Author: Rosemary

Readings: 

2 Samuel 5, 1-3, You shall shepherd my people Israel.

Psalm 122,  Let us go rejoicing to house of the Lord.

Colossians 1, 12-20,  He is before all things.

Luke  23, 35-43, If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.

 

 

History of the Christ the King Feast: date, author, reason it was declared.

Date: Not during the early church, not during the time when Constantine made Christianity the religion of the Empire, not during the time of Luther & the Reformation, not during the time of Pius IX with the Italian Resorgiamento & his Infallibility statement (1870), but in 1925.  Fairly Recently.

Author: Pius XI, pope 1922-39

Reason(s): at least 2 factors–The Times and Modernism/Secularism

 

 

1.  The Times:

a) End of WW I and build up to WW II   

b) Mussolini & Hitler: the same year Pius XI became pope, Mussolini became prime minister.  By 1925 he had become a dictator.  The feast was to counter the dictatorship.  "Christ is king, not you."

 

 

2.  Modernism & Secularism:

a) Modernism.  Despite being scholarly and pro-scientific methods, Pius XI was suspicious of biblical scholarship which questioned, for example, biblical inerrancy, the nature of bible miracles, the virgin birth, the resurrection, the atonement theory that God demanded his son suffer & die for a single sin by a human.

b) Secularism coming out of the Enlightenment said that all people were equal, people should have a say in government as in democracy, and backed the separation of church/state, like proposed by Jefferson.  The Catholic Church was against democracy.

 Sources: Living with Christ, Nov., 2009; Wikipedia

 

Our Blessings

Thanksgiving, as many of you know, is my most favorite celebration and feast of the year.  For three reasons.

1.  It is family and friend focused.  Gather around the table and have a great meal with people dear.
2. No gifts are expected.  Gifts can create tension in me.  What do I get for people?  Will I get more than I give?   
3. Once we reach Halloween and turn toward Thanksgiving, I begin to count the gifts and blessings of my year.  I love doing this and the memories fill me with peace, joy, and consolation.

 

 

This season I have come up with a half dozen or eight really special gifts.  I would love to share with you my top three.

First, as Rosemary would say to you, “That cowboy has married up.”  I agree, folks, and I am enjoying every moment of married life.  Rosemary and our home, Aviana, and the fun we all have.  I lived for years with loneliness, especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and doubly especially when I lived in Tanzania.   I am not lonely anymore. 

 

 

I bet you won't find another Catholic priest counting his marriage as his biggest blessing of the year.

Secondly, you people.  This community.  You people are an amazement to me and to many others who cannot be here.  The warm hospitality, the generosity, and the mutual support and acceptance of one another, especially of the kids.  Do you realize that we have been celebrating here for nine years this coming Sunday?  I will never forget that first Sunday we gathered here. 

 

Thirdly, I’ve had some marvelous bike events.  The 5 Boro in N.Y. coupled with the big McGinn family reunion.  The week long ride across Iowa, like riding in a circus.   The exhausting but exhilarating Hotter ‘N Hell ride out of Wichita Falls, 100 miles, 100 degrees temp.

 

Connected with these events I include our 9 day Yosemite back packing trip, my most favorite park and my most favorite trail, the Matterhorn Canyon trip.  The last time I took this trip was 2009 and I knew that I would never again be able to hike like this with my factory edition hips.  You know the rest of the story.  This was the first time I traveled the Matterhorn Canyon since 2009 and I thought then that I would never see it again.  I was moved to tears on occasion.

 

 

Two bonus gifts.  Rosemary & I every Monday evening have a date night.  Guess what we do.  We are dancing again.  At the Farmers’ Branch Senior Center, a fun place with a bunch of old geezers who can really dance. 

And, finally, my French. 

I am most grateful.

Your biggest gifts this year?  Your biggest gift.

 

 

 

Readings: 

Malachi 3, 19-20, There will arise the sun of justice.

Psalm 98,  Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

2 Thessalonians 3, 7-12,  Night and day we worked.

Luke  21, 5-19, Nation will rise against nation.

 

 Introduction: 

Before the Exile the OT prophets warned the Israelites of the punishment they were about to receive for not being obedient to the Commandments.  After returning from their exile to find their temple, homes and fields in destruction they were exhorted by the OT prophets to restore and rebuild and purify themselves before God.

The written words of the very small book of the prophet Malachi anticipated the coming of a messenger to prepare their hearts to welcome and put into practice the life-giving and love-giving words and actions of the Messiah. 

Our reading from St. Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians continues this theme: the virtuous will be known by their words and actions.

 

Homily:

When our first reading begins with these words, ‘a day is coming,’ it is speaking of the Day of Judgment to separate those whose life and love giving words and actions have served God and neighbor from those who failed to do so.

The Prophet Malachi implies that those who have served God and neighbor have done so naturally because they have been purified [by the Spirit].  Indeed, Jesus’ words in the Matthew gospel to those who have shown mercy and justice invite them to enter the kingdom of God prepared for them from the foundation of the world.

 

 

They are told that they had clothed him when he was naked, given water and food when he was hungry and thirsty.  The just are perplexed; they ask him ‘when did we clothe you or visit you when you were sick or in prison?’ 

The Lord replies, ‘when you did it to the least of those around you, you did it to me and for me through the Spirit.’ 

 

 

In today’s gospel his disciples ask Jesus when this Day of Judgment was coming. The gospels tell us that only the Father knows the day when his Son, the bridegroom, will come for his bride; but Jesus replies that those who have endured persecution and have chosen to be led by the Holy Spirit will recognize the signs in the heaven. Then they are to raise their heads knowing that their redemption is at hand.

 

 

Ten years ago I spent some time examining some early Christian writings that were not included in the NT.  I came across a writing that was done by a 22 year old, well educated, young woman named Perpetua living in the north African city of Carthage in the year 203 AD.

 She was writing about herself during the last days of her life. She had just finished the final stage of the catechumenate when she had been arrested for being a Christian.  [The Romans in Carthage needed some Christians to throw to the Lions on the Emperor’s Birthday.]

 

 

Perpetua was baptized as she waited to be put into prison. Her father came to visit her, begging that she tell the judge that she was not a Christian.  She pointed to a pot near her asking him to tell her what it was.  Then she said to him that in like manner she could not be anything other than what she was, ‘a Christian.’ 

With her head raised high, she identified herself as Christian before the judge.  She described prison as a dark hole, but she prayed for endurance with three others who were catechumen; including her maid, Felicity, who was expecting a child.  

 

 

On the night before they were taken to the arena to be thrown to the wild animals during the festivities these martyrs were given their last meal.  These four Christians called it their love feast; they were receiving the Bread blessed and broken.   By no other name did they want to be called.    Let us cherish the Christian name to which each of us has been called.