Here is the text of the reflection I shared with those who gathered to celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King this weekend.
This weekend, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King: the final Sunday in the liturgical year. Next weekend, we will begin a new liturgical year, but before we do, we take a moment to ask ourselves how things are going. If the final judgment that is described in this morning’s gospel passage were to take place today, would Jesus place me among the sheep at his right hand or at his left (cf Mt 25:31-46)?
In all honesty, thinking about the second coming of Jesus can make us a bit uneasy – or even a bit scared – about what he will say to us. We know that when we get to heaven, it will be wonderful to be in the presence of Jesus but there is always a part of us that is worried about what the future will hold for us because the future is unknown to us.. It might help to imagine a few possible scenes, possibilities for the way that the final judgment might unfold.
Try to imagine what it will be like when you see Jesus sitting on his glorious throne with all the nations gathered around him (cf Mt 25:31). Imagine what it will be like to be part of such a gathering. When Pope John Paul II celebrated the closing Mass for World Youth Day in Manila (in the Philippines) in 1995, there were five million people in attendance. That must have been a massive amount of people, but that crowd will pale in comparison to the crowd that will be gathered around Jesus at the final judgment.
In your imagination, try to fix your attention on Jesus’ attentiveness in the midst of that scene. Throughout his priesthood, including the twenty-seven years he spent as Pope, John Paul II attracted attention wherever he went, simply because of his personality. Pope Francis too draws crowds wherever he goes because of his overwhelming concern for the poor and for the marginalized. It’s easy for us to identify with what he says. We feel that he is concerned about all of us, yet as successful as these two Popes have been at gathering people around them, neither of them can come close to what will happen when Jesus returns. His love, his purity and his joy will be unparalleled. This is the reason why all the nations will gather around him (cf Mt 25:31).
Have you ever tried to picture what the new heavens and the new earth will look like? Imagine a place where there will be no more need for doctors, police officers, prisons, military bases or homeless shelters. Disneyland in California is called the happiest place on earth, but when Jesus ushers in the new creation, the magic of Disney will seem mundane and ordinary by comparison. There will be nothing but peace, joy and contentment in the presence of God.
Each time we gather around the Lord’s table we get a glimpse of this ultimate experience of being in the presence of God. This is the scene that is foretold in the prophecy of Ezekiel (cf Ez 34:11-12, 15-17) and in the encouragement offered by Saint Paul in his letter to the Corinthians (cf 1 Cor 15:20-28). Throughout the week ahead, let us keep this scene in our minds and let us ask the Lord to take away our fear about what the future will hold, and to fill us with his peace, his joy and his love.
My point of view
This weekend, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King: the final Sunday in the liturgical year. Next weekend, we will begin a new liturgical year, but before we do, we take a moment to ask ourselves how things are going. If the final judgment that is described in this morning’s gospel passage were to take place today, would Jesus place me among the sheep at his right hand or at his left (cf Mt 25:31-46)?
In all honesty, thinking about the second coming of Jesus can make us a bit uneasy – or even a bit scared – about what he will say to us. We know that when we get to heaven, it will be wonderful to be in the presence of Jesus but there is always a part of us that is worried about what the future will hold for us because the future is unknown to us.. It might help to imagine a few possible scenes, possibilities for the way that the final judgment might unfold.
Try to imagine what it will be like when you see Jesus sitting on his glorious throne with all the nations gathered around him (cf Mt 25:31). Imagine what it will be like to be part of such a gathering. When Pope John Paul II celebrated the closing Mass for World Youth Day in Manila (in the Philippines) in 1995, there were five million people in attendance. That must have been a massive amount of people, but that crowd will pale in comparison to the crowd that will be gathered around Jesus at the final judgment.
In your imagination, try to fix your attention on Jesus’ attentiveness in the midst of that scene. Throughout his priesthood, including the twenty-seven years he spent as Pope, John Paul II attracted attention wherever he went, simply because of his personality. Pope Francis too draws crowds wherever he goes because of his overwhelming concern for the poor and for the marginalized. It’s easy for us to identify with what he says. We feel that he is concerned about all of us, yet as successful as these two Popes have been at gathering people around them, neither of them can come close to what will happen when Jesus returns. His love, his purity and his joy will be unparalleled. This is the reason why all the nations will gather around him (cf Mt 25:31).
Have you ever tried to picture what the new heavens and the new earth will look like? Imagine a place where there will be no more need for doctors, police officers, prisons, military bases or homeless shelters. Disneyland in California is called the happiest place on earth, but when Jesus ushers in the new creation, the magic of Disney will seem mundane and ordinary by comparison. There will be nothing but peace, joy and contentment in the presence of God.
Each time we gather around the Lord’s table we get a glimpse of this ultimate experience of being in the presence of God. This is the scene that is foretold in the prophecy of Ezekiel (cf Ez 34:11-12, 15-17) and in the encouragement offered by Saint Paul in his letter to the Corinthians (cf 1 Cor 15:20-28). Throughout the week ahead, let us keep this scene in our minds and let us ask the Lord to take away our fear about what the future will hold, and to fill us with his peace, his joy and his love.
À mon point de vue
Nous célébrons aujourd’hui la Solennité du Christ-Roi. La semaine prochaine, nous commencerons une nouvelle année liturgique, mais avant d’arriver à ce point, nous prenons un moment pour évaluer notre situation actuelle. Si le jugement final décrit dans le passage évangélique que nous venons d’entendre devait avoir lieu aujourd’hui, Jésus me placerait-t-il parmi les brebis à sa droite ou à sa gauche (cf Mt 25,31-46)?
En toute honnêteté, penser à la seconde venue de Jésus peut nous rendre un peu mal-à-l’aise – ou même un peu effrayé – à propos de ce qu’il nous dira. Nous savons que lorsqu’on arriverons au ciel, ce sera merveilleux d’être en présence de Jésus mais il y a toujours une partie de nous qui s’inquiète de ce que l’avenir nous réserve car le futur nous est inconnu. Peut-être que nous pouvons imaginer la scène, quelques possibilités pour la façon dont le jugement final pourrait se dérouler.
Imaginez – juste pour un instant – à quoi ressemblera le moment où vous verrez Jésus assis sur son trône de gloire avec toutes les nations rassemblées autour de lui (cf Mt 25,31). Imaginez que vous êtes là, présent dans la foule. Lorsque le Pape Jean-Paul II a célébré la messe de clôture de la Journée mondiale de la jeunesse à Manille (aux Philippines) en 1995, il y avait plus de cinq millions de personnes présentes. Cela a dû être une quantité énorme de personnes, mais cette foule n’est rien à comparé aux foules qui seront rassemblées autour de Jésus au jugement final.
Dans votre imagination, essayez de fixer votre attention sur l’attention de Jésus envers chacune des personnes qui se trouvent devant lui. Tout au long de son sacerdoce, y compris les vingt-sept ans qu’il a desservi comme Pape, saint Jean-Paul II a attiré l’attention des autres partout où il allait, simplement à cause de sa personnalité. Le Pape François attire aussi des foules partout où il va à cause de son souci pour les pauvres et pour les marginalisés. Nous pouvons facilement comprendre ce qu’il dit. Nous savons qu’il est préoccupé par nous tous ... mais malgré le réussit que ces deux Papes ont connu en rassemblant les gens autour d’eux, aucun d’entre eux ne peut se rapprocher de ce qui se passera quand Jésus reviendra. Son amour, sa pureté et sa joie seront sans pareil. Voilà la raison pour laquelle toutes les nations se rassembleront autour de lui (cf Mt 25,31).
Avez vous déjà essayé d’imaginer à quoi ressembleront les nouveaux cieux et la nouvelle terre? Imaginez un endroit où nous n’aurons plus besoin de médecins, de policiers, de prisons, de bases militaires ou de refuges pour les personnes sans-abri. Disneyland en Californie est connue comme l’endroit le plus heureux sur la terre, mais lorsque Jésus inaugurera la nouvelle création, la magie de Disney semblera banale et ordinaire en comparaison. Il n’aura rien d’autre que la paix, la joie et le contentement en présence de Dieu.
Chaque fois que nous nous rassemblons autour de la table du Seigneur, nous avons un aperçu de ce que signifie être en présence de Dieu. Voilà la scène qui est prédite dans la prophétie d’Ézéchiel (cf Ez 34,11-12, 15-17) et l’encouragement qui nous est offert par Saint Paul dans son épitre aux Corinthiens (cf 1 Cor 15,20-28). Tout au long de la semaine à venir, gardons cette scène dans nos esprits. Demandons au Seigneur de nous libérer de la peur concernant ce que l’avenir nous réserve et de nous remplir de sa paix, de sa joie et de son amour.
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