My friends, as you know, this feast brings us to the official end of the current Church Year with next Sunday beginning the new one and the holy season of Advent—a time of expectant waiting.  If we were simply to take a cursory look at the chosen readings for today, you would think we are celebrating, “kingship,” as we humans understand that— “a lording over others.” But a deeper look really does say something more. 

   The reading from Daniel is probably closest to this human definition of being “a king” in that it places, “this One” in a “power over” position, saying that this is an “eternal” condition.  It would seem the question we need to ask is, “What is it that designates the ‘rightness’ of this ‘power over’ by Jesus?” It seems that the other two readings give us our answer. 

   The reading from Revelation speaks of Jesus, the Christ as “sovereign of the rulers of the earth.”  This writer, whom it is thought to be, John the apostle, further speaks of, “Christ—who loves us,” and goes on to say that “he freed us from our sins by shedding his blood.”  I would submit the part that makes Jesus, the Christ, “sovereign” is that [he has loved us.]  Let me say that again, perhaps in a bit different way:  Jesus, the Christ is “sovereign,” not because he has “died” or “saved us from our sins,” but primarily, and for no other reason than that, “he has loved us!”

   Finally, the gospel of John confirms this notion.  Pilate asks Jesus if he is, “King of the Jews.”  Jesus’ response seems to come from a man exasperated once again that the message of his life has been misconstrued.  It is almost as if he is saying, “If you want to think of me, as a king, so be it, as I can’t seem to convince you otherwise.”  But then, Jesus gives us the clarification; “I came into the world, to bear witness to the truth,” [and] “everyone who seeks truth hears my voice.”  And we do have to give Pilate credit, because if we read further in the Scripture story, we see that he asks Jesus, “And what is the truth?” We see that Jesus isn’t going to answer Pilate’s question because his whole life had already given the answer. 

    And friends, we know that the “truth” is about God loving us so much so as to become one of us. Paul states in Philippians 2, “His state was divine, yet he did not cling to that, but humbled himself and became like humans are.”  And we know that his most remarkable life was all about showing his human sisters and brothers, the way to live and to love, which is really the “truth” that Pilate was asking for but didn’t realize at the time.

   So if that was God’s intent, to be one of us and with us, why did the Church inaugurate this feast that really removes Jesus, putting him on a pedestal away from us, rather than with us? 

   Upon checking, we see that this feast is only a little less than a hundred years old being proclaimed by Pius XI in 1925.  It was a time in our Catholic history when Church fathers feared that God wasn’t being given due respect, so it seemed to them appropriate to inaugurate such a feast.  Too bad they didn’t look back to Jesus’ words to see what God truly wanted from and with humans—not a top-down relationship, king to subjects, but a “one-with” relationship, friend to friend.  So, it is for that reason that I suggest the name of this feast be changed to Jesus, Our Brother and Friend. 

   When we pick up on the discussion between Jesus and Pilate in today’s gospel and realize that Jesus isn’t about being a “king” and claiming an earthly crown, but about sharing the “truth” with us humans that we are loved by our God, nothing more, nothing less, then we can come to the truth that this feast is all wrong! 

   In truth, this proclaimed feast is really more about whom we as humans are—concerned with power, than whom our God is.  Further, and more distinctly, this reflects who Church Fathers are more than who God is! 

   So, my friends, seeing where this feast came from in our Church history and with my suggestion that our brother Jesus might want us to have a different view of why it is appropriate at the Church Year’s end to celebrate him, let’s refocus then on our present day, facing our world as he did his, not with a notion of “power over” as in “kingship,” but as in, “one-with” others, represented by, “kin-ship,”  as in “brother/sister/friend. 

   In my years as a chaplain, I was often in the position of facilitating a “Celebration of Life” for those who had died, and I always reminded families that they could best remember their deceased loved ones by emulating their good qualities in their own lives going forward.  In other words, if their deceased loved ones “showed love” by spending time cooking, playing with family members, teaching a skill, whatever it might be, then we would best emulate them by doing the same in our lifetimes.  And it would be the same with our brother Jesus.

    Jesus-with-us, Emmanuel, as we will celebrate in a few short weeks calls us to truth, justice, mercy, and compassion.  Sometimes, to act thusly can bring us upset and fear that we stand alone.

   At that time, we must remember the messages coming from the 1^st and 2^nd readings today—basically that Jesus, the Christ, our brother, and friend in our humanity is eternal, is forever! Also, that this eternal brother and friend sends us grace and peace through the Spirit of God to do that which we must do. 

   So friends, as we move toward the beautiful and holy season of Advent beginning next Sunday, let us focus on the One who came to be one-with-us, keeping our eyes on him and receive the strength we need to be his true followers, not as people who, “lord it over others,” but as ones who, “walk with others” in what life brings! 

   Psalm 93 gives us perhaps a final idea on the theme of, “reign.”  The psalmist says, “holiness adorns your house.”  Perhaps “holiness” which comes from being people of justice, mercy, compassion, and love, is more of a reason than, “power over” others to celebrate Jesus, on this last weekend of the Church Year.  Amen? Amen!

   My friends, the official church calendar names next Sunday as the last Sunday in the Church Year, but in my mind, I always think of this Sunday, the 33^rd in Ordinary Time as the end, looking toward next Sunday, the Feast of Christ the King as one to celebrate, with gratitude, all that Jesus, the Christ has been for us—a true brother and friend.  And with that in mind, that his and God’s purpose (3 in 1) was never that he come as, “a king” to “lord it over us,” but really as a brother and friend, to show us the way to live and to love; I, as many of you know, have taken the liberty of re-naming next week’s feast, Jesus, Our Brother, and Friend. 

   But I am getting ahead of myself—we need today to concentrate then on all that this 33^rd and last Sunday in Ordinary Time really means.  Primarily, it is a time of “transition,” a fact that seems clear in today’s readings.

   “End times” seem to be today’s focus and in order to understand the totality of meaning here, we need to remember that the Israelite people are dealing with two distinct meanings when thinking about “end times.”  These two meanings are about, “end times,” yes, but also about, “the end of time.”

    The “end times” were thought to be a time of transition, when suffering and hard times would be no more, when the Chosen One, whom Christians believe is Jesus, the Christ, will come again in glory to make all things right and the kin-dom will be celebrated before the face of God, in that wonderful reality.  It is a tremendously hope-filled image that is attractive to many people. The cinema has played into this image of a time of justice when good, will reign—in the epic series, The Lord of the Rings, and in the Star Wars movies.  

   The “end of time” is another time, and when that time will come, none of us knows, or in fact understands just how it will be—it would appear that Jesus, in his humanity didn’t even know. We will just have to trust that all will unfold according to God’s loving plan. The reading from Hebrews today says as much—that in fact, in Jesus, all will be well.  So why, we might ask, are we given frightening images—of the sun and moon going dark—of stars falling from the sky?  Exegetes tell us that some of this talk in Mark’s gospel today may have been a “cover for the people” from their enemies as a result of the subversive tone of some of Jesus’ teachings

   The Israelites were told overtime, that what they were suffering would come to an end—the Chosen One would eventually alleviate their sufferings—this was their hope.   This knowledge that their God did hear their cries and would come to save them, gave them the will to go on.  In faith, we must believe the same, especially in these times of so much upheaval in Church and State—talk about “frightening images!”

   The Church in its hierarchy just can’t seem to do the right thing—coming together for the good of all—truly speaking the message of our brother Jesus, where women, the disadvantaged, and the abused—in so many ways, are concerned. Pope Francis is trying, but alas…

   Our nation is struggling at present, with many “navel-gazing,” as it were, on themselves, unable to see that individual actions do affect, and in the case of COVID, “infect” others. When our personal rights and privileges stand in the way of those same rights and privileges for others, something is wrong that could benefit from looking at the example of our brother Jesus in his life with us. 

   Our nation as well as the nations of the world, meeting in Glasgow, Scotland these past two weeks to discuss climate change, would do well to listen to the Spirit that is being proclaimed through the young people who are attending this conference, who will inherit the continued devastation of our beautiful earth if we don’t come together and make the needed changes. 

   Their frustration, felt by many, over the lack of collective, meaningful ways to care for the earth was probably said no better than by 18-year-old Greta Thunberg from Sweden who in response to the promises made by those present, pledging changes in the future— “bla, bla, bla!”  Greta and other young activists don’t believe that those of us who can actually bring about change, mean it! 

   So, my friends, the placing of “end times” and “the end of time” readings on the 33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time is most appropriate as we wind down one Church Year and move into a new one with the coming of the holy, preparatory season of Advent in just two weeks. We are called to reflect on what has been, what we have helped to change that has needed change and how we propose to move forward.

   The changes that are needed are many—none of us can do all, but together, we could do so much!  From the valiant, on-going work of the Thursday morning writers—to our own personal contacts with legislators, demanding that they stop wasting time and get the peoples’ work done. Pray for those in these positions where change can happen that they do what is right in Church and State and pray for those who have no intention of changing, as they are just in it for themselves.  And pray for all the “closed minds” in the general public who are responding rather selfishly.  And most of all,  never lose hope my friends—never lose hope. 

   Our forebears in the faith never lost faith or ceased to hope, at least, collectively—nor should we.  Determine what needs to be done in any situation and then do the “piece” that is yours to do. 

   The first reading from Daniel lets us know that “The wise will shine like bright heavens and the leaders of justice like the stars forevermore.”  A symbol, good and true for us as Christians, followers of our brother Jesus has always been, “light.”  We believe that he is “our light” in the darkness.  Knowing as he told us, when gracing this earth, “that I will be with you always— “lighting the way,” as it were, we really have no reason to doubt, no reason to fear, but simply live in the present, attempting each day to do our best. Amen? Amen!