Solemnity of Christ the King: You Did It For Me

Maybe it’s safe to say that among the words we most commonly speak is the word goodbye. Some of you might know that it’s a contraction of the old English, ”God be with ye”. It’s a kind sentiment to wish someone as we part ways, “Goodbye….God be with you”.

In the first reading, God speaks through the prophet Ezekiel and makes it clear that indeed, He intends to be with his people, to govern them, as a shepherd cares for his flock. He’s jumping into this task, because those to whom He had given this responsibility—the kings of Judah—had failed, with few exceptions, to uphold the task.

One king however, stood out in the collective memory of the people, as one who truly was a man of God—that is, King David. Even with his lapses in judgment and moments of weakness in temptation, he remained the model king they hoped to again have. The prophets said that one would come of David’s line, that he would emerge and again serve as a true king for the people, a true shepherd.

Today’s celebration boldly declares that God provided this heir—Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, Jesus, the Good Shepherd. And so perhaps it seems odd that in today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks not about uniting, but instead, about separating. Isn’t forging unity one of the primary functions of a king and shepherd?

Yet Jesus speaks of separating in this rather harsh parable, sometimes known as the Parable of the Sheep and Goats. It’s harsh because Jesus declares that in the end-times, we will be judged and separated accordingly. It’s worth noting that he made this sobering statement to his disciples only two days before they would all abandon him as he was arrested and sentenced to death.

But why would Jesus want to separate the flock? That’s how it might seem, but the fact is, that with a careful hearing of his words, we realize that it’s not actually Jesus who separates anyone—it’s instead, ourselves. Still he makes it clear that we will be judged based upon our choice to either unite ourselves to him and his mission, specifically by reaching out to those in need, or we separate ourselves from him and each other by ignoring those in need.

He lays out what we in our Catholic tradition, have come to call the Corporal Works of Mercy (CCC, 2447): to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, care for the sick, help the imprisoned, and bury the dead. Perhaps there’s no person that stands out more in our consciousness than Mother Teresa, as one who embodied the living response to these needs. She once said, “If sometimes our poor people have had to die of starvation, it’s not because God didn’t care for them, but because you and I didn’t give, were not instruments of love in the hands of God, to give them that bread, to give them that clothing; because we did not recognize Christ in disguise” [1]

Last weekend I spoke about our need for your support as Stewardship of Treasure, and I also mentioned that we also need support through your Stewardship of Time and Talent. It’s our current task, through our Outreach Commission and Pastoral Council, to put in place a revitalized program that provides outlets for us to live out these Corporal Works of Mercy. Look for that to come and please pray for us in the meantime.

A Dominican priest, who knew Mother Teresa, recalled time he spent with her, seeking to better understand what fueled her spirituality and her work. They spoke awhile about it and at a certain point, Mother Teresa asked the priest to lay his hand on the table between them. She began gently touching his fingers, one after the other, then softly spoke the words of Jesus our Shepherd-King, that we heard today: “You did it to me” [2].

I’m reminded that throughout the Gospels, Jesus either reached out to or was sought out by, those who had serious problems. He didn’t shield himself from the inexhaustible range of needs in the human experience. And so it is, God, who spoke through the prophet Ezekiel, declaring His intention to be with His people, comes to be with us through those who present themselves to us in their need: “Whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me…what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me”.

[1] God Still Speaks: Listen! By Harold Buetow; Alba House, 1995.

[2] Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith by Robert Barron; Image Books, 2011.