Gospel Meditation

November 21, 2021
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

We often come to life expecting all of the pieces of the puzzle to nicely fit together. We want and expect harmony, order, and fairness, the achievement of rewards for good behavior, good health, and happiness. We can more easily accept death when it comes naturally after a good long life, but have a real difficulty comprehending the meaning of it all when it is cut short. Willing to put in a good measure of effort, we desire positive results. When things go wrong and life gets hurtful, unjust, and downright ugly, we become unsettled and can quickly fall into despair. This is especially true if we are people of faith who believe in a God who sees things on our terms and works in favor of our life agenda. What happens to our faith when we find ourselves sitting in a mess?

Does it help to know that God understands and that hardship, failure, disappointment, injustice, confusion, and all of life’s ugliness do not make faith irrelevant or irrational? God is wonderfully and surprising creative! He turns the tables on not only our understanding of life, but of what it means to be a king. God sends us a king who is not exempt from life’s ills but embraces them. The king that God gives to us knows what it means to be poor, suffer insults, be ridiculed, face rejection, endure suffering, be betrayed, and face a most unjust and horrific death. This is our king. Jesus is not a king of prestige or grandeur but a king who brings light to darkness, hope to despair, sinners to mercy, and new life out of death. Christ dances before us pleading with us to hold on, cling to love, avoid being negative, stop feeling cheated, and be strong in faith! There may be hardship and disappointment now but there are more surprises to come.

Once we understand this truth, we will also understand that we are on a most incredible and awesome universal journey to Christ and becoming one in Christ. We all carry within us the image of God, the image of our suffering king. The One who lives in us also lives in all of our brothers and sisters. Failing to see this universal Divine Presence in all is one of the greatest mistakes we can make, for we also fail to see God, our king, as well. There are many things that can bring hardship to life. If we keep our head about us and do not lose hope, we can persevere and strive for the greatest degree of justice possible. Even though there are ample things that can challenge our faith, we also know that our deepest joy comes from union with God and our brothers and sisters. One day, the fullness of that joy will be ours to have when we are all eternally one with Christ our King forever. 

©LPi

MEDITACIÓN EVANGÉLICO (Gospel Meditation)

21 de noviembre de 2021
Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, Rey del Universo

Como confirmación de las palabras de Jesús del domingo pasado de que su Palabra nunca pasará, hoy el libro de Daniel nos muestra otra forma de ver la realeza de Cristo desde siempre: “Se le dio el poder, la gloria y la realeza, y todos los pueblos, naciones y lenguas lo sirvieron. Su poder es el poder eterno que nunca pasará; su reino no será destruido” (Daniel 7:14). Y el libro del Apocalipsis lo revela así: “Y de parte de Cristo Jesús, el testigo fiel, el primer nacido de entre los muertos, el rey de reyes de la tierra. Él nos ama y por su sangre nos ha purificado de nuestros pecados, haciendo de nosotros un reino y una raza de sacerdotes de Dios, su Padre” (Apocalipsis 1:5-6).

Esta Solemnidad de Cristo Rey fundamenta su amor y radica en los corazones de todos los que le aman. Desde la Cruz vence a la muerte y al pecado. Desde ahí nos libera y nos salva. Desde la cruz nos invita a un reino de servicio y amor hacia los pobres, hacia los sin voz. Él es el dueño total de todo y de todos. Él es la plenitud de la verdad y la vida, todo fue creado por Él y para Él. El reino de Cristo brota desde la Cruz. Y eso es lo que explica a Pilato después de su interrogatorio: “Tú lo has dicho: yo soy Rey. Yo doy testimonio de la verdad, y para esto he venido al mundo. Todo el que está del lado de la verdad escucha mi voz” (Juan 18:37-38). Santa Benedicta de la Cruz decía: “Enamorarse de Dios es el mayor romanticismo; buscarlo, la aventura más grande; encontrarlo, el mayor logro”. Busquemos enamorarnos del Crucificado. ¡Viva Cristo Rey del universo!

©LPi