Solemnity of Christ the King (Cycle A)

Ezek 34:11-12, 15-17                1Cor 15:20-26, 28                Mt 25:31-46

A woman who was working in a factory and whose job was to inspect the meat products stored in the factory’s industrial meat freezer, ended her work shift with a final visit to the sub-zero temperature room before calling it a night when catastrophe struck! As she entered the frigid zone, the door, which only opened from the outside, accidentally closed, leaving her locked inside with slabs of frozen meat products, and not a soul in sight to witness the incident. The woman screamed and pounded on the several inches thick metal door, but no sound was heard as all the other workers had gone home for the night, and the sound-proof room effectively muffled her calls for help. As time passed, the woman felt the cold starting to seep into her bones, and she began to experience the early symptoms of hypothermia. After five hours spent trapped in frigid temperatures, she finally resigned herself to the inevitability of death, as all of her extremities started going numb, and a deep cold sleep slowly invaded her consciousness. To her great surprise, the freezer’s vault door suddenly opened, revealing the night security guard’s image. The woman was saved! When she was back to normal, she asked the security guard why he had opened the meat freezer, something that wasn’t within the normal scope of his routine during his night rounds. His answer was totally unexpected and moved the lady to tears of gratitude. The guard said, “I have been working in this factory for 35 years, hundreds of workers come in and out everyday, but you are one of the few who greet me in the morning and say good bye to me every night when leaving after work. Many treat me as if I am invisible. Today, as you reported for work, like all other days, you greeted me in our simple manner ‘Hello’. But this evening after working hours, I curiously observed that I had not heard your ‘Bye, see you tomorrow’. Hence, I decided to check around the factory. I expect to your ‘hello’ and ‘bye’ everyday because they remind me that I am someone. By not hearing your farewell today, I knew something had happened. That’s why I was searching every where for you.”

How often does this happen in real life? Do we treat people we see everyday at home or at work like invisible entities, taking them for granted like pieces of furniture? In our foregone indifferent gesture of treating others as invisibles, we fail to see the visibility of Jesus Christ in them. In such a context, the following words of Jesus in today’s gospel become appropriate: Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me’ (Mt 25:45).

A simple question that emerge from this insight is –
- Whom do we favour much?
- What kind of people form our closer circle?
- About whom we say things that are positive?
- Whom do we consider as influential?
- What kind of personalities we feel proud about? 

Certainly, for majority of us, the least, the needy, the vulnerable, the marginalized, those on the periphery will not fit into the answer to the above questions.

What category of people are found in the close circles of those who rule and command the people. Not the simple and the least! Rather the powerful, the wealthy, the reputed, the strong, the influential are the kind of people who form the nearer circle of those who govern the people, for the simple reason, both the dominant class receive their mutual benefit at the cost of the dominated. But Christ, the king whose solemnity we celebrate today centralizes the least and the burdened as the primary citizens of His kingdom. And those who care of these primary citizens are in the advantageous position to receive God’s favour and inherit the kingdom that was prepared from the foundation of the world.

Our mother Church portrays our Lord Jesus Christ, as the king of a different kind and unique nature. He is a king who favours mostly the unnoticed. Today’s gospel presents the criteria of how a king should be. It presents,
- What should be the king’s primary concern?
- What should be his priorities to give a good governance?
- What should be the criterion of justice to assess his subjects and people?

The Old Testament portrays God as the king of justice all through. The same portrayal is seen in today’s gospel. However, the criterion of justice is based on the merciful acts expected of each one. We see the application of the Golden Rule: In everything do to others as you would have them do to you (Mt 7:12).

God is always wanting of radiating His mercifulness and so expects the same mercifulness returned to Him by we, being merciful towards His creatures. When that is done, he rewards us with the inheritance of the kingdom that was prepared from the foundation of the world. When He does not see the mercifulness returned, He punishes by departing us into the eternal fire. This is the criterion of justice that emerges in today’s gospel. Jesus Christ in all his teachings resemble this attitude of the heavenly Father through various parables like the Pharisee and the tax collector, the parable of the vineyard workers, the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, the parable of the prodigal son and others. In His approach with people, Jesus manifests the merciful face of God which surpasses justice.

It is surprising to note in today’s gospel that on the final judgement, the criterion of justice would be through the assessment of one’s merciful acts. Though God’s mercy surpasses His own justice, God would never spare anyone during the final judgement if merciful acts would be missing in a person’s life.

As we are the loving subjects of the kingship of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are called to radiate the same attitude of Jesus Christ with our fellow human beings. As subjects of His kingship, we enjoy a different kind of citizenship unlike the one we experience as a national citizen. Our Christian citizenship is not confined to any boundaries but it travels beyond borders. Our Christian citizenship is not a submissiveness to some authority but a surrender to the surpassing love of God. Our Christian citizenship is not targeted on seeking positions, but aims at human concerns.

A good king is one who puts his feet into the shoes of the other and really feels what it is like. Unlike the others who govern and rule, Jesus Christ the King, was not the one who sympathized with the suffers but empathized with them. If we acknowledge ourselves to be the loving subjects of Christ the King, are we ready to empathize with the needy?

32nd Ordinary Sunday (Cycle A)

Wis 6:12-16                1Thess 4:13-18                Mt 25:1-13

A guard in charge of a lighthouse along a dangerous coast was given enough oil for one month and told to keep the light burning every night. One day a woman asked for oil so that her children could stay warm. Then a farmer came. His son needed oil for a lamp so he could read. Another needed some for an engine. The guard saw each as a worthy request and gave some oil to satisfy all. By the end of the month, the tank in the lighthouse was dry. That night the beacon was dark and three ships crashed on the rocks. More than one hundred lives were lost. The lighthouse attendant explained what he had done and why. But the prosecutor replied, “You were given only one task: to keep the light burning. Every other thing was secondary. You have no excuse.”

We may complain about the five wise virgins saying that they were hard hearted not to share their sufficient oil to the other five virgins on their request. But the story about the lighthouse guard gives a sharp point for our thought what the five wise virgins did was right. Here it is not a question of being charitable to the other virgins but it is a question of

-  how far the righteous can allot their charitable space with those who are behaviourally careless,

-  how far the wiseful hardworking category of people have to substitute their merit with those who are complacent,

- how far the watchful can spare their time to those who are non-vigilant.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, presents the foolish virigns as personification of those who are behaviourally careless, complacent in nature and non-vigilant.

Certainly, those who do not have the opportunity for a meritorious and commendable growth deserve help from those who are meritorious. It is obvious that the child which is mentally ill or physically-challenged deserve more attention from the mother than other children who are normal.

Those who are not gifted naturely with smartness always have their share of right from those who are smart. But those who naturally possessed the wiseness, do not deserve the support of others when they failed to be diligent and hardworking. Those who are clever do not deserve a helping hand from others, when they have wasted the resources that were available at their hands. The resources would mean the capital, the opportunity, the human support and the time factor. They are like the third servant in the Parable of the Talents, who hid his master’s money without using it to procure more. The foolish virgins are no different from this foolish servant.

To understand how much the wise virgins, stand as praiseworthy, we shall refer to another parable said by Jesus, i.e. the Parable of the Dishonest Manager (Lk 16:1-8). Jesus points to the smartness, astuteness, shrewdness, cleverness, wiseness, prudence of the dishonest manager who cleverly used his master’s possession to his own end and well-being. Though what was done by the manager in forwarding his master’s property to his own benefit, is unjust, still Jesus points out that his master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. Then Jesus goes on to say: For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light (Lk 16:8).

If the children of this world are smart enough, then how much more, we Christians, who are children of light are expected to be smarter in keeping ourselves to the Lord’s ways and desires. This is the point of thought, Jesus wants us to reflect upon. If the people of this world and age are clever enough to safeguard their body and its ramifications, then how much more the people of light have to be diligent in caring for their souls.

The five wise virgins stand as a prototype of those who all keep their soul undiminished from the ray of divine light. Whereas, sadly, the foolish virgins stand as a model of those who made their glowing lighted soul extinguished at a moment. These are the kind of people who are surrounded by a circle of unawareness, and they become a prey to the wrong directions of the world. They are being trapped into a veil of ignorance. They think that they are clever, but their cleverness resides only within a mesmerized circle of ignorance.

Just imagine what would have been the dialogue between the wise and foolish virgins before they could begin waiting for the bridegroom. To a question whether they should take extra oil, the reply of the foolish virgins would have been that: “we know the time of the bridegroom’s arrival and why we should unnecessarily carry extra oil and burden ourselves.” This happens within their veil of ignorance due to their unawareness.

A foresight was missing among the foolish virgins whereas the wise virgins had that. It was not only their lack of foresight but also their reluctance to invest extra effort of carrying some more oil. Their intention to forgo the extra effort made them land in a sad situation. This may happen to any of us if we try to forgo the extra effort that is wanted of us. Every good work has the ingredient of extra effort. If there are no good works from us, then it is simply the lack of extra effort.

- Do we compromise our foresight by forgoing our extra effort?

- Do we compromise our foresight by our lethargic nature?

-  Do we compromise our foresight by being over-confident?

These are the queries that should linger in our mind as we reflect on the ways of the foolish virgins.

Referring again to the attitude of the foolish servant in the Parable of the Talents, he failed even to invest his extra effort of lending the money with the lender, for his master cursed him saying: you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return, I would have got my money back with interest (Mt 25:27). Surely, the master was not profit-minded in character. Certainly, if the foolish servant would have used the money to procure more, and incurred a loss, his master would have appreciated him for his attitude of investing his energy and effort.

Attitude is the mark of a person’s personality and character. Attitude defines the real merit of a person. Attitude is the little thing that makes a big difference, the difference between the wise and the foolish bridesmaids. Through the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, Jesus ultimately points out the kind of attitude that underlied their eventual results.

We are invited through today’s liturgy of the word to overcome our complacent nature with our diligence, to overcome our lethargic nature with our extra efforts, to overcome our ignorance by our foresightedness. This overcoming exercise could begin only with our rightful attitude towards our Christian vocation and life. Let our attitude be noble and righteous!

29th Ordinary Sunday (Cycle A)

Isa 45:1,4-6                 1Thess 1:1-5               Mt 22:15-21

Once God called the leaders of America, China and India for an emergency meeting. The leaders rushed to the meeting spot with excitement. God arrived at the appointed time and told them that He will annihilate this world in three days. “Just as Jonah did, you have to proclaim this news to your citizens,” God said. Their excitement turned into sorrow. However, the leaders made a pact that they will carry out the mandate entrusted to them by God. The leaders returned to their countries and called for a press meet in their respective capitals. The Amercian president said, “We have a good news and a bad news. The good news is that God exists. The bad news is that the world will be annihilated in three days.” The Chinese president said looking at the reporters, “We have a bad news and the worst news. The bad news is that world will be annihilated in three days. The worst news is that, contrary to our belief, God exists.” The Indian prime minister adjusted his microphone, denounced the opposition party and proudly announced, “I have a good news and a better news. The good news is that God exists. The better news is that poverty will be annihilated from India in three days.”

We have become the protagonists of half truth and shades of truth. Even the Pharisees of Jesus time were such protagonists of half truth and shades of truth. They projected themselves to be loyal to the Jewish tradition, thereby opposing the reign of Ceasar over them and at the same time, using the icon of Ceasar to trap Jesus. This was their double standard. But Jesus being well aware of their trap, wisely answers their question and also teaches a great lesson of being loyal to both God and the State.

During the time of Jesus, there were two false concepts of citizenship seen in the Pharisees and Herodians. The first false concept is that religion is supreme. This is seen in the view of the Pharisees. They believed strongly in the heavenly world, so much so they believed that all obedience and loyalty were due God and God alone. In fact, all things on earth were due God. The state and all other power and authority were to be subject to religious rule. Therefore, they were strongly against paying taxes to a foreign king. Such was an infringement upon God’s right.

The second false concept is that the state is supreme. This is seen in the view of the Herodians. The Herodians were not a religious party but a political party of Herod, the King of Galilee. They were supportive of Rome, compromising wherever they could in order to preserve their own power and influence. They had compromised to such a point that they gave some degree of consent to pagan temples. They held that government was dominant over religion; consequently, they would agree that taxes must be paid to Caesar rather than to God.

The Herodians and the Pharisees were bitter enemies. To find them together was strange indeed, but their hatred of Jesus brought them together against Jesus whom they considered a common enemy. The Gospel of Mark 3:6 witnesses to this fact thus: The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against Jesus, how to destroy him. Therefore, it is obvious, that the question raised to Jesus about the paying of tax was a plot to trap him. But Jesus used the occasion to teach the truth about citizenship, a truth which was both astounding and earth-shaking to the people of that day – earth-shaking because the Jews believed that the loyalty of a citizen belonged only to God, and the rest of the world believed that loyalty belonged to the ruling monarch of their territory.

A total submission to the state or a total submission to the religion, both these extremes are not advocated by Jesus. Jesus does not centralize either. Jesus himself sets the model, he submitted himself fully to the heavenly Father’s will and at the same time, he too paid the taxes. We are expected of possessing this balanced attitude of Jesus.

Jesus surprised the world of His day by declaring there was an earthly, physical citizenship to which some things are to be given; and there was a spiritual, heavenly citizenship to which some things are to be given. He revealed a very important truth for believers of all ages, that is, they have a double citizenship. They are citizens of heaven, but they are also citizens of this world. They have an obligation to the government under which they live. They receive the benefits of government just as the other citizens do: for example, roads, sewage, water, protection, public transportation, etc. Therefore, believers are to pay their due share. In the Indian context, in the wake of new economic evolution of GST (Goods and Service Tax), this teaching becomes all the more imperative.

Though Jesus’ view about double citizenship is surprising to us, it also appears to us that Jesus seems to contradict. He says in Mt 6:24 – No one can serve two masters for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. But Jesus also tells in today’s gospel to render what is due to God and to render what is due to the state. God and the state are two masters and how can we be loyal to both? This is where we need to have a clarity. St Paul gives a clarification in this regard. He says: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God…. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. Pay to all what is due them – taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honour to whom honour is due (Rom 13:1,6).

The state does not stand as a structure in contradiction with God as per the biblical tradition. In the history of Israelites, we see, they were a cluster of people who were directly governed by God. But at a stage, when they requested for a human kingship, though God was unwilling he granted them king Saul. His successor was King David, a man of God’s own heart. From then on, God led the people of Israelites through the human kings. Their obedience to the human leaders, meant obedience to God himself, provided that the leaders walk in the way of the Lord. It is not serving two masters but serving the one and only master, God.

A government is a God appointed institution, to take care of the common good of its citizens. If a government provides needed goods and services then we must, in justice, give back to the government our loyalty and support. As Christians, we must discern to what extent a given government and its policies merit their loyalty and support. Finally, let us basically understand that the duty to the nation as a citizen is very much interwoven with our obligation we have received through our vocation to a Christian life.