Community Word: Jesus Christ, our Sovereign King, is our hope for eternal life.
Order: “…direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ.” (2 Thes 3:5)
Reflection:
Our sovereign King is Jesus who is our hope for eternal life.
November is the last month of the liturgical year which culminates in the celebration of the Solemnity of Christ the King. It is also the month when we remember and pray for the faithful departed especially for our loved ones who have gone ahead of us. We are reminded that our life in this world has an end and it is inevitable. Remembering our dear departed also reminds us that despite death, life continues. Death is not the end of life; rather, death is a passage towards eternal life.
While we live on earth, each one of us aspires for eternal life in the heavenly kingdom of God. We can realize this aspiration if we let God rule and reign in our hearts. We receive Him with open heart, removing all reservations, coverings, secrets and unbelief. Being our Sovereign King, we surrender ourselves and allow Jesus to take control of our life. It is therefore necessary to keep a righteous spirit by rooting out sins that inhabit our life, follow the commands He puts on our heart, commune with Him in prayer and live by His word. We make every effort to fulfill the Order for the month to “…direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ.” (2 Thes 3:5).
Our theme for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time tells us – We have hope for eternal life as we endure our sufferings for Christ. The gospel dwells on the resurrection as life after death. It is the primary basis of our faith as Jesus himself rose from death. He endured sufferings to redeem us from our sinfulness and His resurrection confirms that life everlasting awaits us in heaven. As faithful followers of Christ we strive to become worthy of our reward for eternal life by enduring our sufferings for Christ. He must always be at the forefront of our life if we want to persevere living for God. We endeavor to share in His sufferings by dying to our sinful desires.
A mind fixed on Christ, not on our trials or difficulties, is essential for endurance. We draw inspiration and allow ourselves to be guided by 2 Timothy 2:11-13, “If we died with him, we will also live with him. If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself.” When we persevere to endure and offer our sufferings for Christ we can rely on His promise: “The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.” (2 Thes 3:3).
For the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, the theme is – We have hope for eternal life when we remain steadfast in our faith. Jesus taught his disciples to be aware and watch for signs that will indicate that the coming of the Son of Man is near. Occurrence of various disorders and distresses might be interpreted as signs leading to His coming, However, Jesus warned His followers, “See that you will not be deceived by many who will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he’ and ‘The time has come,’” (Luke 21:8). He assures His followers that God is present to all believers, even in times of trouble.
The Gospel invites us to consider Jesus’ predictions and teaching about the end of the world. Jesus’ words are not spoken to frighten us, rather, they are offered to prepare us for the changes we will experience during our lifetimes and at the end times. We put our trust in God’s mercy and protection in times of distress and difficulties. We respond with great fervor to be steadfast in our faith, guided and blessed by His word, drawing strength from God’s never-ending love for us. When we are able to sustain our life in the grace of God, we can attain his promise in Luke 21:19, “By your perseverance, you will secure your lives.”
On the last Sunday and culmination of the liturgical year, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Feast of Christ the King. The celebration fits well with our theme for the week – We have hope for eternal life when we honor and exalt Jesus as our Sovereign King. We ascribe glory and honor to Jesus as our Lord who holds dominion over all creation. His Kingship was made known when He took on humanity to fulfill the Father’s will to save mankind. During His earthly life, He lovingly ruled over the hearts and mind of His followers by showing mercy and compassion through His teachings and miracles. The greatest expression of His love is His death on the cross to redeem us from sin. He rose to conquer sin and death, to manifest that He wants to bring us all to resurrection.
Jesus invites us to be part of His kingdom which is the Church. Our response to yield to His invitation and serve Him in His Church is our expression of thanksgiving and allows us to honor and exalt Jesus as our Sovereign King. Actively participating and living a life with Jesus gives hope for eternal life directing us to His promise, “…you will be with me in Paradise,” (Lk 23:43).
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we thank you for all the blessings and graces You have given us in this liturgical Year of Mercy which culminates this month of November. We honor and glorify You as our King and Master of our hearts. We pray for Your guidance so that we can continue to build Your kingdom in the hope that we may share in Your everlasting love in our journey towards eternal life. Amen.
Readings:
November 6, 2022 – 2 Mc 7:1-2, 9-14/ Ps 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15/ 2 Thes 2:16-3:5/ Lk 20:27-38
November 13, 2022 – Mal 3:19-20/ Ps 98:5-6, 7-8, 9/ 2 Thes 3:7-12/ Lk 21:5-19
November 20, 2022 – 2 Sm 5:1-3/ Ps 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5/ Col 1:12-20/ Lk 23:35-43