Blog & Pastor Letters

The landscapes of our towns have changed since Thanksgiving Day ended. Christmas is the next major celebration. We prepare for Christmas in the season of advent; a time we reflect on the coming of the Lord. It is no surprise therefore that our landscapes have become colorful again with lights and beautiful designs in preparation for Christmas. This season is important for our spirituality and for our eternal salvation because we remember the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem of Judea.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King as the culmination of the Church’s liturgical year before we begin a new liturgical year with Advent. There are two themes resonating through the readings for this great feast: 1.) the end of time and the final judgment; and 2.) the reign of Jesus Christ as king of the universe. In the first reading, we see God portrayed as a shepherd with the people who faithfully follow Him being His sheep.

Jesus speaks in cryptic language here about coming judgment. He uses language that is reminiscent of the Old Testament prophets, including Daniel in the first reading. There is dual meaning here. First, Jesus points forward to judgment upon the city of Jerusalem. This was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when the Romans conquered Israel, pillaged Jerusalem, and leveled the Temple. This fulfillment makes sense of Jesus’ statement that “this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.”

I was never a boy scout, but even I know what their famous saying is; Be Prepared! As we approach the end of this Church year and start a new one when we Advent begins, the gospel today and next Sunday speak to us of being ready and prepared.

In our ordinary everyday lives we all know how to prepare and get ready. We get ready if we have an appointment with the doctor. We get ready for school or for work. If we are going out to somewhere special, we spend extra time getting ready and being prepared. We wait for our favorite television program to start. We all know what happens when we are at the bus stop. We check at our watches as we look up and down the street anxiously hoping that the bus will arrive sooner rather than later.