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Feast of Christ the King, Cycle B
St. Mary Church / Laurinburg, North Carolina
November 25, 2018
“God’s Reign of Loving”
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
“Only So Much Goodness”
It’s PARENT’S NIGHT AT MICHAEL’S SCHOOL. His mother is meeting with Michael’s sixth-grade teacher.
“Mrs. Patterson? Michael’s mother? I’m so very pleased to meet you,”the teacher gushes. I must say that your Michael is a delight to have in class! He’s helpful, courteous, conscientious …”
The teacher goes on for several minutes telling her what a wonderful student Michael is. Mom is pleased, of course, but she can’t help but think, “My kid? This teacher is talking about my kid?”
When mom GETS HOME AFTER HER MEETING with his teacher, she asks Michael, “Your teacher says that your behavior is excellent at school… Why can’t you be that good at home?”
Michael scratches his head, not knowing how to respond. Looking her straight in the eye, he finally says, “Mom … I’ve only got so much goodness to go around!”
Love As a Verb Flowing from Us
Many of us see “goodness” pretty much as Michael does: We imagine ourselves as possessing only a certain finite amountof “love” that we are able to give … and once that love is spent, that’s it.
But Jesus’ love is MORE OF A VERB (WALKING MAN WITH FINGERS): it’s not a noun (mime a box). Love is a way of acting and responding. Love is something we do, a way we live.
It’s not a commodity we possess and after a while we run out of, like gasin the tank of our car.
Love enters the worldas a verb (1) God’s creating us out of loving, and this loving (2) Creates each thing as good. But it doesn’t stop there! We’re to love as God is loving us.
IN SHORT,(1) God’s reign is creating out of love and (2) What is created is then manifesting God’s love to others. (3) And so the reign continues to be extended.
It’s a bit like ripples from a stonethrown into the middle of a quiet pond.
Daniel and Jesus’ Vision of Loving
ThePROPHET DANIEL’S VISIONin our first readings speaks of this covering of the earth by loving as an expression of God’s (1) Dominion (hands extended)and (2) Glory (fingers pulsing)and (3) Kingship (mimic placing of a crown).
Daniel attests that, “This dominion is an everlasting dominionthat shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.”
Nothing can stopthe flow:
Ø No enemy for the flow is precisely about loving enemies
Ø No hardship for the flow is about God’s word of support during such ordeals
Ø No pain or malady for the flow is about giving meaning to our suffering and placing it in God’s loving hands
IN THE GOSPEL Jesus tells Pilate that, "My kingdom — these waves of loving —do not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over ... But as it is, my kingdom is not here."
No, Jesus did not fight(1) Enemies, (2) Hardships or (3) Pain, for he is in the flow of the loving shared with him by the Father and the Holy Spirit
Our loving, in similar situations, has the very same source of loving, a source beyond this world. It is a source in God, a source from God, a source the returns to God
Application
We are PART AND PARCEL OF THE FLOW OF GOD’S LOVE in and through these hands, these lips, this heart, all making available God’s love to others.
It is important for us to (1) Realize, (2) Savor, and (3) Give thanksfor this reality. It is also important for us to be willing to let God be his presence to others through our loving.
“Loving who in particular?” You might ask:
Ø Well, for starters, the marginalized in our society, e.g. the poor, the immigrant, the refugee
Ø Then, let’s move to folks In my own life:
o The underappreciated in our families and parish: elderly grandparents, handicapped neighbors
o The folks I take most for granted
o And in a special way anyone I’ve labeled as “unforgiveable”
Conclusion
To RETURN TO MY OPENING STORYof young Michael: “No, Michael, your love need not be limited to the classroom. It can be extended to your family, friends and neighbors.”
“Andmost importantly, Michael, it is (1) Flowing at this very moment — and all moments, for that matter — from God’s loving you, and (2) Flowering in your loving others.”
And to us all, I’d say, “Welcome to the Reign of God, the Kingdom of God, for you are a follower of Christ the King whose feast we celebrate today and very much in the flow!”
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