“We must watch over our mind, our heart, and our senses, for these are the gates by which the devil enters in.” ~St. John Vianney
Christ, the King: A King of Hearts
Today is the 34th Sunday of the church year, marking its close. Pope Pius XI, in 1925 instituted this final Sunday of the year as the Feast of Christ, the King. Pope Paul VI, in 1969 gave this celebration a new title: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe,” thus, giving it the highest rank, that of a solemnity. Each year the Church celebrates through prayer and worship that Jesus Christ is the universal King and Judge of all. This is one of the central tenants of our faith and prepares us for the start of a new church year next Sunday, December 2, with the season of Advent.
St. Patrick of Ireland wrote on the power of Christ as he said, “I bind myself today…
The might of The Incarnation of Christ with that of His Baptism;
The might of His Crucifixion with that of His Burial;
The might of His Resurrection with that of His Ascension;
The might of His Coming on the Judgment Day.”
Recently the American bishops held their fall assembly in Baltimore, MD. (November 12-15, 2012). I always enjoy tuning in to see the bishops in their respective dioceses, listening to the agenda items they bring forward to hearing the dialogue and the questions they put forth. I was inspired by the media footage covering the 7th Bishop of Dallas, Kevin Joseph Farrell, who serves on the Committee for National Collections for the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops), and also Bishop Gerald Kicanas, the 8th bishop of Tucson, AZ. It gave me a sense of the universal mission of the Church in its efforts to collect goods and re-distribute them in an equitable way, especially those most in need. “From the very beginning Christians have brought, along with the bread and the wine for the Eucharist, gifts to be shared with those in need. This custom of the collection, ever appropriate, is inspired by the example of Christ, who became poor to make us rich.” (C.C. #1351)
The USCCB has identified key mission priorities. In 1926, Pope Pius XI instituted World Mission Sunday. Other collections today are: Catholic Home Missions Appeal, The Catholic Campaign for Human Development, The Collection for the Church in Latin America, The Collection for Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, The Retirement Fund for Religious Appeal, The Catholic Relief Services Collection, The Catholic University of America Collection, The Black and Indian Mission Collection. These national collections offer the faithful a shared opportunity to build bridges that impact the lives of people at home and around the world in a variety of circumstances and with a host of needs. Even the smallest of gifts will support and encourage pastoral ministers and volunteers who each and every day serve the Church’s evangelizing mission at home and abroad. Thank you for the $4,223 recently collected for the Hurricane Sandy victims. Your generosity anoints the darkness of others.
In watching the video footage of the National Collections it made me ask, “Where does Christ, the King reign in the world?” Certainly not in ivory palaces, not in extravagance or great wealth, not in unfair political systems of power and control. But Christ, the King rules through the cry of the poor for justice, the cry of the oppressed for freedom, the cry of the despised for acceptance, the cry of the weak for strength.
Christ, the King is on the side of those who struggle for dignity, identity and opportunity. The Kingdom of God would conquer only hearts. May Jesus teach us more each day about growing His Kingdom… the Kingdom of God.
Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, OMI, popular writer and president of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX, has written a reflection on what a good and true king looks like:
A good king is someone who is strong enough to be weak; who, like God’s presence in this world, can let vulnerability, silence, and helplessness be the ultimate instruments in ordering, caring, feeding and blessing others.
A good king is someone who has a heart big enough to accept pettiness, who cares enough to accept humiliation, and who is faithful enough to do what’s right, even when it’s misunderstood.
A good king is someone who is tall enough to let himself be small, secure enough to disappear in anonymity, and mature enough to not be put off by immaturity.
A good king is someone who is selfless enough to absorb selfishness, loving enough to be gracious towards what’s bitter, and forgiving enough to bless what’s killing him.
A good king is someone who makes those around him feel safe, who carries others rather than ask them to carry him, who feeds others rather than feeds off of them, and who affirms others rather than asking them to affirm him.
A good king looks more like Christ on the cross than like an earthly superstar in his glory, but that is what made Jesus’ life and death redemptive.
On Tuesday, November 13, 2012 I attended the 56th Anniversary of the Serra Club of Beaver Valley. There was a reception honoring all the priests of Vicariate III in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Along with 120 people in attendance, two of the diocesan seminarians were introduced by Fr. Donald Breier. Regional Vicar, Fr. Samuel J. Esposito introduced the 10 priests that were in attendance. The Serra Club strives to emulate the model of their patron, Fr. Juniperra Serra. “Always to go forward-never to turn back.”
The guest speaker of the evening was Spiritan Father, Rev. Vincent Stegman, CSSp (ordained: 1962). There are 3,200 Spiritans in the world today, primarily serving in missionary countries in Africa. He spent ten years working with the Maasai tribe in Tanzania. He was then sent to Ethiopia where he spent 30 years working with the nomadic Borana people in southern Ethiopia. He returned home to work in campus ministry at Duquesne University which is operated by the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. Now he is presently the Administrator of St. Stephen Church in the Hazelwood section of Pittsburgh, a parish under the care of the Holy Spirit congregation. He gave a powerpoint presentation on “The People, the Culture and the Religion of the Church of Ethiopia.” The retired Ethiopian Borana kings wore a tribal “Kallaacha” on their heads which represented a symbol of status, where they were highly respected. “Wisdom and righteousness are signs of the maturity that should come with old age. (~Wisdom 4:9)
I spoke with Fr. Vincent after the presentation and thanked him for enlightening, inspiring, educating and feeding me thanksgiving of his 40 dedicated years of service. I bowed in appreciation for the service he rendered for God’s people in such a far away place. He fed me thanksgiving through his witness.
