We
all know, I’m sure, those feelings that accompany being chosen for
something that we are excited about. It all begins well before the
actual moment of being chosen: the nervousness mixed with excitement
when we try out or apply or interview for something; the anticipation
of waiting to find out if we were picked or not; and then finally
there is either the joy and jubilation of finding out that we have
been chosen or the disappointment and frustration of not being
picked. We experience this roller coaster of emotions when we are
picking teams for a game at school or applying for a job or a new
position at work. I remember most vividly times in high school and
college when I tried out for plays and for solos in choir; my stomach
practically tied up in knots as I waited to find out if I got the
part.
We
desire these things, and so we look with great anticipation to being
chosen. We care so deeply about achieving these great temporary
honors here on Earth; do we pay the same amount of attention to our
spiritual growth and whether we have been found worthy of entry into
the Heavenly Kingdom?
Today,
the Church celebrates the last Sunday in Ordinary Time, called The
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The
readings for this day often have the theme of referring to Jesus as a
king or a good shepherd, always as a great and merciful ruler.
Today's Gospel also has the added theme of looking ahead to what
theologians often refer to as the “end times”. This is the time
in which we believe that the Second Coming of Christ will happen when
we will all enter into the Kingdom of God. Often, this whole
scenario is thought of as the end of the world. Thanks to Hollywood,
we have painted in our minds an image of great destruction, and
suffering, and wailing and gnashing of teeth associated with “end
times” and “end of the world”. But that is just one
interpretation of what the end of the world will be like (and a very
pessimistic one at that). When we say that this will be the end of
the world, we are simply saying that it will be the end of our time
here on this earth, and the beginning of our time in the Kingdom of
God. My point is we don't have to fear.
In
the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus explains to His disciples and all of us
that at the Second Coming there will be a Judgment Day. This image
that Christ provides of a shepherd separating the sheep from the
goats is meant to help us better understand that Christ Himself will
also separate those who have followed the commandments and shown love
and compassion to others, from those who did not. This is a little
different than what I was talking about in my examples from before.
We are not being picked for our talents or abilities like when we try
out for a sport or apply for a job. This is the final judgment and
God is going to be looking at how we lived our lives. The main focus
of the examination of our lives, as Christ explains, will be on how
we treated those who Christ calls, “the least”. The least are
those who are in need, those who must go without, those who are
marginalized in society. This Gospel reading gives pretty clear
instructions about how we are to help those least brothers and
sisters. We are to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty,
welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit
the imprisoned. Now, this is not to say that we have to do each of
these things on a regular basis. We don’t have to ask each other,
have you visited a prison this week or found someone naked and given
them clothes. Nor does this mean that these are the only things that
Christ expects us to do as Christians. Rather, this passage is
simply a reiteration of the two greatest commandments that we heard
at Mass about a month ago: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with
all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, [and]
your neighbor as yourself.” Being a Christian, being a follower of
Christ means to love those around us. By loving others, we also show
love to God.
As
I said before, we all get excited when we think we may be chosen for
a special honor or a special opportunity to do something we want to
be a part of. When we want something like that, we put a lot of time
and effort into being able to achieve it. We should also put the
same effort into being counted among the sheep at the right hand of
Christ at the Last Judgment. That means paying attention to how we
can serve God and how we can show compassion to the least of Christ’s
brothers and sisters who are around us.
It
is important for us to realize that Christ has already chosen us in a
certain sense to something very special. Christ is our Good
Shepherd, as the Prophet Ezekiel reminds us in the first reading, and
we are the flock that He pastures. We know from the Scriptures that
we do not choose Christ, but rather Christ chooses us. We have been
chosen to be a part of Christ’s flock. That means, as Ezekiel
explains, that He will take care us: feeding us, protecting us, and
seeking out the lost. The prophet also mentions a judgment among the
sheep and separation between the rams and the goats. Again, a
reminder that there will be a judgment, but Christ is also looking
after His flock and that means we will have His help. Christ will
help us in our striving to love and serve each other.
As
Christians, we believe that Christ will come again, to rule as king.
Let us look forward to that glorious day, and prepare for our own
entry into that kingdom.
No comments:
Post a Comment