The King of no wars, no violence…
(11-22-2009)
As we all know, this coming week is Thanksgiving–an expression of gratitude for our blessings and sharing our blessings with others to reflect Christ in our lives. It is such a special time for many—families and friends gather, one of the busiest times of the year for travel—and marketing the other Holiday yet to come (won’t even mention the word yet).
This weekend the Church celebration is the Solemnity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ the King. Not a title sought by our Lord, but one which comes from reverence, hope, and in honor. The celebration was created by Pope Pius XI in 1925; Mussolini had been head of Italy for three years of violence and death; Hitler had been out of jail for a year—his Nazi party was growing in force and violence and the world faced a great Depression. Secularism and atheism were popular. Pius XI asserted that despite all the new dictators and a rise in false values, Christ is still King of the universe.
We still need faith in the reign of Christ in our lives. Today’s gods and idols of celebrity stars, sports heroes, music gods, reality TV heroes/heroines, along with secularism, consumerism and atheism surrounds us with false and empty promises. With the entire 20th Century filled with wars, death, destruction, innocent suffering, have we learned anything at all in this first decade of the 21st Century? We condone the use of force and violence as a means to create an artificial sense of security, and destroy in the name of democracy while all along there may be other agendas for fuel, and/or dominance and control. The toll of human suffering continues to mount in this century as we claim to be about the work of fostering peace through might.
But Jesus knew that kind of peace never lasts. If there is to be a future where peace is truly present in our lives, it will only happen if we submit to the teaching, the mission, and the life of Jesus as motivating our daily way of living with one another. Each one of us has the true power to live him daily in our lives—and do so in Thanksgiving.
In my rooms in the rectory I have a prayer space with an altar, various photos I receive from parishioners, family and friends with prayer requests, images of saints, a portable altar with a relic in it, also a relic of St. John the Baptist —it is also where I have the Blessed Sacrament in my room. It is there that I begin and end my day and even on vacation take a part of the special prayer space with me along with my Mass kit and prayer books.
It is a space where I approach God and offer all that I am—stripped of any pretense or self-assuredness, power, control, or ego—raw and open to change. This is how I believe God calls me—to sacred intimacy in truth and without guile, plain—direct—willing to laugh at myself with Him--real—broken—but hope-filled. It is in such surrender that peace comes. This is what Jesus asks of me—and you—to be real and intimate and truthfully open to his love.
Such vulnerability is contrary to most of what we are taught—especially Americans—especially males. We want control, dominance even—absolutes—hard line definite facts. However, as believers we know that absolute definite facts in faith rarely exist—we accept belief in many things with a leap of faith. We must take risks and leap into trusting that God is who God says God is. It is surrender. Difficult; especially in times of fear and suffering, loss, loneliness, exile—and perhaps most difficult in times when we are comfortable and insecure.
Such faith surrender is difficult when we want images of might, superiority, idols, celebrity, and fame. However, we are given the cross as a throne for God instead—He who came and suffered and died. That is the real hope—that is the beauty of who we are that is the kingdom of Jesus—contrary to man-made kingdoms; a kingdom of vulnerability, acceptance, unconditional love, mercy and forgiveness—surrender—to human goodness.
And when we let His kingdom conquer our false realities-there is peace, hope, trust, and we can then be truly real and know His love for us. It is such a love that holds no difference between ordained or laity—for I am no different than each one of you, when it comes to my human frailty before God. Each one of us has open to us the knowledge that Jesus chose us—intimately chooses us. However, the paradox is that it is not until we choose to surrender to Jesus do we find that he chose us.
Such awareness begins anew every Liturgical Year in the Lord. We are one week away from yet another Advent—a season of preparing for new birth. Prepare this week, take a moment and offer him all that you are—warts and all—failings and misgivings—speak to Him as you are—pray who you are to Him—then sit quietly and soak up his love—you’ll be energized—you will find peace—you will find Him.
When we take off the masks, pretenses, and search the Lord with all our hearts, we share His love—eliminate violence in our language—toward one another—eliminate violence in families— become his peace to others— and belong to His truth. Thanksgiving, discipleship—it is all the same—surrendering to love greater than ourselves to be greater than ourselves for others through Him.
Rejoice and give Thanks, Fr. Gordon
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