Our Lord Jesus Christ King of the Universe November 24, 2024

Readings: Daniel 7:13-14  Revelation 1:5-8   John 18:33b-37 Heb 7, 23-28   Mk 12, 28-34

Jesus tells us in the Gospel today that he is a king, but not the type of king of this world. His kingdom is not here, but is in the world to come. Because His kingdom is not of this world, no one can destroy it. The first aspect of the kingdom of Jesus in the Gospel today is truth. We must be committed to seeking the truth. This is not easy in a world that puts pleasure and power and possessions as the primary truths. Instead, Jesus always tells us that there is an inner truth: the plan of God for our lives. Jesus describes this as the will of His Father. Jesus Himself tells us that He only does the will of the Father

What is new today is that more and more people no longer believe in God and that there is a strong focus today to reshape our world so that what we want becomes God. We humans now believe that we are the ones who decide what is right and wrong, according to our own terms. This is not God’s kingdom, but a false kingdom. To do that, according to the New Testament, the scriptures accepted by Christians, we must walk the way of the Cross as He did. We must accept His teachings about how to live. We must accept the whole of the Scriptures as the inspired Word of God. We must be part of the Church which he established. We must seek for the truth which He gives us.

Do we want to be part of the kingdom? Do we acknowledge Christ as our king? Do we accept the truths which He gives to us in His Church? If we do, we will suffer. More and more in the present age, we are called to suffer as we follow Christ. The readings all tell us this: have courage: you will suffer in this world, but you will belong to Christ forever and rejoice with him in the kingdom.

                                                                              Fr. Terry.