“For this I was born, and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the Truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth …listens to my voice.”
John’s Gospel presents a stark contrast
between an earthly king-ship (PILATE) and
The divine kingship…of Jesus.
Today, we celebrate the kingship of Jesus
with John’s Gospel account of what…is perhaps Jesus’
most humiliating moment: …
his appearance before Pilate.
It is a strange exchange:
Pilate has been blackmailed…by the Jewish establishment into
executing Jesus…for their ends;
‘IT IS’ the accused who dominates the meeting
and takes on the role of inquisitor;
Pilate has no idea…what Jesus is talking about
when HE speaks about…“the truth.”
Pilate, a man of ‘NO’ great talent or exceptional competence,
was under a great deal of political pressure.
He had needlessly alienated…the Jews of Palestine
by his cruelty, his insensitivity to their religious customs and
his clumsy appropriation of funds from the temple treasury…
for public projects.
Reports…of his undistinguished performance
had reached…his superiors in Rome.
Jesus proclaims himself ruler of a kingdom
built of compassion, humility, love and truth –
power that Pilate cannot comprehend
in his small, narrow view of the world.
To BUILD on Fr. Matt’s MESSAGE from last week….
We cannot be Christians by default ‘BUT’ only by choice;
we cannot respond passively to the call to discipleship,
‘ONLY’ actively…can we embrace the spirit of the “kingdom” of God,
a kingdom built on compassion, justice and truth.
The kingdom of Jesus is ‘NOT’ found in the world’s centers of power
‘BUT’ within human hearts;
it is built ‘NOT’ by deals among the power elite
but by compassionate hands;
Christ reigns neither by influence nor wealth
but by selfless charity and justice.
You may have read about or heard of
Chaplin… Emil J Kapaun, a Catholic priest,
who during the Korean war,
ministered to US troops during the Battle of Unsan.
As communist forces surrounded and far outnumbered
the battalion of American soldiers,
Fr. Kapaun moved fearlessly
from foxhole to foxhole under fire
to comfort and reassure the soldiers.
He repeatedly faced…direct enemy fire…
to recover the wounded and drag them to safety.
He refused several chances to escape,
instead remaining behind…to care for the wounded.
After he was taken prisoner,
He continued to risk his life for his fellow captives:
foraging for food, caring for the sick and
encouraging his fellow soldiers to sustain
their FAITH and Humanity.
He died in that prison camp –
Asking God’s forgiveness for his captors.
Despite the pain and anguish,…Chaplain Kapaun (KA-Poon)
was able to find reason to give thanks to God
for the “privilege” of being able to aid so many soldiers.
For this, He is being considered for sainthood.
‘THIS’ is the kingdom of God:
a humanity that is one in its gratitude to our Maker
for the gift of life breathed into every soul.
Christ comes to reveal that kingdom of God,
a unity that is centered on such selfless, humble gratitude.
To realize the good in our lives in the midst of our struggles,
to acknowledge the wonders God has worked for us,
to resolve to commit our blessings for the good of all
is to realize Christ’s reign in this time and place of ours.
Heaven becomes a reality here and now
when we embrace God’s vision of humankind
as a family made in the image of God,
a vision of one another as sisters and brothers,
a vision of the world centered
in the spirit of hope and compassion taught by the Gospel Jesus.
To be faithful disciples of Christ
is to be servants of truth:
truth that liberates and renews,
truth that gives and sustains life and hope,
truth that transcends rationalizations,
half-truths and delusions,
truth that serves as a looking glass
for seeing the world in the intended design of God.
We…who have been baptized
into the life, death and resurrection of Christ
ARE called…to build and maintain
that kingdom in our ‘OWN’ time and place.
We end this liturgical year…celebrating the reign of God’s Christ —
‘BUT’ the Messiah’s reign…is not a future, cosmic event
But…has already begun in every village,
in every home, in every heart.
The truth is…that Jesus is the ‘ONLY’ Way
and by diving deeper into Sacred Scripture …
and the events of Christ’s persecution and death,
what is found there is…
that in…our Lord’s day and time –
the population was defined mostly by two categories:
Jew and Gentile.
And perhaps by allowing Himself
to be betrayed by one … and
crucified by the other,
exposes the truth and reality
that…‘ALL’ …
need His saving grace.
“I am the ALPHA and the OMEGA, says the Lord GOD,
“the ONE who ‘IS’ … AND
Who ‘WAS’ and
Who is to ‘COME’,
