The End-of-Year Final Test

Homily for Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Dcn. Bob Bonomi

     Well, here it is the last Sunday of our Liturgical Year, and today we celebrate the Kingship of Jesus Christ.  Jesus said to Pilate, “My Kingdom is not OF this world.”  Yet, we also hear Jesus say that the Kingdom of God is at hand.  So, which is it?  Is Jesus trying to confuse us?
     No.  The Kingdom is here.  It’s now.  It resides in our hearts.  It is a Kingdom that coexists for us, something like a person who carries two passports.  It is not OF this world, as it doesn’t come from the material powers of this world, but it certainly exists, through the grace and mercy of a Loving God who created it and who still guides it and protects it.
     But it can be hard for us living in what is supposed to be a democratic society to envision a “kingdom” with a King, no matter how benevolent He may seem to be.  After all, we believe we are governed in the material world by those WE elect.  We have “power” over our representatives, at least in theory.
     It’s not so with God.  We can choose to reject Him and the earthly representative of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, but it doesn’t change the fact that God created the Universe and He is the ONLY one who can control it.  We, as Christians, know this and acknowledge His sovereignty over us through Jesus, His son.  And although these two kingdoms – the Kingdom of God and the man-made societies in which we live – coexist in a conflict of wills, we pray for the unity of the two every time we say the Lord’s Prayer – “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done”.
     So how do we bring about the Kingdom of God in our lives today?
     The Church shows us how, through the Seasons which we celebrate throughout our Liturgical Year.  And since this is the last week of our “classes” before we break and begin anew with Advent, let’s review our Liturgical Year.  (I warn you now, there will be a test when I am done.)
     First, we began our year with the Season of Advent – a time of anticipation and preparation for the coming of the promised Messiah, Jesus.  Like in school, we began with a review what we have learned in the past and we prepared for the new year.
     Then came the Christmas Season – a time of joy, of promises fulfilled. It’s a short break before the real studies begin.
     After the Christmas season, we began the real work of our studies as we entered in the Ordinary Times of the Church year.  During this period we learned from Jesus how we might be called, and what we must do, in order to bring about the Kingdom of God.  This period continued throughout the rest of the Liturgical Year, although just like in school we had “mid-term exams” with Lent – a period of study and reflection – and then “Spring Break” with the celebration of the Easter Season (without beach parties, of course), which also gave us a glimpse of our future after “graduation.”
     Then, back to the studies.  For the rest of the year until now, with the exception of a few holidays – “Holy Days” – we continued to learn to live as Jesus did, preparing us for God’s Kingdom and giving us opportunities to practice what we learned.
     So now we are at the end of the school year.  Are you ready for the test?
     It will be only One Question.
     The good news – it’s an open book test.
     The bad news – well, I had a college professor who always gave open-book tests and he warned us, “if you don’t know where to look for the answer, you won’t have time to find it.” I dreaded open book tests.
     But I have more good news for you – you can find the answer to the question in the blue Gather books right in front of you.
     Ready? Here’s the Question:
     What do we need to do to receive eternal life?  Hint: the answer is in today’s Gospel, Matthew 25:31-46.  But I hope you don’t need to look up the answer.
     Jesus said, Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’”
     Sounds simple, doesn’t it?  But what does it mean, to be hungry, or thirsty, a stranger, or naked, or ill or in prison?  When was the last time you saw someone naked on the street?  Don’t we have welfare systems to address these other needs?  So, how are these words relevant today?
     I can’t say it any better than Fr. Flor McCarthy, a Salesian priest and author from Dublin, Ireland.  To paraphrase his thoughts on this Gospel: when the final test comes at the end of our lives the King will say to those on His left,  "Depart from me.
·   I was hungry for a smile – but you gave me sour looks
·   I was hungry for a word of encouragement - but you criticized me.
·   I was thirsty for friendship, a little companionship – but you ignored me and left me alone.
·   I was a stranger – and you refused to have anything to do with me.
·   I was a child – and you wouldn’t play with me.
·   I was a neighbor, a coworker – but you wouldn’t associate with me because we come from different walks of life.
·   I was naked, stripped of self-confidence – and you refuse to affirm me.
·   I was exposed by rumors and false accusations – and you refused to defend me.
·   I was sick from doubt and worry – and you didn’t notice.
·   I was wounded by failure and disappointment – and you showed no concern.
·   I was depressed, desperately seeking hope – and all you did was blame me.
·   I was imprisoned by nerves, of loneliness – and you shunned me, gave me the cold shoulder.
·   I was a prisoner of guilt – and you refused to forgive me, just to punish me.
·   I was homeless by lack of affection, of acceptance, of love – and you locked me out of your heart."
     But the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who have been blessed by my Father.
·   I was hungry for a smile, and you gave it to me.
·   I was hungry for a word of encouragement and you praised me.
·   I was hungry for a word of appreciation, and you thanked me.
·   I was thirsty for a word of recognition, and you noticed me.
·   I was thirsty for a sign of friendship, a little companionship, and you talked with me.
·   I was a stranger, and you made me feel welcome.
·   I was a young person from a bad area, and you gave me a job.
·   I was socially inferior to you, but by your acceptance you built me up.
·   I was naked for the lack of self-esteem, and you covered me with self-worth.
·   I was stripped of self-confidence, and you dressed me in the cloak of confidence.
·   I was naked from the loss of my good name through a story that wasn’t true, and you clothed me in the garment of truth.
·   I was sick with doubt and worry, and with your cheerful attitude you lightened my burden.
·   I was wounded by failure and disappointment, and by your supportive attitude you healed me.
·   I was in a pit of depression, and by your patient attitude you gave me hope.
·   I was a prisoner of nerves, and through your attitude of calm you set me free.
·   I was a prisoner of loneliness, and through your friendship you released me.
·   I was a prisoner of guilt, and through your forgiveness you broke the chains of my guilt.
·   I was homeless for lack of tenderness and affection, and you embraced me.
·   I was homeless for lack of sympathy and understanding, and you listened to me.
·   I was homeless from lack of love and acceptance, and you took me into your heart."
     Easy test, simple answers, yet as in school it may be easy to learn the theory, but hard to put it into practice.  How about you?

Is Jesus Christ your Lord and King?
Are you on His left?  Or on His Right?