Deuteronomy 18:15-20
1 Corinthians 7:32-35
Mark 1:21-28

To all,

In our Gospel reading from Mark, the people in Capernaum hear Jesus speak in the synagogue. Mark tells us that “The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.” I wonder if that sort of sentiment is responsible for a certain video going “viral” on Youtube. The title of the video is “Why I Hate Religion but I Love Jesus,” done by a young man named Jeff Bethke. After reading the Gospel passage, I decided I needed to look at the video, and see what all the notoriety was about. On Youtube, I noticed that there have been many responses to the video, both in support and in rebuttal.

I can see why the video has gone “viral.” The young man expresses his love for Jesus, and his desire to live out his faith. He refers often to the conflicts that Jesus had with the religious authorities of His day, and relates them to what is going on today in organized religion. As I understand it, he sees religion as man-made, and a source of hypocrisy, out of touch with the real issues facing people, and responsible for much of “man’s inhumanity to man.” A lot of what he says is true, and I think one of the challenges presented to us by both the Gospel reading and the video is that we try to make sure that our teaching and our living out the faith does not resemble that of “the scribes,” that is, only concerned with certain externals.

So, how do we live out our faith in an authentic manner that proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ and meets the needs of people? On one hand, that is a question for each generation and culture to answer in its own way. On the other hand, as was mentioned last week, some things are constant, and cut across generational and cultural lines. Those things have to do with forgiveness and compassion. They have to do with making peace and working for justice. They have to do with listening to the Spirit, and loving as Jesus loves. In the Catholic Church, as well as others, ritual is important. To listen to God’s word and share in Jesus’ sacrifice empowers us to go forth and be true disciples. To be faithful to prayer puts us in an attitude of thanksgiving and humility before our loving God. To be authentic, the meaning of the ritual has to be lived out in addition to celebrating Mass on the weekend.

Very often, church people are seen as hypocrites. In some ways, we can’t help being hypocrites if you define hypocrisy as not practicing what you preach. As we are all sinners, we all come up short on that criterion to one degree or another. For me, hypocrisy really has to do with using religion to do harm to another; to profess Christian love while at the same time doing violence to another, either physically or emotionally or spiritually.

Though we are sinners, we can practice our religion and live out our faith with integrity, by the grace of God. Though we may not be able to work miracles, as we see Jesus do in our Gospel reading, we can help drive out the demons that so often possess our society: violence, greed, prejudice, fear, ignorance and apathy.

For some, the Gospel of Jesus is still “new teaching.” Truly following Jesus can still cause astonishment. But, as St. Paul says in our second reading (1 Corinthians 7:32-35), we can be “free of anxieties,” put our trust in our loving God, and love the world, as Jesus loves us.

I welcome any comments or questions, especially about the video and the challenges it presents. Thanks for your time.

In Christ,

Phil, CP

Jonah 3:1-5
1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Mark 1:14-20

To all,

In Sunday’s second reading from 1 Corinthians, St. Paul writes, “I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out.” He encourages his fellow Christians to not act as people usually do, “For the world in its present form is passing away.”

We live in a world whose “present form” seems to “pass away” constantly. Advances in technology seem to come at an ever-increasing rate. When it comes to advances in medicine, ethical considerations have a hard time keeping up with the possibilities that present themselves. Various natural disasters and accidents have changed things for some people for the rest of their lives. There have been some things which would have been unheard of just a few years ago, such as the Arab Spring. And when we can at last say that we’ve recovered from the Great Recession, things will not have returned to the way they were.

This is the world in which we, as people of faith, live. It is a world which can seem at times to be hell-bent on self-destruction. At other times, there are signs of hope, as people, devastated by events, still take on the task of rebuilding their lives and their communities.

What are we to do in a world like this? It seems to me that we are called to do what people like ourselves have been called to do throughout the centuries: follow Jesus. In our Gospel reading from Mark, when Jesus passes first Simon and Andrew, and then James and John, He says to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of people.” He doesn’t say, “Come after me, and you need no longer be concerned about the world.”

To be “fishers of people” means to be engaged in the world. To “come after” Jesus is to love as He loves. And so, even those who choose to be hermits open themselves up to people in need. How we follow Jesus and be fishers of people may need to be adapted in some ways as often as the world seems to be changing. Some of the particular issues may be different. Some things, however, are constant. To love as Jesus loves involves seeking peace and justice. It involves working against exploitation, of both people and the environment. Love works against fear and isolation. It works against the dehumanization of persons, and discrimination against groups of people.

As individual disciples, we may need to look at what kind of change do we contribute? Do we participate in positive changes, or negative ones? Or are we tempted to opt out of participating altogether? Sometimes we can be so busy and feel so overwhelmed that the last choice just mentioned seems to be the best. But it is not the one Jesus calls us to make. It is not the choice He made for us!

As a church, we need to ask the same kind of questions. What we can remember is that Jesus not only called individual disciples, but He called a community to Himself, and given all the faults of the apostles recorded in the Gospels, they eventually did support each other in the mission given to them. We, too, can support each other and work together. It is happening right now!

We don’t have to be overcome by the constant changes in our world if we can hold fast to the love God has for us in Jesus Christ. We can help make the changes positive ones, if we answer the call, and follow Jesus.

I welcome any comments or questions. Thanks for your time.

In Christ,

Phil, CP

1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19
1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20
John 1:35-42

To all,

After celebrating the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord this past Monday, the Church returns to Ordinary Time for a while before the season of Lent. Even though we are in “Ordinary” Time, our Scriptures continue to tell us of the extraordinary love God has for us in Jesus Christ, and that God calls us “ordinary” people to share His love with the world.

In our Gospel reading for Sunday, John the Baptist is with two of his disciples, and sees Jesus walk by. He tells the two, “Behold the Lamb of God.” And the two decide to follow behind Jesus. When Jesus notices this, he turns around and asks them, “What are you looking for?” And they reply, “Where are you staying?” And then Jesus says, “Come, and you will see.” So they come with Jesus and stay that day. Andrew, one of the two, goes to his brother Simon, tells him about Jesus, and brings Simon to meet Jesus. We know that after this, Andrew and Simon stay with Jesus for more than a day. They stay with Him the three years of His earthly ministry. They see Jesus risen from the dead. They receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and they go out, proclaiming the Good News.

The disciples’ question of Jesus might be asked of us: Where are we staying? Are we willing to stay with Jesus? What would it mean to stay with Jesus?

If we look at Jesus’ life and death and resurrection as it is depicted in the Scriptures, to stay with Jesus would mean to put our trust in Him. To stay with Jesus would mean to follow God’s will in all things; to have the attitude of young Samuel when he replies to God’s call in our first reading – “Speak, for your servant is listening.“

To stay with Jesus means to stay with hope and compassion and mercy and forgiveness. It means to be with those who have no standing in the world. It means to serve. It means to take up our cross, and to make sacrifices, believing that God can raise us up.

In a world where there seem to be so many things trying to pull us away here and there, to stay with Jesus can be a real challenge, especially when it can seem easier to stay somewhere else. But if we can remember that it is Jesus who loves us so much, and that He is willing to stay with us, no matter where we are or what we are doing now or what we have done in the past, we discover that staying with Jesus is the right choice for us.

I think there also needs to be a caution here. Sometimes we can think that staying with Jesus means being unyielding. In some circumstances being unyielding in the face of pressure is good. But I think a lot of people in our society look upon people with strong beliefs as rigid and seeking to impose their beliefs on others. In some situations it is true. History shows us how people have used their faith to justify horrible things. But I think staying with Jesus also involves having that attitude of “Come and see.” I don’t mean experimenting with anything that comes along, especially self-destructive behavior. But I have found that staying with Jesus means being willing to listen to the experience of others, especially those who are different from myself and have experiences different from my own. I don’t think being steadfast and willing to stand up for what is right means not listening to others.

To stay with Jesus means to stay with love, beyond what the world may consider love to be. We’re called to love and live and be church in such a way that if people were to ask Jesus now, “Where are you staying?” He could point to us.

I welcome any comments or questions. Thanks for your time.

In Christ,

Phil, CP

Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Matthew 2:1-12

To all,

On Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of Epiphany, in which we recognize that the Good News of Jesus Christ is meant for everyone. And so the Gospel reading for this feast is taken from Matthew, and is the account of the Magi coming to see the “newborn king of the Jews,” which they discover, by the help of a star, to be Jesus Christ.

From various movies, TV shows, Christmas cards, and our own imagination, perhaps we have different ideas of what it looked like to see that star over the Nativity scene in Bethlehem. As I was reflecting on that, I thought of all the times I’ve had difficulty seeing the stars at night, and it seemed to me it might be helpful to explore what it might mean to follow a star, the star of God’s love and will for us.

When it is overcast at night, it is virtually impossible to see any stars in the night sky. That can be our experience with God. We may feel as if we are in “darkness,” under “thick clouds,” as mentioned by our first reading from Isaiah. There are times when we wonder whether God is there, or whether God is there for us. We can get discouraged, and even be at the point of despair. But just as science tells us that the stars are there even when we can’t see them, our faith tells us that God is there even when we can’t feel Him. Even when we’re tempted to cry out “How long, O Lord?” we can know that God loves us beyond our imagining. We know what God has done for us in Jesus Christ! We know what God has continued to do for us throughout our lives, and we know that God is still with us! The clouds that might seem to overwhelm us cannot block out the love of God.

Even when there is a clear night, it can be difficult to see the stars because of the “light pollution” that occurs in well-populated areas. As we strive to follow the star of God’s love and will, we might ask, “Which light should I follow?” or “How do I know I’m following the right star?” I think this feast gives us some criteria to help us determine whether we’re following the right star or not. So we might ask ourselves some questions:

Does what I’m doing or saying help lead me out of darkness into light? Or does it keep me under the “thick clouds” of resentment, or prejudice or greed?

Does what I’m doing or saying help lead me out of myself, or reinforce my self-recrimination? The Magi went from their own land to see the “newborn king.” At times, we have to take a leap of faith, and move out from where we’re comfortable.

Does what I’m doing or saying help me to welcome others, especially those who are different from myself, or do I try to hang onto whatever power I think I have? The reason Herod and the ruling class of Jerusalem were disturbed when they found out why the Magi came is because they knew a newborn king would upset the status quo. In his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul tells of the wonderful revelation he received that the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, were “copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” Just as Mary and Joseph welcomed these strangers from the east, so we are called to welcome those who are seeking God.

Am I giving of the gifts that I have received? The Magi, of course, offered to the baby Jesus “gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” We too, are called to offer gifts so that the Good News is proclaimed.

Am I willing to be a source of light, pointing to the light of Christ? Just as the star indicated where Jesus was to the Magi, we are called to show, by the lives we lead, where Jesus is.

I welcome any comments or questions. Thank you for your time. May God continue to bless us all, and may we be an epiphany, a revelation of His love for everyone.

In Christ,

Phil, CP

Numbers 6:22-27
Galatians 4:4-7
Luke 2:16-21

To all,

Our Gospel reading for Sunday takes up where the Gospel reading for Midnight Mass left off. After hearing the incredible news from an angel that the Messiah was born in Bethlehem, the shepherds go to Bethlehem, and find the baby in a manger, just as the angel had told them. As they arrive, they tell all they meet what had been told to them about the child, and Luke tells us that “All who heard it were amazed…” Luke also tells us that “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.”

I think that both the response of the shepherds and of Mary have something to tell us as we go through the Christmas season into the New Year. For me, the shepherds can be seen to represent how we feel at this time of year. The holiday is over, but we still have warm feelings about being with family and friends, and the joy of giving to others. We still rejoice in having “God-with-us.”

Mary’s response, I think, is a bit more complex. There are various translations of what the Gospel actually says, but the gist of the words means that Mary kept all the things that she had experienced in her mind and heart, trying to sort out what it all meant. And so, perhaps Mary could be seen to represent how we might reflect on what the implications of Christ’s birth might be for us as we enter the year 2012. I’m not saying that the shepherds did not deal with the implications of Christ’s birth, but we do not hear about them again. We do hear about Mary throughout the Gospels. What did it mean for her to have to flee to Egypt, or to hear that foreboding prophecy from Simeon in the Temple? How did she see the necessity of Jesus leaving home to begin His mission? Could she see God’s plan when she saw her son condemned and tortured and crucified? Perhaps even this early, Mary could sense that Jesus was not going to be the kind of Messiah that most people in Israel wanted or expected. And so, she kept reflecting on all that she had heard and seen throughout Jesus’ life.

Our Gospel reading presents us with (at least) two lines of reflection. One question on which we could reflect is: What are the long-term implications of Christmas joy for us beyond the after-Christmas sales of the holiday, or even the end of the season of the holy day when we celebrate Epiphany? Another question may be: Would we able to glorify and praise God for all that we have seen and heard? For many of us, 2011 was worse than 2010. For others, it was better, but there is no doubt that we have seen turmoil and suffering, if not in our personal lives, then in many places throughout the world.

Perhaps we can let the joy of Christmas sustain us through the times we find hard to understand, as we reflect on Jesus’ birth as the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s promises to His people. Because the Son of God became one of us in Jesus Christ, we can, as St. Paul tells us in our second reading from Galatians, cry out to God, saying, “Abba, Father!” We are children of God, and being children we are heirs with Christ!

As we ponder the meaning of Christ’s Birth, Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection for us, may we be willing, like Mary, to bring Christ into the world.

May God bless you and yours throughout the New Year!

I welcome any comments or questions. Thank you for your time.

In Christ,

Phil, CP

2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38

To all,

In Sunday’s reading from 2 Samuel, David says to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent!” Nathan tells David to do whatever he has in mind, but God later says to Nathan: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: Should you build me a house to live in?’” Then God reminds David that He has been with him all the way to where he is now: king of Israel and at peace.

As I thought about this, it came to me that God was with David and the people without there being a Temple (which was later built by Solomon, David’s son). God chose David to be king, and delivered him from his enemies. In our Gospel reading from Luke, we see that God chose Mary to be the Mother of the Messiah. And God has chosen us to be followers of Christ. The God who cannot be confined to a particular place is the same God who cares for each of us.

The Temple that Solomon built was known to be an impressive, beautiful edifice. There are monumental, beautiful houses of worship that have been built all over the world. And many of them were built out of love for God. But even more importantly, I think, we’re called to be dwelling places for God’s love, not just as individuals, but as church. We’re called to be instruments of God’s plan of salvation. We’re called, as Mary was, to be bearers of Christ into the world.

As we move closer to Christmas, can we, like Mary, say “Yes” to God’s will? Would we be willing to have the Holy Spirit “overshadow” us, and proclaim, both as individuals and as a church, the Good News of Jesus Christ? Could it be possible for us to do so? What does the angel Gabriel say to Mary about her relative Elizabeth: “And behold, Elizabeth, your relative has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”

We may wonder if we are too young (like Mary) or too old (like Elizabeth) to accomplish anything. We may wonder if we as a church, as a community of faith, have become too “barren” to proclaim anything good. Maybe so, but we don’t have to stay “too” young or “too” old or “too” barren, or “too” anything! God is with us! And what we’re going to celebrate in a few days is that God is faithful!

The Son of God was born in a manger, and yet went from there, as one of us, to save the world. No matter how humble our beginnings might have been, no matter what the world considers us now, we can do our part in God’s plan.

God asks David, “Should you build me a house to dwell in?” I think God is asking us, “Can you be, as a person and as church, a place where My love can shine for all to see?” Mary said to the angel, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” May people look at us and behold servants of the Lord. May it be done to us according to God’s Word.

I welcome any comments or questions. Thanks for your time.

In Christ,

Phil, CP

Isaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28

To all,

Last Sunday, we saw, in Mark’s Gospel, John the Baptist “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” This week we see John the Baptist again, this time in the Gospel of John. In our Gospel reading for this Sunday, the religious leaders ask the Baptist who he is. John’s first response is, “I am not the Christ.”

I think this humility of John the Baptist is important to remember as we reflect on the meaning of this Sunday in Advent. The Third Sunday in Advent is often called Gaudete Sunday. “Gaudete” is “Rejoice!” in Latin, and our Scripture readings speak to us about the source of our joy.

In humility, we see that the source of our joy is not us! In that beautiful passage from our first reading from Isaiah, the prophet says, “I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul.” Notice he does not say, “I rejoice heartily in myself.” It is God, not the prophet himself, who has anointed him “to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the LORD and a day of vindication by our God.”

In our second reading from 1 Thessalonians, we are reminded once again that it is God, not ourselves, who can make us “perfectly holy” and “blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” God is “faithful, and he will also accomplish it.”

You see, we can rejoice in the simple fact that we are not God! As much as we are tempted at times to be the “God” of our own lives (See the story of Adam and Eve, in Genesis 2 and 3), our salvation does not depend on us. Thanks be to God! God has not left us to our own devices. Instead, the Son of God became one of us in order to save us! And when He comes again, all will be made right!

And so, it is the love of God, come to fulfillment in Jesus Christ, that is the source of our hope and joy. God is faithful beyond all understanding. Therefore St. Paul can write without hesitation: “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”

Knowing that no one nor no thing can separate us from God’s love, we can “testify to the light.” Like John the Baptist, we can point to the One who was born into the world, to live and suffer and die, and rise from the dead, so that we might be redeemed. Rejoice!

I welcome any comments or questions. Thanks for your time.

In Christ, Phil, CP

Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
2 Peter 3:8-14
Mark 1:1-8

To all,

In our first reading from Isaiah, God speaks to His prophet: “Comfort, give comfort to my people.” And so Isaiah prophesies about God’s salvation of His people. In our Gospel reading from Mark, John the Baptist heralds the fulfillment of that prophecy: “One mightier than is coming after me….I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. John is the “voice of one crying out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.”

And so we see John, wearing camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, eating locusts and wild honey, and “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” By the account we have in the Gospel, the people respond, coming from Jerusalem and the “whole Judean countryside” to be baptized. I am struck by the response of the people to John’s message of repentance. Usually people don’t like to hear about the need to repent, but obviously there was something in John’s message that they needed to hear. Perhaps, as unlikely as it may seem, they received, in John’s challenges to them, the same kind of “comfort” that Isaiah gave to the people of his time.

Can we find comfort in repentance? Our Scripture readings tell us “Yes!” Can we not find comfort knowing that there is a God who loves us beyond imagining; who has been like a “shepherd” feeding his flock, carrying the lambs “in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care” (Isaiah 40:11); who sent the Son into the world to save us? Can we not find comfort knowing that we can repent, and turn back to a God who is patient with us (2 Peter 3:9), giving us chance after chance? Is it not comforting to know that no matter how big our obstacles may seem to us, that God has the power to fill in “every valley” and make low “every mountain and hill” (Isaiah 40:4)?

The people came to be baptized by John in the Jordan River in the hope that the Messiah was really coming. They were willing to turn back to God, trusting in His promises to them. Advent is a good time to reawaken the hope we have in Jesus. It is a good time to turn back to the God who loves us so much! Advent is a good time to “prepare the way of the Lord,” so that Jesus may have a “straight path” to enter more deeply into our hearts and lives. As we continue to prepare for the coming of our Savior, may we heed John’s message of repentance, and find comfort in God’s promise of redemption.

I welcome any comments or questions. Thank you for your time.

In Christ,

Phil, CP

Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b, 64:2-7
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:33-37

To all,

Have you ever gotten a piece of mail that said: “URGENT! Time-sensitive materials enclosed!”? If you are like me, even though there is an additional message telling me not to discard the envelope, I usually do discard it, once I discover what it really is.

As we begin the season of Advent, we hear Jesus speak to us in our Gospel reading with a great sense of urgency: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. … What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” Unlike the junk mail that comes to our home or office, we are not to discard Jesus’ words. Just as we believe in the birth of our Savior which we celebrate on Christmas Day, we believe that He will come again.

In one sense, the season of Advent leads us to be reflective as we consider the meaning of Christmas. In contrast to the hustle and bustle of preparing for the holiday, with holiday music in the stores and on the radio right after Halloween, Advent calls us to prayer and worship, inviting us not to rush to the holy day, but to prepare ourselves for it.

But in another sense, the sense of today’s Gospel reading, there is urgency in the call to readiness. And so we need to be “watchful” and “alert.” We need to get ourselves ready for when Jesus comes again. But how do we do that? It seems that the Second Coming is taking a long time to get here. Don’t we have time to get ready? As Jesus says, we don’t know. And if we were to think about how important our relationship to God really is, would we put off doing what He calls us to do?

As I was reflecting on all this, I asked myself, “How can we maintain a sense of urgency and readiness for the long haul, without getting a little frayed, or complacent?” And it occurred to me that our life experience has something to tell us about this very question. When we go to work every day, do we not get ready? Depending on what job we do, we put on the power outfit or the uniform or the overalls so we are ready for work when we arrive. If we need to, we put on our ID badges, so we are recognized as part of the company or organization. If we are looking for work, we put on an appropriate outfit so we can present ourselves in the best possible way to a potential employer. We update our résumé. Something similar occurs if we are attending school. We put on our uniform or proper clothes, with the homework or the paper in hand, or the studies done so we can pass the test that day. Or if we’re at home, we still get ready by getting washed and dressed, with whatever plans we have made for the day.

What if we were to have that same kind of readiness for our life as disciples? What if we were to put on, in addition to the uniform or the outfit, or the overalls, the love of Christ? What if we were to wear, as another sort of ID, an attitude of faith and hope? I’m not sure we have to carry around a Bible, or wear a big crucifix to make sure others know we are people of faith. It seems to me to be more important to act and relate to others as people of faith, whether we are at work or school or home. To me, this kind of readiness would fulfill the words we hear from our first reading from Isaiah: “Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways!”

Just as it is with work, or looking for work, or going to school, or being at home, some days will be better than others as we strive to follow Christ. There will be times when we make mistakes. There might even be times when we are not too eager to get up in the morning. But if we can remember how much God loves us, and that each day is truly a gift (the reason for Thanksgiving), then our eagerness can return, and our mistakes won’t weigh us down! We have what we need to get ready. As St. Paul writes in our second reading from 1 Corinthians, “…you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” However long it may take for Jesus to come again, we can be alert to doing God’s will for us.

I welcome any comments or questions. Thanks for your time.

In Christ,

Phil, CP

Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17
1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28
Matthew 25:31-46

To all,

On Sunday, the last Sunday in Ordinary Time, we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King! I am reminded of a Gospel hymn that the choir of St. Mary’s would sing from time to time: “King Jesus Is A-Listening.” Some of the lyrics, written by Victor McCoy, go like this:

King Jesus is a-listening when you pray.
King Jesus is a-listening when you pray.
He’s waiting to hear you
Comfort and cheer you
King Jesus is a-listening when you pray.

For me, the hymn speaks a basic truth: Our King, unlike many earthly rulers, listens to us! Our faith tells us that our King, Jesus, sacrificed Himself for our salvation. He came to serve, not be served. He came to save us, not condemn us. Power did not corrupt Him. Instead, He did not use power to escape His death, but chose to love us beyond measure! And He continues to be with us always, “until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:30).

Although it can be difficult at times to trust that Jesus listens to us, I think the greater challenge of this feast is to reflect on whether we listen to Him or not. Often Jesus tells us things that are not easy to listen to, if we take them seriously. A case in point is our Gospel reading for today from Matthew. At this point in the Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples about the final judgment. He tells them that all the people will be assembled, and split into two groups, as sheep are separated from goats. He will welcome the one group into the kingdom, because they ministered to Him when He was hungry and thirsty and naked and a stranger and ill and in prison. When the group replies that they don’t remember seeing Jesus in those situations, Jesus tells them, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it for me.” Jesus then does condemn the other group to hell, telling them that they did not minister to Him in those situations, and they respond with the same confusion as the first group. And Jesus tells them that what they did not do for “one of these least ones,” they did not do for Him.

According to what Jesus says here, we are to be judged on what we do, or not do, for the ones considered least in the world. Makes you stop and think, doesn’t it? There doesn’t seem to be a place for greed and selfishness in Jesus’ understanding of things. And yet, it does seem rather easy for greed to catch our ear.

That is why we need to listen to Jesus! We need to listen to the King who loves us more than we can comprehend! We need to listen to how we are to see others and the world. And as we try to serve the least among us, we are called to listen to them as well. Some time ago, I came across this quote from an Australian aborigine:

“If you are coming to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you are coming
because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”

I think one of the greatest challenges in serving the hungry and the naked and strangers and the ill and those in prison is to be willing to be in relationship with them, not simply ministering to them, but working with them. What Jesus says in the Gospel tells us that, indeed, our liberation is bound up with others, especially those whom the world (NOT GOD) considers “least.” If we want to be on the “right” side of Jesus, we need to be with the ones the world dismisses, but God does not. We are called to open our hearts, and listen to our King.

I welcome any comments or questions. Thanks for your time.

In Christ,

Phil, CP