A group of fourth graders in our Wednesday Night Faith Formation were brainstorming ways to get ready to meet Jesus in Heaven. “Pray,” “Read the Bible,” and “Be kind to others,” topped the list. One busy young man was not convinced that he needed to do anything to prepare for Jesus coming; he didn’t want to add another task to his day. “It’s not like a meteor’s going to hit the Earth tomorrow,” he said, “Do we need to do this now?” For the next few weeks, we add “getting ready for Christmas” to our usual litany of tasks: instead of feeling the joy of Jesus’ coming to our world, we are feeling stressed. What would we give for a moment of peace?
What have been the beautiful ways you have encountered the Lord this past week? There is a side of us that would immediately think of our moments of prayer and our time in holy places. Today’s Gospel takes us in a different direction. We encounter the Lord when we feed and clothe those in need, when we visit hospitals and prisons. The Gospel describes the Last Judgment scene. “The king will say to those on his right. ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food…The righteous will respond, ‘Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you…And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers or sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe. We see Him reign on Calvary, an entirely different type of hill. His kingship is no game, no violent and selfish spectacle. Mounting the cross on that holy hill over 2000 years ago, He mounts His throne with hands and feet open to us and wounded by piercing nails. His all-powerful head crowned with barbed-band across the brow. Exalted on the cross, Jesus is Lord who draws the world to Himself, inviting all of us in our weakness and woundedness to the wonder of His ways. Not willing or able to push down any new-comers, Jesus’ open arms invite others into His Kingdom, expanding that Kingdom in their hearts, and throughout the world.
If you had to describe yourself with just one word, what would that be? The one word, the one quality that names who you are. I’m using this introduction on Thanksgiving Day because for me the one word that I think best describes who I am is gratitude. I know my spiritual life stems from my gratitude for God’s unconditional love for me being exactly who I am, no better, no worse, and no strings attached. In the experience of gratitude, I come to know the origin and purpose of my life. The source of my priestly ministry is my desire to express my gratitude for the love of Jesus and for the love that I have experienced from the many, many people who have touched my life. Gratitude is a prominent and essential part of our parish mission.
If you had to pick: would you rather be wise, or would you rather be a fool? Again, you choose: would you rather live with wise people, or foolish people, as your spouse, a family member, or a friend? These aren’t hard questions: being wise is better than being foolish. Wisdom widens our wonder, wins us wealth in relationships, and wins over foolishness many other ways. Foolishness flakes away the fabric of friendship, frustrates our future, and sooner or later foils all our fun. In the abstract, you’d think every human being would choose wisdom over foolishness.
In a message that set out the purpose of this day, Pope Francis wrote: “Love has no alibi. Whenever we set out to love as Jesus loved, we have to take the Lord as our example; especially when it comes to loving the poor...We are called to draw near to the poor, to encounter them, to meet their gaze, to embrace them and to let them feel the warmth of love that breaks through their solitude.”
The theme for the readings this week can be summed up with one word prepare! All our lives, our parents, grandparents, teachers and others have told us we must prepare. In winter we prepare for the cold and snow, by getting out boots, coats, and gloves. In school we prepare by studying for exams, and tests. We are constantly preparing ourselves for what is coming, for what is important. Our readings today remind us that we need to prepare ourselves in our faith and be ready for Christ! Despite all we do preparing ourselves in our daily living, we are called to examine how we preparing ourselves in our journey of faith, and for eternity with God. Are we working to develop a deeper relationship with Christ now, rather than putting it off? It is easy to overlook what is truly important! Our modern life is so hectic, we have so many responsibilities, and tasks vying for our time – wait did I remember to send that email?? We must always remember what is truly important!
What is stunning to me in today’s Scriptures is that Jesus had little trouble with sinners but had his greatest troubles with the religious leaders of his day, religious leaders who were hypocrites. To pick upon a contemporary expression, Jesus wasn’t concerned about fake news. He was concerned about fake religion. In speaking to his followers, Jesus said: “The scribes and Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulder, but they will not lift a finger to move them.”