What comes to mind for you first when you hear the word “king”? What do you picture a king to be?

In the Gospel today Jesus paints us a picture of His Kingship for us. It is an intriguing passage as we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King.

“Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” I am sure that these words would have unsettled Pilate. ”What is this guy talking about?” I would think that these words would have struck his heart as they should ours today. Yet it is not only in his words that Jesus reflects his spiritual authority and influence, but in his actions. Right here Jesus reveals the secret to his Kingdom. In stark comparison to the power and control that Pilate wields at Christ’s judgement Pilate encounters Jesus Christ in an intimate moment where Jesus doesn’t lash out with worldly influence but reveals himself through intimacy and humility. This is what makes God’s kingdom so unique to all other worldly kingdoms.

His words, and his actions, call us to intimacy; in listening to his voice we are compelled to be led by what is true into communion with him, hearing and heeding his ceaseless invitations. His words, and his actions, also call us to humility; recognizing a higher authority than ourselves in our acts of discovering, accepting, and conforming to what is truth in our lives. But only if we let these words settle and touch the deepest parts of our souls, that long for more, can we aspire to this calling. And only if we have the courage to obey the truth and expose ourselves to His great love.

“Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

We celebrate today calling Christ the King of the Universe. But is he truly your king?

I believe Pilate was indeed touched by Jesus’ love, but he failed to have the courage to embrace it. Our lives are meant to bear witness, the courage of a living witness, to the truth that is God’s Kingdom.

I encourage you to reflect on this today; Is Christ truly the King of your heart? Is Christ the King of your household?

Scripture for reflection:

Daniel 7.13-14

Psalm 93

Revelation 1.5-8

John 18.33b-37

It seems like our world is in constant crisis. It lurches from one violent attack to the next, from environmental catastrophes and changes to conflict with the economic market. The world in which we live is a very uncertain one, and this uncertainty can cause us great anxiety and even fear. In the midst of all this we need something solid that we can rely on. As Christians we have simply this: faith and trust in God. As the psalm today states; “I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (Psalm 16.8)

It is perspective that can carry us through and give us strength in the midst of anxiety and fear. I catch myself pondering life sometimes, gazing at pictures of my grandparents who have now passed on, and think about what a difference their absence makes in my experience of life. In reflecting on this I would also think about my own life, and how it will eventually be the same for me, with my children and grandchildren. I don’t know how long I will have but there will come a time when I will only be a memory or a picture of the past for them. And so this will be for all of us. As painful as this perspective is, that the world is passing, I believe that it is an important and healing perspective to have for two important reasons:

1. It shows how valuable our time here on earth is, “From the fig tree learn its lesson; as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near.”(Mark 13.28-29) Jesus urges his disciples, as he also urges us, to remain watchful and ready for when he comes, so that we will know. To do this we need to focus on things that are certain and eternal, not on the uncertain and the passing. How comforting is this, that we only need to focus on that which we can effect; focusing on our spiritual life, on teaching our children/grandchildren the truths of God, instead of focusing so much on the cares of the world which we really don’t have control over. It’s about where our priorities are and what gives us focus.
2. It gives us freedom from this world. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”(Mark 13.31) When we see the truth that all heaven and earth are passing we have freedom in Christ’s promise. It is the only assurance that we have, and yet it is really all that we need. We are assured that things are in God’s hands, that the Word of God will remain forever, indeed not even the powers of death shall prevail against it (Matt. 16.18).

In light of this we should be hopeful. If we live every day with our life in perspective of eternity, hat this world is passing, the end is glorious; it is fulfillment and triumph. God made us for salvation, not damnation, so we should be hopeful rather than fearful.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away;” we need to look at life from His perspective for then we will see our lives in light of eternity, we will see what is truly important for our salvation and the salvation of the world around us.

Readings for reflection:

Daniel 12.1-3

Psalm 16

Hebrews 10.11-14,18

Mark13.24-32

You have probably heard the saying before; “Give until it hurts.” In the scriptures today we see two different examples of generosity. These two widows reveal to us deeper truths, beyond just giving until it hurts. They have experienced something profound in their hearts and that has changed their view on generosity. Let us ponder and reflect on their examples.

The 1^st reading(1 Kings 17.10-16) tells us of a widow, living during a famine, who was asked to share the last of the food she had, having nothing left to eat and assuming that she would die after this last meal. The prophet Elijah offers her hope; “How would my jar of meal not be emptied and my jug of oil not fail until the rains come?” By sharing the last of what she had she received more than she could have asked for. Having no other way of providing for herself the Lord provided for her in her greatest need. By being generous with the little, the very last that she had, she opened herself to God’s generosity in trusting in Him to provide where she could not.

The Gospel(Mark 12.38-44) shows us another widow, giving out of the little she had, not so that others would see her goodness or her sacrifice or even because she had an abundance, but a gift of everything she had. She gave out of a reliance and total trust in God, having committed herself wholly to Him. Jesus recognizes her heart and the great generosity in her gift.

These widows show us that it is not about how much or how little we have, but that little acts of generosity from trusting hearts are what the Lord desires. It is not about one great act of generosity but of many little ones that come from the heart.

As Jesus noticed the gift of the widow, so too does he notice the gifts we make of ourselves to others and the trust that we place in him. It is not the gifts that these widows give that makes the difference, but the trust and reliance on God that truly expresses the goal of the Christian heart. And it is this example that should encourage us today. When we place our security in Christ he notices our sacrifice, our little gifts, and the love in our hearts with which we offer them. This is what the Lord desires, our hearts and our hopes, because he wants to fill them with the meaning and love that only he can give.

Jesus has offered himself as the greatest sacrifice, giving of himself to save those who ‘eagerly’ await him, as we hear in the letter to the Hebrews(9.24-28). Let us await him with the eagerness of these widows in today’s readings, whose examples encourage us to give of ourselves in total commitment and trust, not needing to count the cost but giving from the depths of the love in our hearts. Our ‘giving until it hurts’ turns into a ‘giving until we are filled with joy’!

I would like to finish this reflection with the thoughts of the poor widow from the Gospel (taken from a reflection that I had read in a book*). Place yourself in her thoughts:

Whenever I had any coins left over after buying my daily bread I always put them in the box at the Temple. What did I want with extra coins? The Lord was my shepherd, and he never took his eye off me. Once when I was a young wife I thought to myself that it might be nice to have a lot of extra money and beautiful clothes and a palace to live in. But then I thought, well, I can’t take any of that with me. And besides, doesn’t the whole world belong to me? Am I not one of God’s chosen people? He is enough for me. He always was.

*Excerpt taken from “The Batter Part” by John Bartunek, pg 468

Today we celebrate the feast of All Saints. While many saints have their own specific feast day and are recognized by name, today is a day to remember all those who have gone to heaven but who are not formally recognized (canonized) by name, having lived their lives on earth in ordinary and hidden ways. How are we to aspire to this?

In reflecting on the Scriptures we hear today we can gain insight on how to make it home to God’s glory. These readings shed light on 3 key characteristics of what a saint should be. You could look at this like a recipe per se, each ingredient being crucial in living our lives towards heaven, in becoming holy people.

Someone who is a saint knows who and whose they are. We are all children of God, as the 1^st letter of John states, and by recognizing this and living in this identity we are able to thrive. Just like someone who is raised by a mother and father has a clear sense of belonging and can simply be, so is it with our heavenly father and His Church. Can you imagine how much harder it would be for an orphan to have this confidence, this knowledge of who they are, where they come from, where they belong, and how loved they are?

John assures us of our worthiness and belonging, “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.” God has claimed us as his own, His beloved children.

Becoming a saint is all about knowing who we are!

Secondly, someone who is a saint lives their life out of a desire for God. As John’s letter further states, “What we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: When he is revealed we will be like him… All who have this hope in God purify themselves, just as he is pure.” It is this hope in God and this desire to be “holy as he is holy”(1 Peter 1.16) that gives us strength to live in a way that purifies our actions and our way of being.

The Beatitudes in today’s Gospel set forth a picture of what this looks like; they describe what happens to us as Jesus begins to live His life in us, through the Holy Spirit. These beatitudes are not something we do, but rather something we receive. It is not as if Jesus is saying, “Start being poor or meek and then God will bless you.” Rather He is saying that when the transformative power of the cross brings about in us a greater meekness, poverty of spirit, and so forth, we will experience that we are being blessed.*

So it is out of a desire to be “perfect as our heavenly father is perfect” (Matt. 5.48) that you can be transformed into a saint.

Thirdly, a saint is someone who has an eternal perspective and an eternal anticipation. We receive a beautiful and captivating image of heaven from the first reading, from the book of Revelation, and we hear of the saints: From every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cry out in a loud voice, “Salvation comes from our God who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb!” They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshipped God, and exclaimed, “Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” Rev 7.9-12(Paraphrased)

If you look at this description of heaven you can see how liturgical it is. Our liturgy here, and when we celebrate the Mass, is a kind of ‘dress rehearsal’ for Heaven. The heart of heaven is being with God, looking upon His face, and having all our longings satisfied, while at the same time experiencing a sense of a communion of saints with God and with one another, of knowing and being known in a deep and rich way. There will be a profound understanding and appreciation, a rich love, and a sense of how we all complete one another and are one in Christ.* It is this deep communion and profound liturgy that we celebrate every Sunday. If we truly realized this and recognized this how often would we miss being at liturgy on Sunday?

As saints, it will be this anticipation for an eternity with God that will excite and draw us to Him.

So, as we celebrate the feast of All Saints let us, each one of us, remember our call to be saints by recognizing our identity as children of God, our need to have an eternal perspective as we anticipate the glory of God for all eternity, and by living with a desire for God that would lead us to ‘be’ peace, goodness, love, joy, gentleness, compassion, and mercy for eachother and for the world.

Scripture references taken from:

Revelation 7.2-4, 9-14

1 John 3.1-3

Matthew 5.1-12

* Quoted & paraphrased from: http://blog.adw.org/2015/10/ninety-nine-and-a-half-wont-do-a-homily-for-the-feast-of-all-saints/

* Quoted & paraphrased from: http://blog.adw.org/2015/10/ninety-nine-and-a-half-wont-do-a-homily-for-the-feast-of-all-saints/

Today in the Sciptures we see the humble and compelling example of Christ, drawing his disciples, and us, to be united with him in his mission: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as ransom for many.” For us it is a call to transformation; can we say in our lives that we live to serve also? In this Gospel it is specifically Jesus’ interactions with his two apostles, James and John, which draw us deeper into the massage of service and transformation.

To look at this story in it’s context we need to look three verses prior to where this Gospel passage starts. Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem, sharing with his disciples of his impending death; how he would be betrayed and handed over to the Gentiles to be mocked, spit upon, scourged, and ultimately killed.

Then, here come James and John blurting out, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask… Grant us to sit, one at your right and one to your left, in your glory.” I would say that this may have not been the most opportune time for them to approach Jesus about this. It would have been like saying, “Really? Well could I have your car?” to someone who had just found out they had one week left to live. I don’t know what James and John envisioned when they made this request, but they certainly weren’t afraid of being honest and bold. It seems to me that they desired to remain close to Jesus, having committed their lives to be with and remain with him. But were they being conceited, and perhaps overly ambitious, wanting to be first, before the other disciples, in glory? Whatever their desires were Jesus guides and directs them with his words, maybe not to the answer they were looking for: “Are you willing to drink the cup that I drink?…” basically, are you willing to face the same things that I will face, and, “…to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

Like James and John many of us have our own wants and desires. And like them, they also come from a place where we think about ourselves first. These desires can sometimes come from our own imperfection and our own attachments to this world, and may not necessarily be what will make us happiest. From Jesus’ words we know that God has prepared a place for us, but it is a path that calls us to follow the example of Christ, the servant of all, and it may not look how we envision it to look.

We need not cower or shy away from the pain, or the suffering, that this path will call us to, as it surely will, but face it with strength as James and John so eagerly embodied with their energetic, “We are able[to drink the cup that you drink]!” The words of St.Paul, in his letter to the Hebrews, can also give us hope; “We have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin [who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses]… Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Like James and John we are called to transformation; A transformation of our lives and our hearts, that we would come to know and seek the desires of God, and not just our own desires. We can see proof, that God indeed can transform us, by the example of these two apostles. At the end of their lives; James was the first apostle to be martyred, and John became known as the apostle of love (the author of the Gospel of John as well as the 3 epistles of 1, 2, and 3 John). God made James and John into different people. He transformed them from the people they were before, and he can do the same for us.

In this hope let us come to receive from the Lord today, and through receiving his Word, and his Body and Blood, may we become more closely united to the heart of God, drawing hope that it is He who will transform our hearts and give us strength to follow His Son’s example of giving our lives in service to our fellow brother and sister.

Readings of reflection/Excerpts taken from:

Isaiah 53.10-11

Psalm 33

Hebrews 4:14-16

Mark 10.35-45