Feast of Christ the King
November 2011
Today’s Gospel reading is not about what will happen on the, so called, ‘Last Day’ or what will take place after the death of each one of us or about heaven or hell or about who will end up in either place.
Today’s Gospel reading is about Gad’s agenda here on earth, now. It tells us what the Kingdom of God is and how to bring it about, now.
It tells us what Christianity is all about.
In the Gospel reading there is no question about what religion or church a person belongs to.
There is no reference to pilgrimages or novenas or other religious practices which one may have participated in and which are so dear to organised religions.
Nothing is asked about sacraments received or duration of time spent in prayer.
All these things are important and have their place but without the following are empty of meaning.
What concerns our God is; ‘I was hungry and you fed me’ or ‘I was hungry and you did not feed me.’
This is very simple. Anyone can understand it. Anyone can do it if one wishes. All it takes is a bit of self-sacrifice and generosity on my part.
Organised religion is absolutely necessary for it sets up a durable framework which keeps God and God’s agenda constantly before us. It sets up a framework within which we can pursue and practise God’s agenda.
Organised religion, like a ship that has voyaged for many years collects a multitude of parasitic growth and needs to be dry-docked occasionally and careened. This was what was attempted at Vatican 11. We must always be careful not to let the accretions of time and travel obscure or divert us from the basic message - ‘I was hungry and you fed me.’
So what can I say to ‘I was hungry and you fed me.’ or ‘I was hungry and you did not feed me.’
Is it adequate to say ‘I gave a few pounds from time to time’ from the ten or twenty or hundred thousand or more (maybe much more) which I have in the bank?
If I myself were God and seeing that everything I have is a free gift from God what would I expect?
I mention these things not just to make you feel guilty. I have a certain self-interest in the matter because when the time comes and the Lord welcomes you with the words ‘inherit the kingdom prepared for you, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,’ you will tell Him that it was Fr. John who kept reminding you of these things and I may get to piggyback into the kingdom on the strength of your good deeds.