説教
The Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King
A November Meditation(Luke 23: 35-43)
Fr. John S. Kato, Priest-in-Charge
at the Parish of Kamifukuoka
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
‘I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise’.
This is the most gracious reply from Our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross to the one who was a sinner and was being hung alongside with Jesus himself. Beforehand, that sinner asked Jesus, saying, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom’.
We celebrate the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ as the Universal King on Sunday, 21st November this year. Why we celebrate this Feast, particularly at this time of the end of the calendar year of the Catholic Church.
It is surely because, just before Advent begins, we should be reminded of the truth that Jesus, whom we will welcome at Christmas, is the Only Begotten Son of God and the Universal King.
Even so, it might be strange enough that Jesus, who must be the Universal King, would be born of the Virgin Mary, a poor young woman in Nazareth. That town was, at that time, very an unpopular village in Galilee, far remote from Jerusalem, the Capital of Israel.
Why did those things happen to Jesus Christ, the Universal King?
It is because Jesus is the Only King to all the humans without exception, that is, including the poorest of the poor among us throughout the world, with whom he shares all the difficulties and poverty and all the pains and sadness and all the tears as well.
Moreover, at the end of the day, Jesus would be killed on the Cross as a victim to our sins, and at the same time as the sacrifice to all of us, sinners.
We, however, still ask again; Why should it happen to Christ Jesus, the Universal King? He should never be killed like that.
This is because Jesus should be enthroned to the Universal Kingship on the Cross, nowhere else, bearing with him all the sufferings and hardships on behalf of all of us, his people. He, thus, will establish his Universal Kingdom here on earth and in the heavens as well, at the same time and forever.
What, then, will be entrusted by God, the Heavenly Father, to Jesus, his Only Son, who would be enthroned as to be the Universal King and be sacrificed himself on behalf all the people of his on the Cross?
The First of all, Jesus Christ, as the Only and Universal King, will be entrusted by God the Father, to give the food to all of us. Those foods, however, should support not only our lives on earth but our eternal life in heavens as well. This requires Jesus to give his own life, both his earthly and bodily life and his heavenly and spiritual and eternal life, that is, his own Body and Blood, to all of us.
Secondly, Jesus Christ, the Universal King, will be entrusted by the same and Only God, to give the holy and sacrificial offerings to all of us, which will be offered by us with him, all the humans, to God at the Eucharist.
This also asks Jesus to offer his own Self, his own Body and Blood, as the true and holy sacrifice for all of us. It is because, without his own Self, we the humans will never have the holy sacrificial offerings, acceptable to God, the Most Holy One.
Jesus Christ has now been enthroned on the Cross as the Universal King, offering himself as the holiest and the only acceptable sacrifice both to God, his Father, and to all of us, his people.
We should be reminded of this truth, just before Advent begin, getting ourselves ready to welcome Jesus, who was born of the poor Virgin, laying in the poorest manger in Bethlehem at Christmas. In only this way, Jesus can be born in the heart of everybody, anywhere in the world, even in the heart of the poorest of the poor among us.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
