23/11/2024
Fr. Rafael K. Eloriaga, CM's Homily
Solemnity of Christ the King
John 18:33-37
An ancient legend says that the devil, being a master of disguise, tried to get into heaven by pretending to be the risen Christ. He took his demons disguised as angels of light with him and had them cry out the traditional first part of the welcome psalm: “Lift your heads, o ye gates of heaven, and lift your doors, and the King of Glory shall enter.”
The real angels looked down on what they thought was their King returning in triumph from the dead. So they, in turn, shouted back with joy the refrain: “Who is the king of glory?” The devil then made a fatal mistake. He opened his arms, spread his palms, and declared; “I am”.
The angels immediately slammed the gate of heaven and refused to let the imposter in. They saw right away that there were no nail marks on his palms. The impostor has no wounds of love and has not paid the cost.
The Christ we honor is not identified by the crown he wears, the regal clothes he wears, the scepter he holds, or the throne where he sits. Instead, the Christ we honor is identified by the wounds in his hands, wounds that show how much he loved us.
Similarly, we will be known as Jesus’ followers, not by anything else, not by our wealth, not by our position in society, not by our education, not by our family background and connections, but by the very love we share.
This love we share will always be the measure of our Christian faith. Our expression of love is the only language we speak about God to our society, communicating the Christian faith—our very response to the deepest longings of our hearts.
The Gospel admonition is clear. If we want to belong to Jesus, we must listen to His voice - particularly to testify to the truth. Our society, we all know, is beset with social ills that undermine the message of the Gospel. We are called not only to speak out against the ills of society but also to instruct the faithful on what to do when confronted with such in the light of the Gospel values and teachings of the Church. We are called to share the Gospel values with all and to shape society when it is not following the path consistent with these values.
Finally, when the Church speaks out, it may choose not to side with the prevailing winds of popular opinion since the Church is never called to popularity but to faithfulness.
We are to continue bringing our gracious God to the men and women of our time. This means bearing quiet and humble witness each day to the core of the Gospel message. The Good News of the God who is love, who has drawn near to us in Jesus Christ even to the Cross, and who in the Resurrection brings us hope and promise to eternal life. We should continue loving one another the way Jesus loves us.
Jesus, with his marked, wounded hands, gave us an example. By loving concern for the people’s questions, struggles, and needs, he led them to the Father. With the same task of bringing God to our contemporaries, we play a privileged role, for in us, the life of faith is lived daily in joy, forgiveness, truth, and especially love.
May the love of Christ, our King, reign in our hearts.
Points to ponder:
1. What prevents me from having Christ as King in my life?
2. How do I honor Christ as king in my life?
3. What can I contribute to testify to the truth – to speak out against the social ills of our society?
