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Christ the King
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A young child climbed to the top of a large tree. His
mother, worried, called out to him, "What are you doing?" "Nothing," the
boy replied. "Well, then, get down here," his mother answered in an
angry tone. The child was confused. "Why should I get into trouble for
doing nothing?" he wondered.
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Today's Gospel tells us that much of the time we get into trouble for doing nothing.
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I was hungry, and you gave Me no food.... I was
thirsty, and you gave Me no water.... I was away from home, and you gave
Me no welcome.... Naked, and you gave Me no clothing. I was ill, and in
prison, and you did not come and comfort Me. In other words, in all of
these cases, nothing was done.
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Of course we sin when we do wrong things: stealing,
lying, etc. But so often we overlook the possibility of sinning by not doing.
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The Gospel calls our attention to the judgment all of us
will face. It is wholly contingent upon whether one has responded
humanely to the needs of the marginalized, the nameless, the homeless,
and those that society looks down upon. You do not define neighbor by
race or religion. Neighbor is a four‑letter‑word.... Need.
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We have our modern day outcasts, often ostracized from
human society, separated from their families and even, at times, from
our churches; the mentally ill who are prematurely released from
hospitals, and the substance abusers, unable to obtain treatment.
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Then we have the runaways who sleep on our streets every
night. Add to them some of our elderly, for whom a nursing home is
hardly a home, who watch and wait for a son, a daughter, a relative or
friend, anyone to spend an hour with them.
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There are many people in our world who need us. Maybe we
can update the list a little. Like, I was being picked on or gossiped
about, and you did nothing to defend me. I was headed for disaster by my
bad decisions, and you simply laughed at my destructive behavior. I was
discouraged, and you thought "Oh well, he'll get over it." What are you
doing? Nothing!
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St. Theresa of Avila, a great mystic and doctor of the
church, wrote after 20 years of being a nun, "Christ has no body on
earth but yours. No hands, but yours. No feet, but yours. Yours are the
eyes through which He is to look out at the world. Yours are the hands
He must use to bless."
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St. Theresa understood that if the hungry, thirsty,
homeless and sick are to be cared for, if Christ's mission is to be
sustained and continued, then it is to be done by us, His followers. He
made enemies of the powerful because He put compassion above tradition,
love above law, and people above things and institutions.
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In her book, "Out of Africa," Karen von Blixen
writing as Isak Dinesen tells the story of a young man who came to work
for her. She employed many people on her farm. He worked out very well,
and was a good manager. After a year he suddenly announced that he was
going to leave. He said, "I wanted to work for a Christian for a year,
to see how they treated their workers. Now I will work for a Muslim. I
want to compare both of these faiths to see which one to follow."
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What would this young man choose if he lived among
us? When we thought he was not looking, what would he think of what we
did and how we acted? Or how we treated each other?
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My friend, it is not for me to tell any of you how
you should fit into today's Gospel. I do, however, urge you to take time
and listen to what God might be saying to you, might be asking you.
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Perhaps He is saying to some of us, "Live simply so
that others may simply live, especially those who experience far more of
Christ's crucifixion than His resurrection."
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In a short while I will read the preface of Christ
the King. It tells us that His kingdom on earth is to be a kingdom of
truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice,
love and peace.
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We ask ourselves, is this the kingdom we experience every day? If not, why not?
Perhaps we need to recall from time to time the words we began this
mass with; "Forgive us for those things we have done, and for those
things we have failed to do."
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When we stand before the Lord and He asks us, what
did we do to bring about His kingdom on earth, make sure the answer is
not, "Nothing."
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Yours in Christ,
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Fr. Robert Warren, S.A.
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P.S. I hope you'll join me and the other faithful
benefactors of the Graymoor extended family in preparing our hearts for
the celebration of Christ's birthday. Request the weekly Advent Devotional Series now »
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