Bulletins from November 2023

In the Christian tradition, any reference to “Matthew 25” evokes the images of the gospel passage for this Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe: “When I was hungry. . .thirsty. . a stranger. . .ill. . .in prison.” The good that we do is humanitari- an, but much more; it is the Lord Himself whom we meet in those most in need. It is Jesus who is crucified in the great suffering of all people. It is Jesus, the King, Who will bestow a place in the heavenly realm on those who met Him in others and cared for their needs. As wars continue to rage in the Middle East and in Ukraine, just to name two of the most volatile of ongoing conflicts, we see the Lord Jesus in the wounded and in those who have lost their lives or the lives of those they love. As these wars continue, our prayer for peace, the peace of the Reign of God, be- comes more urgent. There are no winners in war; everyone loses. On this Feast, we look to the words of the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer today, to describe what it is that we long for. It is “an eternal and universal kingdom, a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace.” As we pray so often, may this Kingdom come into our world and into our lives.

Like last week’s gospel reading, today’s passage encourages in us faithfulness in the way we live. In the “Parable of the Talents,” each of the three servants was entrusted with something of value, “according to his ability.” The size of the gift did not matter; what the servants did with the money did. The question for each of us is whether we invest our gifts or hide them – burying them in a hole, putting them under the proverbial mattress, where they are of no use to anyone. In the second reading from Saint Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, we hear that we are children of the light and day, not of the night or darkness. As such, we do not fear the Lord’s coming, for we have been faithful servants, using the gifts entrusted to us for the good of others. As we approach the end of this liturgical year, we look forward to the Lord’s coming at the end of time and the end of our lives, even as we will continue to do so in the Season of Advent. We rejoice in the assurance that Christ who has died and is risen will also come again. As children of the light, we have nothing to fear.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). This Sunday’s second reading from the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalo- nians is suited for our November liturgy. As you know, November is a special time for us to remember and pray for those who have died, especially members of our families and other loved ones. Paul is not advising that we not grieve for those we have lost, but that we not have the kind of grief of those “who have no hope.” By nature, Christians are called to be a people of hope, people of the Resurrection. There is an old expression that “We are Easter people and “Alleluia” is our song.” While a bit trite, these words do express the reality of Christian faith. When we pray for the dead, it cannot be with the bitterness of the hopeless; our lives are charged with the faith that Saint Paul preached, and it makes all the difference. Even the Book of Wisdom teaches that “The souls of the just are in the hands of God” (Wisdom 3:1). If we believe this, or mourning can give way to rejoicing that our beloved dead live in God’s peace forever.

In describing His own ministry, Jesus stated that “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for the many” (Matthew 20:8). It must be the same for the Lord’s followers: “The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts oneself will be humbled, and whoever humbles oneself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:11-12). For many, this is a difficult lesson. Those who know success, achievement, and greatness usually expect their lofty status to accord them great privilege. For the Christian, the privilege is to serve others as did Jesus, the Master Who washed the disciples’ feet. We do not need to look far to find these opportunities. Whether husbands or wives, children, sisters or brothers, each of us has the choice. . .to expect others to do whatever we want them to, or to be the ones who reach out to them. What Jesus did not say, but is implied in the example He gave, was that our service needs to be done in love, not grudgingly or under coercion. That is the real test of discipleship.