Thirty Fourth Sunday Year A (Solemnity of Christ the King: Fr.
Michael Ufok Udoekpo
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Ezek 34:11-12, 15-17
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Ps 23:1-6
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1 Cor 15:20-26, 28
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Matt 25:31-36
Imitating Christ, the Good- Shepherd- King In service to others
Today we celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King,
which marks the end of the liturgical season. Even though we have come to the end of this
liturgical cycle our faith journeys, and search for justice, peace, employment,
Christ-like and glorious leadership in families, religious communities and nations
around the world continue. It will be recall it was Pope Pius XI who in 1925
introduced this feast into the Church Liturgy not only to remind “earthly
rulers” such as Mussolini, Hitler and Stalin that Christ is the only Sovereign
King, but to constantly remind each of us today, of our obligations to love,
lead, train, teach and treat one another, especially the poor, the needy, the anawims,
the dalims, the ebyonims, with love, mercy and compassion, in
imitation of Christ.
It is in this spirit of God’s people invitation to
imitate Christ, that the Church, picks Ezekiel 34, Psalm 23, 1 Cor 15 and
Matthew 25 for scriptural reflections today. In the first reading, just as in
Psalm 23, and Jeremiah 23, Ezekiel, the prophet of Exile reminds and consoles the Jewish exiled
that the coming Messiah, fulfilled in Christ, for Christians, is the
good-shepherd –king who feeds, protect and care for his flocks, and raises them
from death, no matter what. Christ is not like those irresponsible and earthly
kings who watched over the burning down of the temple, in 586 BC, or
contributed to the tragedy of exile through their failure to lead, with love,
compassion and the fear of the Lord. Of course, it is this same hopeful message
of Ezekiel prophecy of the Messiah, that the psalmist renders into music in
Psalm 23 “The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”
In the Second reading, Saint Paul affirms Christ and the Messiah
foretold by Ezekiel. He is the all-powerful king and ruler who does a lot for
his people, including raising the dead from death. Every power must be
subjected to Christ, including the power to judge ( I Cor 15:20-26,28).
It is this power
to judge us on how we have charitably shared our bread with the poor, with the
needy, those in prison, that Evangelist Matthew
stresses in today’s Gospel ( Matt 25:31-46). That is to say, how we govern
matters. How we care for one another, the least of our brothers and sisters,
matters and how we serve makes us friends with Christ the King. In other words,
Christ is with us in the poor and the needy we serve, in the stranger we
receive, in the hungry we feed and in the thirsty we offer drinks, as humble “sheep”
on the right hand of God in the parable
The “goats” in the parable, perhaps reminds us of the
uncharitable ones, the rude and hostile leaders, without compassion and love. It
reminds of us parents who do not take care of their family responsibilities and
those who abuse their offices of services. It challenges us on this last Sunday
of the Year to always strife to imitate Christ the King and our Good Shepherd!
1.
In our leadership positions do we see Christ as our
model?
2.
How do we recognized the kingly presence of Christ in the
poor and the voiceless of our communities?
3.
Conscious of divine judgment how do we assist members of
our faith communities to hope and place all their trust in Christ, the
King-ruler, and good shepherd?
