To share the same joy of eternity

Father Dan Juelfs
Homily from the Televised Mass, NewsCenter1
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, November 26, 2023

This weekend we celebrate a feast that proclaims the power, the dominion of Christ in our world. We also proclaim that we belong to Christ and not to the world. That’s our proclamation. That’s what this feast proclaims to us and what we strive to let ourselves be a part of. We proclaim it, but I think we have to ask ourselves, do we really live it? 

As we come to the end of the Liturgical Year, as we begin to prepare a week from now with Advent and start the whole new liturgical year and prepare to celebrate the events of God’s action in the world all over again, it’s a good time for us to stop and reflect upon this last year. Where? When did I encounter Christ in this last year? Where and when did I act as Christ to another person and was it successful? Those are hard questions to reflect on, but they’re also important ones. Important because they help us to become more conscious of where we are in our lives. More conscious of how we understand and how we see ourselves reflecting on the relationship we have with God. What we do and in some cases what we don’t do. 

You know our Gospel presentation for this celebration presents us with Jesus’ description of the final judgment. The disciples come to him and ask him, “what’s the final judgment going to be like?” and this was his response. Very simple, not particularly difficult kinds of things or not particularly difficult to understand anyhow. But not complicated. “I was hungry, you gave me food. I was thirsty, you gave me drink.” Not complicated but not necessarily all that easy either. If we stop and reflect on our lives, we recognize that it isn’t always easy to respond to those things. It’s not always easy to do those things that we recognize that Jesus tells us are important. 

But I think that’s the other side of the question, or another side of the question, is why did Jesus give those kinds of examples? Why did are those the things that Jesus said we’re going to be judged by? I think because it goes back to the very beginning of Scripture. We’re created in God’s image. We are created to be like God. And so, how we respond to those around us who are also created in God’s image is in effect responding to God. They are the means we have of seeing God, recognizing God because they are created in his image just as I’m created in his image. And that’s the call we have to be conscious of that. To be aware of that. I don’t know that that’s always so easy either and quite honestly, we don’t always act like we’re created in God’s image either. But that’s what Jesus calls us to. What he reminds us of. That’s what being part of his Kingdom means is to see ourselves as part of God’s people. To see ourselves as those who are created in that image of God and called to live in that image. 

Ultimately, what we’re called to do and what we’re called to reflect on in today’s feast is to ask ourselves that question, is Christ the King of our Universe or do we sometimes put other things that get in the way of that? Do we sometimes let other things distract us from carrying out that faith? What affects our relationship with Christ, and do we somehow not notice things that get in the way? Do we see around us the signs of God’s presence in our lives, and do we see ourselves as helping others to know God’s presence in their lives? Do we see the things that we do as strengthening or encouraging the Kingdom of God on earth? 

You know over the last three weeks I think it is, each of our Gospel parables, each of our Gospel stories have been presented in a way that calls us to look to final judgment. Calls us to make an assessment of who we are, how we’ve used the gifts that God shared with us. Last Sunday with the gifts of the talents. What have we done with the five talents or the two talents or the one talent, whatever we’ve received? But it’s a called upon us to reflect upon that reality of judgment. The time that we will come into Christ’s presence and be called to give an account of what we’ve done. What we’ve done with the life that God has shared with us. 

As we celebrate this final Sunday of the church year and prepare ourselves again as they say to celebrate the beginning of Advent, beginning next Sunday, it’s a time to call to stop and look at our lives and ask these questions. Does my life proclaim my belief that Christ as King? Does my life proclaim my belief in God as the overall power in the universe? What are the things in my life that I need to look at to change to better proclaim that? That as we come into a new year, we’re all called to make those kinds of evaluations. Ultimately, we are preparing ourselves for that final meeting with Christ when Christ comes again. 

Each year the church gives us the opportunity to reflect upon, to think about, and to look at our own lives and help ourselves prepare for that final coming. Prepare ourselves to be ready to accept that Kingdom of Christ, that fullness of God’s glory in our lives.