The Feast of Christ the King, Year End Review

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Deacon Tom writes ©

"Year End Review"

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Today we celebrate the "Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe", more commonly known as the “Feast of Christ the King”. The gospel we read is from Matthew and is known as “The Judgment of the Nations”. It is an apocryphal reading meaning it has to do with the “end times” and the Final Judgment. Matthew is presenting us with a summation of Christ’s teachings, which is namely this: that there is a direct relationship between our actions in this life and where we will spend our eternal life. This is very appropriate since today marks the end of the liturgical year. It is right that we stop and do our own simple “Year End Review” on how faithful we have been to the gospels and the teachings of Jesus Christ this past year.

Today’s gospel gives us insight into the ordinary call to holiness. Often it seems that the work of the gospel is way beyond us, that we have to be a Saint like St. Francis or St. Martin de Porres to be faithful disciples of Christ. That’s not the case at all. Look at the sheep in our reading today who have done the good works of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, etc. Isn’t it interesting that they were not the lease bit aware of the good they had done for the Lord?  They have to ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry, or naked, or sick?”  They were “surprised” that what they had done for others was noteworthy. You see, the good that they did for the Lord was the ordinary good they did for everyone and anyone around them. It was not some overwhelming, impossible task. They were not asked to do the impossible. They lived a life of ordinary goodness or holiness, giving of themselves without counting the cost, day in, day out, to friends and strangers alike.

We are called to be just like them. As a matter of fact, that is what God wants most from us…to be ordinary in our love for one another. We have been called by God to live ordinary lives of holiness, to share our love with others by our example, our witness, our smiles and laughter, our words of encouragement and hope, and at times, even our material support and physical presence through which  we become Christ for one another.

May God’s abundant blessings be with you and your families this Thanksgiving weekend.

Deacon Tom 

Guess who's coming to dinner?

The Institution of the Eucharist by Nicolas Poussin, 1640

 Deacon Tom Writes ©

“Guess who’s coming to dinner?”

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Jesus uses the story of a king who invites his subjects to the wedding banquet for his son and the people reject his invitation outright.  What an insult!  The King’s outrage is understandable. And so is his desire to have a banquet in honor of his son’s wedding.

The chief priests and elders of the Jews knew they were the ones Jesus was talking about and they certainly didn’t like the way the story ended. Jesus says how the King sent his servants out to the highways and byways and brought in others to celebrate this joyful occasion.

It’s interesting that history seems to be repeating itself. Every Sunday we are invited to celebrate a special Eucharistic banquet in honor of God’s Son, Jesus. It is a standing invitation to come and celebrate and to be one with each other and God.  We gather together to give thanks to God for sending His Son into our world and freeing us from sin and death….AND giving us Eternal life….but so many people today are just too busy, too tired, too involved with other interests, or simply not interested….too spent perhaps …to respond to this invitation.

I think it’s by invitation and example that those who come to Mass on a regular basis can help others to see how important it is to center our lives around this most holy banquet. We as Catholics know how important the Eucharist is to our lives, spiritual and temporal, for it is within the context of these sacred mysteries that we are renewed and strengthen for all that life throws at us. If our lives reflect the presence of Christ, others will notice the inner peace and joy in our lives and that may spark some interest for them. If others see that there is a connection between what we receive from the Eucharist and what we are able to give to our jobs, to our families - running the kids around to soccer practice, religious ed. classes and piano lessons, doing the shopping and chores – and to the community, they may want to find the source of that strength and peace for themselves.  As they say… “Imitation is the best form of flattery”.

The banquet is prepared, the table is set, and we all have our standing invitation that also says to bring a friend. Do you have someone in mind that is searching for some inner peace and joy that you would like to bring along?  Invite them and leave the rest to Jesus.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom             

A Change of Mind

 Deacon Tom writes ©

"A Change of Mind"

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Most of us tend to dismiss the story we hear in today’s gospel. We don’t like its message; it rubs us the wrong way; it’s contrary to the way we were brought up and our sense of “fairness".  We rationalize that the person who puts in an 8-hour day should earn more than the person who shows up on the job an hour before quitting time. I confess that I would feel cheated if that happened to me. How about you?  Can you blame those who worked all day if they began to protest or for harboring a grudge against the landowner?

“God’s ways” are not “our ways” are they?  We know this in our heads. We know that God has a different way of seeing things. In today’s reading we see this element of justice from God’s viewpoint. We are a work-oriented society in America today. I say that grossly aware of the many unemployed and the chronic employment that we are experiencing. Work is essential to our economic survival and our personal identity. No work equals not only no money but also no identity. And once chronic unemployment sets in, one begins to suffer the degradation of the human spirit, which is a fully unjust condition.

Today we read about a landowner who continues to send workers into the field throughout the day. They work, and if you have ever worked on a harvest, you know they worked hard!  At the end of the day they must provide for their family. An hour’s wage isn’t going to provide adequately for the family. The landowner knows this… and so how does the landowner act?  With justice and compassion.  He pays the going daily wage to each and every worker regardless of the number of hours they spent under the sun.

Unjust? What if tomorrow you weren’t hired until 3 o’clock in the afternoon?  What if you were the recipient of this landowner generosity…. his sense of justice?  Would your attitude change if you were able to provide for your family in good times and lean times? 

Jesus teaches us in many ways that we have to rethink our attitudes in how we treat one another. God’s way is the best way to build and sustain a just society, one where everyone shares fairly in the work and rewards of labor. We see that intention and opportunity are as important as pure productivity in the kingdom for which Jesus laid the foundation. 

We see God in today’s scripture as one whose generosity is beyond our comprehension. We know from our knowledge of scripture that God is good to everyone, that “he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust (MT 5:45).”  This is an amazing thought! For Jesus constantly challenges us to imitate Him and see things the way that God sees them and to act accordingly… with justice, mercy, and compassion.

God Bless you.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom`