Friday. In John 20:17 Jesus tells Mary Magdalene “Don’t touch Me. I have not yet
returned to the Father.” So if Jesus has not yet gone to heaven and no one returns from hell,
where was he (and the repentant thief)? This is an example of where purgatory can be see
implicitly in scripture.
you will be with me in Paradise.”
A word derived from Old Persian, meaning a walled garden or park. It calls to mind the
Garden of Eden.

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St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Picayune, MS
http://www.scborromeo.org

SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, LUKE 23:35-43
(2 Samuel 5:1-3; Psalm 122; Colossians 1:12-20)

KEY VERSE: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (v 42)
TO KNOW: After Jesus was arrested, Pontius Pilate questioned him, asking, "Are you the King of the Jews?" [John 18:33]. Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world" (v. 36). Then Pilate handed him over to be crucified on a hill outside of the city of Jerusalem named "Calvary" or the "Skull Place" ("Golgotha" in Aramaic). Over Jesus' head was an inscription: "This is the King of the Jews" (Latin: INRI - Iesus Nazorean Rex Iudaeorum). Jesus prayed to his Father to forgive those who acted out of ignorance. The crowds watched passively while the leaders and soldiers mocked him, asking, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, the chosen one" (v. 35). Jesus was crucified between two criminals (only Luke reports their words). One of the men reviled Jesus. The second criminal confessed his own guilt and asked to be remembered when Jesus came into his kingdom. Jesus assured the condemned man that he would receive salvation that very day. What seemed to be a defeat in the eyes of the world was a victory in God's sight.
TO LOVE: What does Christ's kingship mean to you in today's world?
TO SERVE: Jesus, remember me when I come into your kingdom. 

BIBLE SUNDAY

Bible Sunday is celebrated on the Sunday before American Thanksgiving. It was founded in 1915 by the American Bible Society. It is a celebration that focuses on the place of the Scriptures in our daily lives; it's also a time to support Bible distribution efforts all over the world. Use At Home with the Word, an Advent-to-Advent schedule of lectionary readings, or another lectionary resource such as the Magnificat, The Word Among us, or This Day.

www.togetherwithgodsword.com

Sunday 24 November 2019

Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King

Samuel 5:1-3. Psalm 121(122):1-5. Colossians 1:12-20. Luke 23:35-43.

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord – Psalm 121(122):1-5

‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom’

The kingdom of God is a way of life. It is not only a way of life offered by Jesus but one that he pioneers for us. He is our way; he is our freedom.

If we believe that God’s creation is good, then the way to discover ourselves is by self-giving love, saying ‘Yes’ to God. This is the way Jesus lived. It would seem a foolhardy and absurd way were it not for his being raised up, were it not for his belief in the closeness of his Father’s love. If we wish to live the true way, then we are compelled to it through our love for Jesus Christ, not through our own self-willing.

With you, Lord, we are set free from fear and selfishness. With you, Lord, the world has hope of salvation. May your kingdom come on this day and all days.

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Saint Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions

Saint of the Day for November 24

(1791 – December 21, 1839; Companions d. 1820 – 1862)

 

St Andrew Dung-Lac and Companion Martyrs | photo by Lawrence OP | flickr

Saint Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions’ Story

Andrew Dung-Lac, a Catholic convert ordained to the priesthood, was one of 117 people martyred in Vietnam between 1820 and 1862. Members of the companions group gave their lives for Christ in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, and received beatification during four different occasions between 1900 and 1951. All were canonized during the papacy of Saint John Paul II.

Christianity came to Vietnam through the Portuguese. Jesuits opened the first permanent mission at Da Nang in 1615. They ministered to Japanese Catholics who had been driven from Japan.

Severe persecutions were launched at least three times in the 19th century. During the six decades after 1820, between 100,000 and 300,000 Catholics were killed or subjected to great hardship. Foreign missionaries martyred in the first wave included priests of the Paris Mission Society, and Spanish Dominican priests and tertiaries.

In 1832, Emperor Minh-Mang banned all foreign missionaries, and tried to make all Vietnamese deny their faith by trampling on a crucifix. Like the priest-holes in Ireland during English persecution, many hiding places were offered in homes of the faithful.

Persecution broke out again in 1847, when the emperor suspected foreign missionaries and Vietnamese Christians of sympathizing with a rebellion led by of one of his sons.

The last of the martyrs were 17 laypersons, one of them a 9-year-old, executed in 1862. That year a treaty with France guaranteed religious freedom to Catholics, but it did not stop all persecution.

By 1954, there were over a million Catholics—about seven percent of the population—in the north. Buddhists represented about 60 percent. Persistent persecution forced some 670,000 Catholics to abandon lands, homes and possessions and flee to the south. In 1964, there were still 833,000 Catholics in the north, but many were in prison. In the south, Catholics were enjoying the first decade of religious freedom in centuries, their numbers swelled by refugees.

During the Vietnamese war, Catholics again suffered in the north, and again moved to the south in great numbers. Now reunited, the entire country is under Communist rule.

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Reflection

It may help a people who associate Vietnam only with a 20th-century war to realize that the cross has long been a part of the lives of the people of that country. Even as some people ask again the unanswered questions about United States involvement and disengagement, the faith rooted in Vietnam’s soil proves hardier than the forces that willed to destroy it.

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Lectio Divina: Christ the King (C)

Lectio Divina

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Jesus the King of the Jews
A King different from the kings of the earth
Luke 23:35-43

Opening prayer

Holy One, God of the mountain,
You who make of our fragile life
the rock of Your dwelling place,
lead our mind
to strike the rock of the desert, 

so that water may gush to quench our thirst.
May the poverty of our feelings
cover us as with a mantle in the darkness of the night
and may it open our heart to hear the echo of silence
until the dawn,
wrapping us with the light of the new morning,
may bring us,
with the spent embers of the fire of the shepherds of the Absolute
who have kept vigil for us close to the divine Master,
the flavor of the holy memory. 

1. LECTIO

a) The text :

The rulers sneered at Jesus and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God." Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out, "If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews." Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

b) A moment of silence:

Let us allow the voice of the Word to resonate within us. 

2) MEDITATIO

a) Questions:

- The people stayed there watching. Why do you never take a stand concerning the events? Everything that you have lived, listened to, seen… you cannot just throw it away only because an obstacle seems to make it difficult! Move, do something!
“If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself”. How many attempts and threats do we make with God in prayer? If You are God why do You not intervene? There are so many innocent people who suffer.  If You love me, do what I tell You and I will believe You… When will you ever stop dealing with the Lord as if you knew more than He what is good and what is not?
 Jesus, remember me. When will you see in Christ the only TODAY who gives you life?

b) Key for the reading:

Solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe. We would expect a passage of the Gospel of those which are more luminous, and instead we find ourselves before one of the darkest passages… The amazement of the unexpected is the most suitable sentiment to enter into the heart of today’s feast, the amazement of the one who knows that he cannot understand the infinite mystery of the Son of God.

v. 35. The people stayed there watching, as for the leaders, they jeered at Him with these words: “He saved others, let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” Around the Cross are gathered together many of those who have met Jesus during the three years of His public life. And, here, before a Word nailed on the wood, are revealed the secrets of the heart. The people who had listened to and followed the Rabbi of Galilee, who had seen miracles and wonders, are there watching: the perplexity on the faces, thousands of questions in the heart, the disillusionment and the perception that everything ends like this! The leaders go through all that has happened while they say the truth concerning the person of Jesus: the Christ of God, the Chosen One. They ignore God’s logic even if they are faithful observers of the Hebrew law. That very despicable invitation: Let Him save Himself… indicates the hidden purpose of their actions: salvation is won by oneself by the observance of the commandments of God.

vv. 36-37. The soldiers mocked Him too, coming up to Him, offering Him vinegar, and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself”. The soldiers, who have nothing to lose in the religious field, get fierce against Him. What do they have in common with that man? What have they received from Him? Nothing. The possibility to exercise, even if for a short time, power over someone cannot be allowed to fall! The power of possession is intertwined with evil and they claim the right of derision. The other one, defenseless, becomes the object of their enjoyment.

v. 38. Above Him was an inscription: This is the King of the Jews. Truly, a mockery of their own guilt: Jesus is guilty for being the King of the Jews, a guilt which in reality is no guilt. In spite of what the leaders had intended, in all their ways, to crush the royalty of Christ, the truth is written by itself: This is the King of the Jews! This one, not any other! It is a royalty which goes across the centuries and asks those going by to stop and fix their thought on the novelty of the Gospel. Man needs someone to govern him, and this someone can be only a man crucified out of love, capable to stand on the wood of condemnation so as to be found alive at the dawn of the eighth day: A King without a scepter, a King capable of being considered by all a criminal but without rejecting His love for man.

v. 39. One of the criminals hanging there abused Him: Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us as well!” One can be on the cross for various reasons just as  one can be with Christ for various reasons. Being near to the cross divides or unites. One of the two who were near Christ insults, provokes, ridicules or derides. The objective is always the same: Save yourself and us as well! Salvation is invoked as a flight from the cross. A sterile salvation, deprived of life, already dead in itself. Jesus is nailed to the cross, this criminal is hung on the cross. Jesus has become one same thing with the wood, because the cross is for Him the scroll of the book which unfolds to narrate the wonders of the divine life which is surrendered, given without any conditions. The other one is hung as a fruit, rotten by evil and ready to be thrown away.

v. 40. But the other spoke up and rebuked him: “Have you no fear of God at all? You got the same sentence as He did.” The other one, being close to Jesus, acquires again the holy fear and makes a judgment. Can the one who lives next to Jesus reproach one who is there, two steps away from life and does not see it, and continues to waste it to the end? Everything has a limit, and in this case the limit is not fixed by Christ who is there, but by His companion. Christ does not respond; the other one responds in His place, recognizing his responsibility and helping the other one to read the present moment as an opportunity for salvation.

v. 41. “In our case, we deserve it. We are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong”. Evil leads to the cross, the serpent had guided to the forbidden fruit hanging on the tree. But which cross: the cross of one’s own “reward” or the cross of the good fruit? Christ is the fruit which every man or woman can get from the tree of life, which is in the middle of the garden of the world, the just one who has never done any evil except love until ad finem.

v. 42. And then he said: “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom”. It is a life which is fulfilled and is enclosed in an invocation incredibly dense in significance. A man, a sinner, conscious of his own sin and of the just condemnation, accepts the mystery of the cross. At the feet of that throne of glory he asks to be remembered in the Kingdom of Christ. He sees an innocent who is crucified and he recognizes and sees beyond what appears exteriorly, the life of the eternal Kingdom. What an acknowledgement! The eyes of the one who has known, in one instant, to get the life which was passing by and which was proclaiming a message of salvation even if in a shocking way. That culprit, criminal deserving death, insulted and ridiculed by all those who had had the possibility of knowing Him closely and for a long time, receives His first subject, the first one He wins over. The scripture says, damned is the one hanging on the wood. The damned innocent becomes blessing for the one who deserved condemnation. A political and earthly tribunal, that of Pilate, a divine tribunal, that of the cross, where the one condemned is saved in virtue of the consuming love of the innocent Lamb.

v. 43. He answered him: “In truth I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise”. Today: the only word which bursts into the new life of the Gospel.  Salvation has been accomplished; it is no longer necessary to wait for any Messiah to save the people from their sins. Today, salvation is here, on the cross. Christ does not enter into His Kingdom alone. He takes with Him the first one who has been saved: the same humanity, the same judgment, the same luck, the same victory. Jesus is not jealous of His filial prerogatives, immediately He has pulled away from the distance separating Him from the Father and from the death which could not escape nor had a way out. Wonderful the kingdom which was inaugurated on Golgotha.  Someone has said that the good thief committed the last robbery of his life; he robbed salvation. And so it is, for those who move with the things of God! How much truth, instead, in contemplating the gift which Christ gives to His companion of the cross. No robbery, no theft! All is a gift: the presence of God is not bargained or traded! Faith is what opens the door of the Kingdom to the good thief. Good because he knew how to name justly what his existence had been and saw the Savior in Christ. Was the other one evil? Neither more nor less than the other one perhaps, but he remained beyond faith: he was looking for the strong and powerful God, the powerful God in battle, a God who places things in their place and he did not know how to recognize him in the eyes of Christ, he stopped at his powerlessness.

c) Reflection

Christ dies on the Cross. He is not alone. He is surrounded by the people, by the strangest persons, the hostile ones who throw on Him their responsibility of lack of understanding, the indifferent ones who do not get involved except for personal interest, those who do not understand as yet but who, perhaps, are better disposed to allow themselves to be questioned, since they think they have nothing to lose, like one of the two criminals. If death is to fall into nothingness, then human time becomes anguish. If, instead, it is to wait for the light, then human time becomes hope, and the space of the finite opens a passage to tomorrow, to the new dawn of the Resurrection. I am the way, the truth and the life. How true are these words, the words of Jesus, words which enlighten the darkness of death. The way does not stop, the truth is not turned off. Life does not die. In those words “I AM” is enclosed the royalty of Christ. We journey toward a goal, and to attain it cannot mean to lose it… I am the way… We live from truth, and truth is not an object, but something which exists: “Truth is the splendor of reality – says Simon Weil – and to desire truth is to desire a direct contact with reality in order to love it”. “I am the truth… Nobody wants to die, we feel deprived of something which belongs to us: life, and then, if life does not form part of us, it can not hold us to itself… I am the life… Jesus has said it: “He who wants to save his life, will lose it, but the one who loses his life for Me, will find it”. Is there some contradiction in the terms or rather secrets hidden to be revealed? Do we remove the veil from what we see in order to enjoy what we do not see? Christ on the cross is the object of everybody’s attention. Many think of Him or are even at His side. But this is not sufficient. The closeness which saves is not that of those who are there to deride or to mock. The closeness which saves is that of the one who humbly asks to be remembered not in the fleeing time but in the eternal Kingdom. 

3. ORATIO

Psalm 145

I shall praise You to the heights, God my King,
I shall bless Your name for ever and ever.
Day after day I shall bless You,
I shall praise Your name for ever and ever.

Great is Yahweh and worthy of all praise,
his greatness beyond all reckoning.
Each age will praise Your deeds to the next,
proclaiming Your mighty works.

Your renown is the splendor of Your glory,
I will ponder the story of Your wonders.
They will speak of Your awesome power,
and I shall recount Your greatness.

They will bring out the memory of Your great generosity,
and joyfully acclaim Your saving justice.
Yahweh is tenderness and pity,
slow to anger, full of faithful love.

Yahweh is generous to all.
His tenderness embraces all His creatures.
All Your creatures shall thank You, Yahweh,
and Your faithful shall bless You.

They shall speak of the glory of Your kingship
and tell of Your might,
making known Your mighty deeds to the children of Adam,
the glory and majesty of Your kingship.

Your kingship is a kingship forever,
Your reign lasts from age to age.
Yahweh is trustworthy in all His words,
and upright in all His deeds.

Yahweh supports all who stumble,
lifts up those who are bowed down.
All look to You in hope
and You feed them with the food of the season.

And, with generous hand,
You satisfy the desires of every living creature.
Upright in all that He does,
Yahweh acts only in faithful love.

He is close to all who call upon Him,
all who call on Him from the heart.
He fulfills the desires of all who fear Him,
He hears their cry and He saves them.

Yahweh guards all who love Him,
but all the wicked He destroys.
My mouth shall always praise Yahweh,
let every creature bless His holy name for ever and ever.

4. CONTEMPLATIO

Lord, it sounds strange to call You King. One does not get close to a King easily. And, instead, today I find You sitting beside me, in the ditch of sin, here, where I would never have thought to find You. Kings are in palaces, far from the difficulties of the poor people. You, instead, live Your Lordship wearing the worn out clothes of our poverty. What a great feast for me to see You here where I went to hide myself so as not to feel the indiscreet looks of human judgment. On the edge of my failures, whom have I found if not You? The only one who could reproach me for my incoherence comes to look for me to sustain me in my anguish and in my humiliation! What great illusion when we think that we should come to You only when we have attained perfection… I would want to think that You do not like what I am, but perhaps, it is not exactly like that: I do not like what I am, but for You, I am all right, because Your love is something special which respects everything in me and makes of every instant of my life a space of encounter and of gift. Lord, teach me not to get down from the cross with the absurd pretension of saving myself! Grant that I may know how to wait, at Your side, the TODAY of Your Kingdom in my life.

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