Gospel Reflection for Solemnity of Christ the King
Matthew 25:31-46
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world.'
God is love. He created us in love and for love. So, it is Love that will judge us in the end.
“It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love is put in the giving.” St. Teresa of Calcutta
What is Love? According to the Dictionary, it is "an intense feeling of deep affection or a great interest and pleasure in something."
God became man in order to illustrate the Father's love and model unconditional love for others. As the Word-Made-Flesh, Jesus Christ is a walking love letter. He points us to the Father and intercedes for us in order that we become one with the Triune God in our heavenly home. He breathed life into us and desires to welcome us into eternal life.
He loves you.
You are the Father's beloved child.
You are a prince or princess in your Father's Kingdom.
You are known.
You are invited.
You are wanted.
You have a place prepared for you.
God has a deep affection for you.
He's interested in you.
You please Him.
I came across an Instagram Live today with Chris Stefanick today as he spoke on faith and joy. I thought it fit beautifully into this week as we transition into a new liturgical year. Thanks, Holy Spirit, for this inspiration :)
"I just try to bring Christ to one person each day. What I love about the Catholic faith is that we complicate the heck out of our faith. I've heard it said, 'God is too simple for us to understand.' There is a simplicity to God and a simplicity to the Christian faith. We complicate it because we don't want to do it. It's hard work to just simplify it and focus on what we need to do."
"When God's people were in exile and they were comfortable. In the ancient world, fallen walls were a big deal because your neighbors could throw spears at you. It was a call of battle to go home. In that context, Nehemiah (8:10) said, "the JOY of the Lord will be your STRENGTH." Joy = Strength... not what you get when the battle is over when everything's great in life, but the strength you need to enter the battle - every single battle that we have."
To be Catholic is to love God and others.
The Devil is terrified of joyful Christians.
How are we living out 1 Corinthians 15:28 "so that God may be all in all?" Are we leading with love? Are we grateful for the love that Christ the King kindles in our hearts each moment of every day?
No matter what we are facing in this world, we can wholeheartedly dare to say, "¡Viva Cristo Rey!" Christ the King is the card that will always trump all others who come into play. After all, "love never fails." 1 Cor 13:8
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