20/11/2011 - 34th. Sunday - CHRIST THE KING - Year A
1Reading Ez 34,11-12.15-17 Psalm 22 2Reading 1Cor 15,20-26.28 Gospel Mt 25,31-46
We end the liturgical year with our eyes on the Lord who came, accompanied us,
and is waiting for us where we shall be at the end of time. Jesus, in fact, speaks
to us about his return, a return "in glory". This time he assures us that
his glory will not be hidden in heaven, but will be manifested in front of all peoples,
whom he shall bring together. His teaching is in the form of a direct parable to
his disciples. What can the disciples learn from his teachings? First and foremost
they are to learn that there are differences between their hebrew people and the
other peoples, and not even with the peoples who, in the future, will become christian
and those who profess other religions: at the end all shall come in front of the
same Judge. Being Jewish does not give one any advantage on others. It is the same
with being a christian, if they dont live loving like the one who loved them.
The learn that the Judge will base his judgement not on the notion of good and evil,
but only on the good one did because of him. Who did an act of love because of him,
will be rewarded, on the other hand, who did not, will not receive any reward. The
reward is eternal life. The one who does not receive, remains out of eternal life,
that is without joy and happinness.
To do good because of the Judge, who is also the King, means to look around oneself
and see how to ease the sufferrings of those who suffer. These sufferrings are grouped
in six places, as if to say all that weighs on men's shoulders. The seventh sufferring,
for which no one will be able to have compassion, will be for the one who remain
out of eternal life because he had not entered into the other's pain to help.
The sufferrings are physical like hunger and thirst, nakeness and sickness, but
also that of relationships, slavery or being a stanger. These sufferrings of men
have all been sufferred by the King himself. He loves his "subjects",
which would be more proper to say children: that's why every act of love towards
others is considered by him as if done to him. Likewise, every time others are rejected,
he lives it on his own person.
This parable leaves us all committed to love. "The Son of man will come in
all his glory with all his angels". We, who know him, enjoy a great gift, which
is at the same time a responsability. We have seen in fact his love and hence we
have learnt from him to give a perfect love to all. Perfect love is not tied only
with the sufferrings of the body, but also lack of affection, understanding, attention
to the soul. Full and complete love is busy also and mostly with the sufferrings
caused by sin, and therefore help to forgive and to ask forgiveness both from God
and the brothers and sisters. True love offer to help obey God the Father and to
accept his Son as saviour, friend and brother.
This parable of Jesus summerize several of his teachings and brings together several
warnings. Do not be selfish in life, because as if you are hitting your own foot:
who lives for himself, is depriving himself from eternal life. Keep your eyes open,
not to take advantage for self, but better to come across the heart of your brother:
you will be rewarded with an eternal blessing. Do not worry about the reward: there
is someone who sees all and keeps records of your love, it does not matter towards
who and it's okay that you are not aware of loving.
Jesus behaves and will behave truly as a king, king of the whole universe, universe
of love. Every act of love is pleasing to him because it comes from that love that
he has carried to the cross and shared from upon the cross. He is to change the
world, even so, the whole universe, in a kingdom of love, hence a joyful feast for
all!