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Dear Preachers:
PRE-NOTE: We begin Advent next Sunday (November 30). We have an Advent essay for preachers and Sunday worshipers on our webpage. Go to: https://preacherexchange.com and click on “Preaching Essay” on the left.
Today’s first reading recalls the moment when the twelve tribes of Israel gathered at Hebron to recognize David as their king and pledge allegiance to him. Centuries later, in Jesus’ time, the Jews lived under King Herod and the Roman Empire. They were in a miserable, seemingly hopeless state and longed for the past glory of their united kingdom under David – the “Shepherd King.” David had his faults, but the people were one with him. As the tribes said to him, “Here we are, your bone and your flesh.” Despite his all-too-human weaknesses, God used David to unite the twelve tribes into a single, powerful nation.
Under Herod and Roman occupation, the suffering people not only looked back to that golden age, but also forward to a messianic, David-like king who would deliver them. They believed God would again raise up a ruler to free them from oppression. But where was this long-awaited king? And how would they recognize him when he came? In the gospel, the answer is shocking he hangs on a cross. Pilate, in mockery, had placed above him the inscription, “This is the King of the Jews.” How did this king end up in such a crushing place of defeat?
Earlier in Luke, we read that Jesus “firmly resolved to proceed to Jerusalem” (9:51). From that moment, we have been traveling with him and his disciples toward the Holy City. Along the way – the “Journey Narrative” that runs from 9:51 to 19:28 – Luke reminds us again and again that Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem. During that journey, Jesus performs miracles, teaches about prayer and the cost of discipleship, sends his followers on mission, meets resistance from religious leaders, predicts his passion, warns of coming trials, and exhorts perseverance in faith until the Son of Man returns. Still, when they finally reach Jerusalem and everything he foretold comes true – his arrest and crucifixion – the disciples are devastated. Shocked and disillusioned, they scatter.
In Luke’s account of the crucifixion, those who remain are few: onlookers, mocking soldiers, sneering religious leaders, and, at a distance, “his friends and the women who had followed him from Galilee” (23:49). Beside him hang two condemned criminals. It is a lonely throne and a powerless crown for this so-called “King of the Jews.” Yet, ironically, it is one of those criminals who has the faith to ask, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Kings and queens – those with real authority – exercise “top-down” power over their subjects, much like the control we exert over things, animals, or subordinates. I once witnessed this kind of power at a Marine base in South Carolina: when a drill sergeant barked, “Attention!” his recruits instantly stiffened, eyes fixed straight ahead. Some imagine Jesus’ kingship in that way – as the ability to command instant obedience or crush opposition at will.
But on the cross, where is that power? Why doesn’t he use it to descend, destroy his enemies, and establish his reign? Instead, to see our King, we must look upon the terrible sight of the cross, where he is pinned and powerless. What kind of kingship is this?
From the cross, Jesus reveals a different kind of power. St. Paul tells us in Philippians that Jesus “emptied himself,” setting aside divine privilege and humbling himself, even to death on a cross. His power is not the power of force, but of self-giving love. He invites us into union with him – a relationship that appears weak yet is stronger than any earthly rule. In that union, we share in his power: the power to heal, to forgive, and to serve as agents of reconciliation. Through our relationship with Christ, we become strong – not by dominating others, but by sharing his life and love with them.
In accepting the cross, Jesus entered into solidarity with the lowest in society. Who could be lower than a condemned criminal? The crucified Christ shows that he gives himself to all, especially the least and the lost – not by imposing himself, but by offering himself in apparent defeat. Earthly rulers, and at times even religious authorities, assert power to achieve their own ends. Jesus, by contrast, exercises power through service – laying down his life for us.
We are free to accept or reject his rule. He will not compel us. He seeks not subservient subjects, but friends: “I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends…” (John 15:15). Those who accept his reign live as brothers and sisters in his kingdom, already present among us.
Yet the world daily tempts us to follow other rulers – greed, violence, indifference, cruelty, aggression. Accepting Jesus’ kingship, then, is not a one-time act; it must be renewed each day through deliberate choices. Living under his reign can sometimes feel discouraging, since his kingdom often appears incomplete or fragile in our world. A glance at the day’s headlines confirms that! There is still much to do to make Jesus’ “peaceable kingdom” visible – not only in the world around us and within the Christian community, but within each of our hearts.
Click here for a link to this Sunday’s readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112325.cfm
“We cannot forget that … the dignity of every human person must be respected today, not tomorrow, and the extreme poverty … should constantly weigh upon our consciences.” Pope Leo, “Dilexi te”
He [God the Father] delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. --Colossians 1: 13
The idea of a kingdom is an interesting concept to ponder. Look around at the kingdoms active in our world and one typically sees great power and wealth; some are headed by people who want the best for their people, and some are surrounded by corruption and self-interest. The late Pope Francis, in a November 20, 2016, homily, wrote of Jesus’ kingdom, “the grandeur of his kingdom is not power as defined by this world, but the love of God, a love capable of encountering and healing all things.” Someone once wrote that Jesus had more of a “kindom” than a kingdom in mind, where everyone is meant to be loving siblings to others. What a world that would be! It requires that followers of Jesus’ Way would honor God through compassionate encounters with everyone, even those who may seem very different, from the very poor to perceived enemies.
This is reaffirmed in Pope Leo’s new apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te , “I have loved you.” He writes, “Jesus’ teaching on the primacy of love for God is clearly complemented by his insistence that one cannot love God without extending one’s love to the poor. Love for our neighbor is tangible proof of the authenticity of our love for God, as the Apostle John attests: ‘No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. . .God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them’ (1 Jn 4:12,16). The two loves are distinct yet inseparable. Even in cases where there is no explicit reference to God, the Lord himself teaches that every act of love for one’s neighbor is in some way a reflection of divine charity: ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me’ (Mt 25:40)”(26). This is a grassroots kingdom.
Pope Francis reflected that, “The future of humanity does not lie solely in the hands of great leaders, the great powers and the elites. It is fundamentally in the hands of people and in their ability to organize. It is in their hands, which can guide with humility and conviction. . .” The vision is a “kindom” and it is in our hands to make it present now.
Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC
Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. “Faith Book” is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home. From today’s Gospel reading:
The rulers sneered at Jesus and said, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God....” Above Jesus there was an inscription that read, “This is the King of the Jews.” Reflection: Jesus, the king, is showing us a power from the cross in contrast to what the world reckons as power and rule. His power is not exerted by force over us, but by inviting us to become one with him. He is offering himself to us in a relationship that is strong, even when it appears weak.
So, we ask ourselves: · Can you name two or three powers that lay claim to the hearts of people in the world? · What powers compete with Jesus’ rule within our church? Within ourselves?
POSTCARDS TO DEATH-ROW INMATES
“One has to strongly affirm that condemnation to the death penalty is an inhuman measure that humiliates personal dignity, in whatever form it is carried out.” ---Pope Francis
Inmates on death row are the most forgotten people in the prison system. Each week I am posting in this space several inmates’ names and locations. I invite you to write a postcard to one or more of them to let them know that: we have not forgotten them; are praying for them and their families; or whatever personal encouragement you might like to give them. If the inmate responds, you might consider becoming pen pals.
Please write to:
· Earl L. Forte #0133102 (On death row since 10/8/2003 · Scott Allen #0005091 (11/18/2003) · Terrance Elliot #0120236 (12/18/2003)
--Central Prison P.O. 247 Phoenix, MD 21131 Please note: Central Prison is in Raleigh, NC., but for security purposes, mail to inmates is processed through a clearing house at the above address in Maryland.
For more information on the Catholic position on the death penalty go to the Catholic Mobilizing Network: http://catholicsmobilizing.org
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