What Kind of Kingdom?
November 17th, 2009For Sunday, November 22, 2009
Solemnity of Christ the King
Daniel 7:13-14
Revelation 1:5-8
John 18:33b-37
Every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer we say “thy kingdom come.” Now that we’re celebrating the feast of Christ the King, we hear him say in the Gospel to Pilate, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here” (John 18:36). So what kind of kingdom are we praying for when we ask that it to come?
Certainly not the civil order of the day. No political party, economic system, or national government embodies the kingdom we pray for. The news we hear day after day-on the state of the economy, on unemployment figures, on housing foreclosures, on bankruptcies-makes it clear that the worldly realm is a different kingdom. With Thanksgiving coming, there are many people who will be grateful for what they have, and others who will find solace in the kindness of others. This weekend many parishes take up collections for local food pantries, St. Vincent de Paul Societies, or other programs that help the needy (like that Catholic Campaign for Human Development collection that will be taken up in many dioceses).
On Monday the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report that showed that 49 million Americans lived in households that lacked consistent access to adequate food, the highest since the government began tracking what it calls “food insecurity” 14 years ago (See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/us/17hunger.html?ref=us).
That same day, the Holy Father addressed the Food and Agriculture Organization’s world summit on food security. In his speech he said, “Hunger is the most cruel and concrete sign of poverty. Opulence and waste are no longer acceptable when the tragedy of hunger is assuming ever greater proportions” (#10).
Royalty are often surrounded by opulence. Kingdoms usually have great treasure. Many monarchs have a crown, most likely encrusted with jewels. Commonly, these riches signify the power of the ruler and the strength of the kingdom.
But Jesus tells Pilate that his kingdom is not here. None of these usual standards to kingliness prevail in his realm.
But there is another story of wealth that does apply. It is a legend really, but it is so embodied in the life of the church that saints like Ambrose and Leo the Great and many others passed it along in their writings.
Ambrose lifts up the example of Lawrence the deacon, martyred in 258 during the persecution of Valerian. As deacon, Lawrence was entrusted with the wealth of the church which he administered to the needy. After Pope Sixtus II was killed, the emperor sought the treasures of the church of Rome. Ambrose continues, “Such gold the holy martyr Lawrence preserved for the Lord. For when the treasures of the Church were demanded from him, he promised that he would show them. On the following day he brought the poor together. When asked where the treasures were which he had promised, he pointed to the poor, saying: These are the treasures of the Church. And truly they were treasures, in whom Christ lives, in whom there is faith in Him” (De officiis, 2:28).
So what kind of kingdom does Christ rule? Maybe he reigns most effectively in those who give of themselves for people in need. Christ’s kingdom may be found in the hearts of those who are, as the pope said on Monday, “inspired by love [that] goes beyond justice.”
Paul Michaels
Prayer
God and Father of us all,
your Son reigns over all creation
as the sovereign Lord who gave his life for all.
May we, who are baptized in his name
and share in his royal priesthood,
care for those in need
with the same eternal love he showed for us.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
Notices
PILGRIMAGE/RETREAT
Maryknoll is offering a pilgrimage/retreat to the sites of the Central American Martyrs, January 11-22, 2010. For more information about this prayerful opportunity to engage in cross-cultural solidarity, visit: http://maryknollpilgrimage.org/.
PROMOTE HISPANIC VOCATIONS WITH FREE MAGAZINES
!OYE! 2010 is a new and free, bilingual faith and discernment guide from Claretian Publications. Encouraging young Hispanics to consider a call to a priestly or religious vocation or just to deepen their faith commitment, !OYE! is distributed free of charge through parishes, schools, and other ministries. To order as many free copies as you can distribute, please call 800-328-6515 or order online.
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