The Shepherd Judges by Love

+ J. M. J. +

Homily Outline for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Year A

We stand, this Sunday, at the threshold between one liturgical year and the next, and the liturgy offered to us by the Church is meant to shape and structure our time, our lives, and the way we look at and understand the world around us. We are reminded that Jesus is our Lord and King, our Savior and Redeemer… King not just of Christians, but of the whole universe, of all creation! As King He is also Judge… but not only Judge, but also Shepherd. Our readings on this feast give us both images, with the creative tension that lies between them.

Sometimes we think the Old Testament presents God as harsh and stern, while the New Testament instead shows God to be tender and loving. However, these stereotypes, or even prejudices, have little to do with the text itself!  Our readings this Sunday run the opposite way! Our first reading today, from the Prophet Ezekiel, is full of tenderness and promise. Soon it will be Advent… think of just how God fulfilled His words spoken through the prophet:

I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark. I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy, shepherding them rightly.

It’s not like God didn’t tell us what He was going to do! And, yet, when He came Himself, it was a surprise, and so hard to accept and believe! God is not far away, distant, uninvolved, and unconcerned… rather He came Himself, in the Flesh… Jesus Christ, both God and man.

When we proclaim Christ the King of the Universe, we remember that He rules all that is, not from afar, and not by violent acts of power, but rather He rules at our sides, gently, drawing us by love. He speaks softly to the voice of our consciences, He speaks with beauty and splendor in every sunrise and ever snowflake, He speaks kindly with His invitation to mercy and truth.

Much of this movement of the King happens in our hearts, below the surface, in the quiet of listening prayer… and this gentle powerful King allows us to stray, rather than force us to follow. He knows that straying will bring us to grief, that His commandments point us towards joy and peace, and away from bitterness and sadness. We who know Him and His love struggle to listen attentively… how is the world to know of His love, when so often they aren’t even trying to listen? How is He to speak in a world full of noise and hurry?

This brings us to the scene of Judgment in our Gospel. When people speak as if Jesus doesn’t care what we do and say… as if His unconditional love means that following Him makes no demands on us… I get frustrated! Whoever that guy is, it’s not Jesus Christ they’re talking about! The same tender persistent shepherd who cares and heals His sheep will also sit upon his glorious throne and separate the nations as they come before Him! Jesus uses no hidden surprising criteria to judge us… it’s exactly what He’s told us, exactly what God revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai… we will be judged on whether or not we have followed the commandment to love! (Repeat) Let that sink in and root itself in your heart… each one of us will stand before the throne of our Loving Shepherd, He who laid down His life for us, and we will be judged, separated, upon a simple criteria… did we respond with loving generosity to those in need around us? Did we give away what we were given, or did we hoard it to ourselves? Did we treat others as Christ, or did we ignore and disdain to share God’s blessings?

Now… it’s worth noting… this isn’t the only chapter of Scripture! Jesus teaches a lot more than is contained in this one passage… He told us to keep the commandments, and He didn’t kick any off the list.  As we look into our hearts, we know we have often fallen short. Where, then, does the grace and wisdom come to love? What sustains us in giving of ourselves? It is God at work in us… through the Eucharist and Confession, through our Daily Prayer. How is the world to know of these gifts and these commands? Through us! God’s living active presence in the world didn’t end when Jesus ascended into heaven… it’s continued in our midst by the life of the Church… that’s us, as surprising as that may be! We’re God’s big plan… that we who know Him, His love, His mercy, His grace, His commands… that we would live and model these truths, and invite others to them as well. If the world is not full of love, we need look nowhere else but in the mirror… we have been given the gift of faith, baptism, grace, the Living Word, the Word made Flesh, our parish… so many rich blessings!

May we follow our King, then, may we obey Him, in laying down our lives. On Saturday morning we packed up 30 food baskets for local families… that happened due to the generosity and hard work of many of our parishioners. In the days ahead, we’ll be gathering with family… our inlaws and outlaws!  Love those who are nearby, even when it's hard.  If there’s money in your checking account or food on your shelf… give some away to those in need! Whether you have things to give away or not… give yourself! Listen to a relative or friend, give someone a call, take them out to lunch or offer a Rosary for them. There is no end to the concrete ways we can love and serve today… this is what Jesus calls us to now. Never allowing us to get ahead of Him, He gives Himself to us now, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, from this altar… receiving Him, we receive everything… may we give it all away!

+ A. M. D. G. +