Christ the King Homily - People, always about people

In the Old City of Jerusalem are two bricked up gates. The legend is that they will be opened at the second coming.

In the United States in the 1800’s, after what's called the Great Awakening and then the 2nd Great Awakening, certain christian sects believed on a certain day and time, the Second coming of Jesus would occur; it didn’t. When they recalculated, the same happened or rather did not happen. Then they got a little smarter and didn’t set a specific day and time, but preached it was imminent, and they knew how to save us. These gave rise to groups like Seventh Day Adventist and others.

Dominionalism, and its followers believe that by instituting certain political changes, they can begin the Second Coming of Jesus. Like moving embassies to certain cities, making certain laws... Then throughout the world is destroyed and only the “faithful” remnant are saved. “Faithful” meaning those who fit their' ideas, which are often narrow and focussed on a set of criteria of rules and protocols. BTW, Catholics would not qualify.

We Catholics believe in Christ the King, Lord of the Universe; or at least we say this. What we believe is probably not the intent of such a vaunted, male-western title.  This is not about politics, nor institutions, nor rules or royalty.  This is about the source of our ideals; to whom do we go to find meaning and purpose, to find direction in our lives.

It is Jesus Christ.

And what is the ideal? Love of others.

Get rid of the idea that this Gospel passage is about the final judgement and the end times. It is not. Get rid of the notion that Jesus will sit on a throne here on the earth and govern politically all the world. This is not what it is about.  Jesus is making a point here about what life is all about, in the here and now. He is showing us how to be true to ourselves as women and men; as human persons.

It is how we willingly treat other human persons.

Note in this gospel...the “Good” group, they did what was good because it was good and they wanted to do the good. They were not trying to earn anything from God. They were not trying to prove anything; they simply responded to the good that was needed and the good that was in their hearts.

Not so the latter; they are self-focussed. They would do the good only if they could get something out of it. It was a quid pro quo.


It is all about our relationships with others. Maybe we need to reconnect to this?


There seems to be so much anger in our community. So much sadness and fear.

Yes, and rightly so. The way we normally do things is all messed up. Even now, Thanksgiving approaches, people are angry at each other because some do not want to gather because of COVID. People still after all these months throw shade at each other over mask wearing. Then throw in the fires this past week; Christmas is approaching; people in this parish have been down with Covid and other illnesses.

And people are dying and families are mourning. Our responses?  Take a moment; look around you.  Do we know the story of the person in the pews ahead of us? Behind us?  Do they know ours?  There are people, real persons here, who need goodness from us. There are real persons here who can give goodness.

When we are outside, in the stores, in the parks, wherever we are...look at the persons around you.  LOOK at the person...

Christ has come again, now, here… guiding us to where we can love each other...and let ourselves be loved.  It means we do need to see beyond ourselves, and beyond our own desires and wishes.  It means we do need to see a person there in front of us; not a political opponent, not a foreigner nor a stranger, not an enemy...but a person.

Christ comes again and again and again, each moment where an act of love is needed.  Where forgiveness is needed, when listening is needed; where patience is needed; when humility is needed...compassion, mercy, generosity.

At the dinner table, in the church parking lot, in the gym, at the shopping center, social media...