THESE PRECIOUS THINGS
The Scriptures present us with
the choice between two kingdoms: the Kingdom of light and the kingdom of
darkness. The choice is ours. Which kingdom do you serve?
God's Kingdom remains forever because it is
built on the foundation of God's eternal love and justice. To accept Jesus as
Lord and King is to become an heir of an eternal Kingdom; a place where
righteousness, peace, truth and love dwell.
I recently read about St. John Cantius, who
was born in Poland in 1390. As a boy he was bright and good to those around
him, and he later became a priest. He taught Sacred Scripture at the University
of Cracow and also served as a pastor for several years. St. John Cantius is
remembered for his learning and his devotion to the poor. He made four
pilgrimages to Rome on foot, carrying his luggage on his back.
On one of these trips a gang of robbers took
his purse and then asked if he had any more money. St. John said it was all he
had, so they sent him on his way. He had not gone very far when he remembered
that he had several pieces of gold sewn in his clothes. He hurried back and
gave the gold to the robbers, begging them to forgive him for telling a lie.
The thieves were so dumbfounded and impressed that they returned all the money
they had taken from him!
Today we honor Jesus Christ as our King. In
the Gospel of Luke we read the words of the repentant thief, "'Jesus,
remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.' Jesus replied to him, 'Amen, I
say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise'" (Lk 23:42-43). Jesus'
act of forgiveness is the promise of God's eternal love. One thief repented of
his sins and received the Kingdom of light, while the other took the road
leading to the kingdom of darkness.
In the Preface for today's Mass we pray,
"For You anointed Your Only Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, with the
oil of gladness as eternal Priest and King of all creation, so that, by
offering Himself on the altar of the Cross as a spotless sacrifice to bring us
peace, He might accomplish the mysteries of human redemption and, making all
created things subject to His rule, He might present to the immensity of Your
majesty an eternal and universal Kingdom, a Kingdom of truth and life, a
Kingdom of holiness and grace, a Kingdom of justice, love and peace."
Every time we work for these precious things -
Truth, Life, Holiness, Grace, Justice, Love and Peace - we are working for
Jesus, making Him our true King.
Truth: Like St. John Cantius, we must tell the
truth no matter what it costs and serve Christ, the King of truth.
Life: Jesus came that we may have life. His
followers must promote life. For example, do everything possible to prevent the
killing of millions of innocent babies by abortion.
Holiness and Grace: Whatever we do to increase
God's life in us, for example, assisting at your parish church and in your
local community. We are called to follow the example Jesus gave us - He came to
serve, not to be served. Service is a true icon of who Jesus is.
Justice: When we try to be honest in our
dealings with God, our neighbor and ourselves, we are casting a vote for Christ
as our Leader and our King.
Love: Every time we try to please God and help
others we are truly showing an outstanding witness of who we really are -
subjects of Christ the King.
Peace: Make every effort to promote peace -
everywhere - and show that we belong to Jesus' Kingdom of peace.
"Thy Kingdom come," we pray in the
Our Father. On this Feast of Christ the King, let us all pledge to promote in
our personal lives and in our communities these inner, spiritual qualities that
really make Christ our King!