Jer. 33:14-16; Ps. 25:4-5, 8-10, 14; 1 Thess. 3:12-4:2; Lk. 21:25-28, 34-36

“The Lord our justice is faithful”.  Happy New Year to the Church on this the first week of Advent.  The new year is a sign of hope, of God’s “kindness and constancy” in good times and in bad.  This past year we have lived through both, celebrated birthdays and anniversaries and seen friends and family pass on from this world.  Some may question, “where is the Lord’s justice?”  In a world where hate, abuse of power, destruction of property, murder and a loss of hope led some to suicide “where is the Lord’s justice?”  The Lord is faithful in the mystery of salvation for even death has lost its power and become the next right step to eternal glory. 

The Lord calls us friends with “kindness and constancy toward those who keep his covenant and his decrees.”  The Lord will show us his love and grant us salvation.  The Lord will come “in a cloud with power and great glory” for the day of our “redemption is at hand”.  We are redeemed by the cross, by coming to the waters of baptism, by our confession of faith in keeping his covenant, and by receiving his body and blood in the Eucharist for the journey no matter how difficult path.  In the darkness of the Lord’s passion and death those who kept the faith became the witnesses of the resurrection and received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Advent is a reminder of leaving behind the darkness of the past and welcoming the light of the present in hope and anticipation of “The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise…”. 

The promise has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ with the power to bring down earthly kingdoms and rise up a new one for the kingdom of God.  The promise comes not in a distant God but in a personal relationship with Jesus to teach us the path and truth to discover and remain in his kingdom.  In Jesus is the joy of discovery of “who am I?” made in the image of God.  It is a personal discovery of the kingdom prepared for us to live this day.  It is a discovery of abounding “love for one another and for all”.  It begs the question, “How great is our love for one another and for all?”  The answer will reveal how close or far we are from the kingdom of God.  The state of holiness is love, filial love becoming agape love.  In the kingdom of God, he reveals to us his love and grants us his salvation. 

While many look to the “sun, the moon, and the stars” for signs, they foolishly dare to prognosticate the day of the coming of the Lord.  For the faithful the Lord’s coming is already upon us and the signs of the times have arrived and will continue to shaken the world.  The world remains in its slumber “drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life”.  The children of God “stand erect” awaiting the redemption of God like a thief in the night, surprised and yet ready for the “assault”.  “Our heads are raised up to you, O Lord!” 

“The Lord our justice” is with us as we pray for the “strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent”.  Today we live our tribulation in a culture of death with the promotion of “defund the police” while crime rises on the streets, abortion and death to the child even after its birth, a “reimagining” of the family with same sex couples and a resocialization of society as a kingdom of the state with mandates that oppose religious freedom.  This is our tribulation and how we respond may require a martyr’s sacrifice but, in the end “the Lord our justice” will give us the victory of light over darkness, of freedom over persecution, of truth over false teaching. 

“The Lord our justice” allows for the lesson of suffering for purification and the greater the sins the more the world is calling for a purification of souls.  Words cannot give justice to the anguish of sin and the call for justice but the soul will recognize when the time comes to be ready and meet our Lord, “the Lord our justice”. 

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Dan. 7:13-14; Ps. 93:1-2, 5; Rev. 1:5-8; Mk. 11:9-10

“What have you done?”  This is the question Pilate asks Jesus and the question left for us to answer.  Solemnity of Christ the King is the celebration of Jesus Christ “firstborn of the dead” whose “dominion is an everlasting dominion…his kingship shall not be destroyed”.  What Christ the king has done is come and destroyed death to be among us into eternity.  What Jesus has done is be the “faithful witness” who died for our sins and by his blood we now share in his kingship by the baptism of water, by the confirmation of the chrism oil, and by the confession of our sins worthy to receive his body and blood in the eucharist. 

What Pilate did was to try and find a “win, win” situation by having Jesus scourged to avoid having him put to death but the people would have none of it.  “What have you done with Jesus?”  Are we seeking a “win, win” situation in an attempt to live “our lives” while giving Jesus an outward appearance of being “faithful” while holding on to our sins when our very breath depends on his mercy and love?  Jesus will have none of it.  He gave all of himself for us and is waiting for those who will give all of themselves to him.  This is the meaning of being “faithful”.  There is no compromise if he is to be the king of kings of our lives.  This day the just loving God offers us his mercy to repent and enter into his kingdom.  Will we? 

“What have you done?”  This question for us to answer is to recognize our part in the crucifixion of Jesus by our sins.  Our sin is a rejection of his death for us and a silent cry to “Crucify him!”  What Jesus has done is come to reveal the fullness of truth which by consequence reveals the fullness of our sins, the sins we refuse to reject, the sins we deny, the sins we justify as simply being “human”.  His kingship is our call to enter into the divine life with him.  We cannot enter with the stain of sin.  What we have done is said “no” to his kingship each time we sin and fail to repent.  Purgatory is our hope for final cleansing for what we have done or failed to do to him. 

What Jesus Christ has done is revealed the Lord God the “Alpha and the Omega” in himself the Son of God.  What Jesus Christ has done is revealed the mystery of salvation coming in the “clouds of heaven” for his dominion is everlasting.  Pilate questions Jesus “What have you done?”  What he has done is fulfilled salvation history, established a heavenly kingdom, testified to the truth of the kingdom of God and his dominion “shall not be destroyed”.  What he has done is revealed what was hidden in the old scriptures and fulfilled what was promised.   When the Son of Man comes in the clouds to question us asking “What have you done?”.  How will we respond to the king of Kings? 

Our life is to give witness to the king of Kings not of our own accord but by the grace we accept, reflect, and give testimony of.  The Lord is ready to pour out his grace to his servants who are ready to serve.  Accepting grace comes with the commitment to allow him to be our king and to lead us to salvation day by day.  Accepting is trusting Jesus more than ourselves.  Accepting is seeking him more each day in more ways than before.  Accepting is growing in faith, hope, and love. 

Reflecting grace is to show mercy in an imperfect world made perfect by the grace we reflect of Christ.  Jesus desires to complete his salvation through his servants.  He will come to ask us “what have you done to bring others to me?”  In reflecting grace, it comes through a forgiving heart to an unforgiving world.  Reflecting grace is not only an act of forgiveness but the desire to be forgiven, “and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”.   Humility brings us to our knees in search of forgiveness but only as we show mercy on others.  Reflecting grace is sacrificial love. 

The grace of service is love.  Love is always an act of charity.  It is to see Jesus coming to us in the other who desires our love and acceptance.  The grace of service is meeting the need of those who hunger, hunger for food, hunger for acceptance, hunger for kindness, hunger for something greater than themselves that comes from God in our service.  The grace of service is meeting the need of those who thirst for understanding, a word of knowledge, the guidance of the spirit of wisdom.  The grace of service is love incarnate being called out of us for God’s greater good as an offering of self as a channel of God’s grace.  The grace of loving service is to proclaim the gospel by our action. 

“What have we done” to give testimony of the presence of God to the flock that surrounds us?  Jesus did not come from a high-profile background born in a stable.  He did not come to establish an earthly kingdom to conquer people but to serve as a shepherd.  He called on only a few to follow him but his testimony to the truth and service to the sick, poor, and hungry drew thousands to him.  What have we done to draw others to follow in our reflection of Christ?  If we don’t like what we see in this world growing in narcissistic self absorption then we need to ask ourselves “What have you done?” What have we done not only to transform it by our life but to contribute to what we see reflected back to us.?

The day is coming when we won’t be asking ourselves the question but Jesus himself will ask, “What have you done?”  The time to ask ourselves is now and the time to pray “thy kingdom come” is for the present time to prepare ourselves and begin living the kingdom of God.  What we do now is for eternity.  We cannot bargain or compromise with God who did everything for our salvation.  He fulfilled what he came to do.  Now it’s our turn to fulfill the purpose of our creation, our being here now is a calling to something greater than us.  It is calling to come into the kingdom of God.  What are we doing? 

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