Today we celebrate the Feast called Christ the King, here on this last Sunday of the liturgical year. Next week is the beginning of Advent. But before we begin to prepare for the celebration of the Incarnation of our God, the Church calls us to wrap up the current year, to take stock of our lives, to see where we’ve been and where we hope to go. For the past several weeks our Sunday readings have reminded us of the “end times,” the completion of God’s kingdom on earth and the continuation of this kingdom with him in heaven.
Today’s readings continue this theme of a final judgement, when the Son of Man will separate all of us into two groups, depending not upon his own, royal whims but rather upon our own past actions: what we have done and what we have failed to do. And so, here at the close of one liturgical year and the opening of the door to the next, it is, indeed, appropriate for us to reflect on what Christ our King asks of us.
He is a strange king that we follow. For he comes to us, not in the form of a royal, fairytale king, but rather in the role of a shepherd. In our first reading from the 34th chapter of the book of the prophet Ezekiel, we heard about a particular shepherd, one who said, “I, myself, will pasture my sheep; I, myself, will give them rest, says the Lord God. “
Some of you may be wondering why I’ve not asked my usual question. Well, for those of you who are patiently waiting, here is my question: Where do we find this quotation from the prophet Ezekiel? Where do many of us see it every week, if not every day? Yes, it’s the inscription engraved around the base of the statue in our plaza. This is the founding motto of our parish of Christ the Good Shepherd: “I, myself, will pasture my sheep; I, myself, will give them rest, says the Lord God.”
But the real question for today, and for every day, is: How does our Lord God do this? How does he, himself, pasture his sheep? How does he care for them, give them rest? The answer of course is: through us, through the living Body of Christ. That’s the general answer. There are specific answers. There are specific ways in which we, ourselves, tend his flocks on his behalf. One particular way is through the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.
Some of you may know about the CCHD. But there is one among us who knows a lot more about the assistance given to others through this agency of our Archdiocese. This is Pat Hancock. Many of you know that Pat is, at present, a candidate for ordination to the Permanent Diaconate. Yes, in about fourteen months or so, Pat will be a Deacon here at Christ the Good Shepherd. When that happens, I’m not sure how you’ll refer to the two of us. One possibility, I suppose, is Old Pat and Young Pat. Or maybe Pat-C and Pat-H, although I can see how those names would degenerate into “Patsy” and “Patch.”
But no matter what you call us, I’m looking forward to the “other Pat” joining us on a regular basis. In the meantime, as part of his training for the Diaconate, Pat has been assigned to work with the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. He now has some reflections to share with us on this important way in which all of us are called to serve Christ the King as we share in his work as fellow shepherds who pasture his sheep, who give them rest. Here, now, is our deacon-candidate: Pat Hancock.
Christ the King; November 20, 2005 (Catholic Campaign for Human Development)
Ezek 34:11-12.15-17; 1 Cor 15:20-26. 28; Mt25:31-46