THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

CHRIST THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE - Matthew 25:31-46

At the end of the liturgical year, we celebrate Christ as the King of the Universe. We speak about divine things with human language because that is the only way we can speak about anything. However, our human language can never translate God’s mystery in a perfect way, since it is always prone to confusion. And so it is the case. Jesus Christ is proclaimed king but is not a king as the earthly kings are. Calling him a king, we speak of his power, his dominion and his glory. In the first letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes that “everything is to be put under his feet”, because he will defeat all his enemies, and “the last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Co 15:26-27). Jesus Christ does not wield his power and his dominion by being overbearing and by oppressing and crushing everything else. Christ presented himself as a servant, who gives up his life so that we may gain life and salvation.

When Pilate asked Jesus if he was king, he answered back that his kingdom is not of this world (Jn 18:36). Only those who search wholeheartedly for the truth will listen to his voice and accept his rule. Jesus kingship was revealed on the Cross, where he showed his love, shedding his blood for us.

The only purpose of Jesus’ kingship is that “God may be all in all.” (1 Co 15:28) If we accept Jesus Christ and live by his rule, we are led to allowing the God of love and peace be God in our lives, and then all our deepest desires will be fulfilled.

Jesus Christ is king as a Shepherd - the Good Shepherd, who cares for his people, leading them to a place of rest and peace. As a shepherd, he protects, defends, guides and heals his people. He “shows them where to rest” and he “will feed them with justice” (Ez 34:15-16)

As King of the universe, Jesus will sit on his throne to judge humankind and he will judge according to the rule of his kingdom, the love of love, mercy and compassion. 

We cannot be surprised that Pope Francis has been insisting so much on the Church being a Church of the poor, where they feel at home because they are loved and respected. If we pass by the poor, the outcast, the oppressed and the suffering, then Jesus Christ will not recognise us as belonging to his kingdom. We will be cast out and expelled from his presence.

“The Lord is my shepherd;

  there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

  where he gives me repose.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Near restful waters he leads me,

  to revive my drooping spirit.

He guides me along the right path;

  he is true to his name.” (Ps 23:1-3)

ARE WE LAZY SERVANTS?

XXXIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 25:14-30

Reading the conclusion of this Sunday’s gospel, we may get the idea that Jesus approved of capitalism. Jesus said: 

“For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (Mt 25:29).

Indeed, capital brings more capital, thriving in profit and increasing one’s wealth. The ones who have little easily loose the little they have, which is taken over by the one who is already rich enough. In this way, the rich become richer and the poor poorer, so that the gap between the rich and the poor becomes wider. This is a social and economic reality that find in our everyday lives, and it is not surprising that some use Jesus’ words to justify the capitalism. 

We should not misunderstand Jesus since he was not speaking about wealth; in fact, he refused to deal with issues of money (see Lk 12:13) and was very critical of those who make capital the god they worship (Lk 16:13). The parable of the talents read in this Sunday’s gospel is about the Kingdom of God and about the attitudes required to be admitted into it.

The parable speaks about a man who went on a journey and entrusted a great amount of money to three of his servants, and each one was entrusted with different responsibilities “in proportion to his ability.” (Mt 25:15). The parable helps us to understand that we are different, because of our different abilities, our different backgrounds and the different circumstances we live in. Being different, the expectations and the demands on the performance of each one of us are different as well. In spite of this difference, each one was expected to give the best of himself in commitment and in hard work. The results can be different, but they will not be the proof that one is better than the other. What is important to God, to the others and to themselves is that each must be true to himself, working wholeheartedly. All of them had to account for what they did with the talents received. Indeed, all of us are accountable for whatever we do. Life is to be taken seriously and faith implies commitment. We should never take God for granted.

Out of the three men in the parable, one was condemned as lazy and punished with exclusion from the welfare granted to the others. What was wrong with him? Out of fear, he did nothing. Knowing that his master was very demanding, he decided to hide the treasure entrusted to him, burying it and keeping it intact in order to return it to his master. He was condemned for his lack of vision and initiative. He was not prepared for adventure and he would not take risks. In the end, fear was just an excuse for his laziness.

Like the other two servants, we must be ready to use whatever the Lord has given us to invest and bring development to ourselves and the others.

BE PREPARED FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD

XXXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 25:1-13

The first reading (Wisdom 6:12-16) speaks about wisdom and how she comes to all those who look for her. Indeed, we are in need of wisdom to find meaning in our lives and to establish bonds of friendship and solidarity with others in the community. Without wisdom, we are not able to see our own limitations and to recognise the contributions of others to our own welfare. It is wisdom that helps us to recognise the presence of God in the world around us, mainly in the faces and the lives of the people we live with. Only wisdom can set us walking in a straight path, the path to justice and peace. 

A Bemba proverb tells us: Amano uli weka: tayashingauke koshi (Alone your wisdom: does not go around your neck) and another one says: Amano mambuulwa (wisdom, the things that you pick up, learning from others). True wisdom cannot thrive in loneliness, much less in selfishness; instead, it learns from and with the others, making communion and peace possible. True wisdom is God himself guiding us through the path of life.

In the gospel, we find the parable the ten virgins who went to welcome the bridegroom for his wedding feast. The theme of a bridegroom and his wedding feast appears several times in the New Testament (for instance, Rev 21:2,9). Christ is the Bridegroom; he will come at the end of times and then his beloved bride, the Church, will be presented to him. The bridesmaids represent all of us. Like them, we wait for his coming. When is he coming? We do not know. We just wait and wait and the delay seems to be too prolonged, so that we may get tired of waiting. 

The ten virgins fell asleep, all of them and someone had to wake them up. Like them, we may go through moments of tiredness and sleepiness or times of disappointment and darkness. We may think that we are waiting in vain and that, in the end, nobody is coming and we will realise that our wait was wasted time. However, the parable tells us that Christ is coming; and at his coming, there will be a great celebration, full of joy and happiness. Will we be there and have a share in that feast?

According to the parable, there were two kinds of virgins, the wise and the foolish. Some prepared themselves for the delay, while others did not think of such a possibility. They were not prepared for hard times when the Lord seems to be absent and we see ourselves as abandoned and lost. So, when they heard the announcement of the bridegroom’s arrival, they had to go out into the darkness of the night to buy oil for their lamps. When they came back, the feast had begun and the door was closed. They were late. To enter the banquet hall, one must be ready and well prepared. The Bemba proverb says Umuti uwila uko wakongamina (the tree falls to where is bent). If we are turned to Christ, then we will fall to Christ.

Let us ask the Lord the grace of being prepared for his coming.

WHO ARE OUR ROLE MODELS?

XXXI SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 23:1-12

Speaking to his disciples and to the public in general, Jesus warned them about the Pharisees and the Scribes. They were in a position of leadership. By saying that they “occupy the chair of Moses”, Jesus implies a certain usurpation. Indeed, they were not the traditional leaders of the people and may say that they were self-appointed leaders, who put themselves in front of the people and sometimes over them. Why did Jesus warn against them? They presented themselves as role models for the people, but they were fake role models, claiming an authority that they did not have and demanding that people imitate them. 

They do not practice what they preach. They deceive people because they themselves do not believe in what they preach.

 They are hard and extremely demanding on the others, but easily find excuses for themselves. “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they!” (Mt 23:4).

Finally, Jesus accuses them of doing everything to attract attention. They would like to be ranked among the best for their names to appear in the Hall of Fame. They want to be recognised and honoured, they must make it to the top.

We should ask if similar attitudes are not found in the Church among our leaders and among ourselves. Do we live according to what we teach to the others? Are we not ready to condemn the others, finding fault with everything they do, while we do not apply the same rules to us? Are we ready to serve, or do we look for fame, presenting ourselves as the best, and demanding applause from the others?

We may ask as well: who are our role models? Who are the ones who influence us and whom we are ready to listen to? And, if we are in a position of leadership, can we serve of role models to the others? Are we true to ourselves, living by what we teach?

In the first reading, the prophet Malachi denounces the priests and their teaching to the people: “… you, you have strayed from the way; you have caused many to stumble by your teaching. You have destroyed the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of Hosts.” (Mal 2:8).

Let us pray for all those who are in positions of leadership, so that they may be true role models for the people that they serve.