The King's Corner

I provide below an article by Mary Grace Mangano (July 2021) published by America Magazine.  I’m a bit behind because I’m up to episode 4 of the first season.  I’ve always hoped for a movie or television show that would do a far better job of depicting the humanity of Jesus.  The Chosen succeeds.  Father Healey has lauded this production.  So far, I do as well. (begin) “Get used to different.” That’s the tagline for “The Chosen,” a show from Angel Studios that is unorthodox in many ways. The first-ever multi-season TV series about the life of Christ, it is entirely crowdfunded. It is also free to watch in The Chosen App, which doesn’t require viewers to fork over their email addresses or pay any fees. Just come and see. For months, two of my aunts had been urging me to watch “The Chosen.” And if I’m being honest, even though their texts were effusive in their praise for the series, I could not help but think, oh, a Bible show. I pictured the sort of show we watched in my C.C.D. days an

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.  Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” (Luke 10:21-24)

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." He said to him, "I will come and cure him."  The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 8:5-11)

Jesus said to his disciples: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. " (Matthew 24:37-44).

Cartoonist Charles Schultz of Peanuts fame was born on November 26, 1922.  He died on February 12, 2000.  He lives on through his cartoon characters Lucy, Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy, Woodstock and many others.   Today would have been his 100th birthday.  To honor him many cartoonists have included his characters in their comic strips.  See the Boston Globe comic page for those examples.  I’ve included two here. Most of us have grown up with Snoopy and all the rest.  I’ve also experience him and his wisdom in a book about him and his work: “ The Parables of Peanuts ” by Robert L. Short (2002).  And who can forget “ A Charlie Brown Christmas ?”

I, John, looked and there was a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud one who looked like a son of man, with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap the harvest, for the time to reap has come, because the earth’s harvest is fully ripe.” So the one who was sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven who also had a sharp sickle. Then another angel came from the altar, who was in charge of the fire, and cried out in a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Use your sharp sickle and cut the clusters from the earth’s vines, for its grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and cut the earth’s vintage. He threw it into the great wine press of God’s fury. (Revelation 14:14-19) Sitting on a white cloud was the son of man with a gold c

(8:30 Homily) Today we hear about important kings in the history of our Jewish and Christian faiths. King Saul and King David are mentioned in our first reading. In the Gospel we read that Jesus was called “King of the Jews” by Roman soldiers mocking him as he hung upon the cross. INRI is the Latin abbreviation for Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. This inscription is not found on the cross high above our heads, but it is found on the cross in our chapel. Today is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Pope Pius XI created this feast in 1925 post World War I in response to growing secularism and atheism. This feast was part of the Church’s successful effort to establish the sovereign nation of Vatican City in February 1929. Negotiations between the government of Italy and the Holy See began in 1926 and culminated in the Lateran Pacts – an agreement signed by Prime Minister Benito Mussolini. Pius had concluded that in Mexico, Russia, and in some parts of Europe

The problem of clericalism has been well-described in the Synod Working Document “Enlarge the Space of Your Tent.”  This document’s introduction states: The Synod is on: one year after the opening of the synodal journey, we can enthusiastically affirm this! During this first part of the consultative phase, millions of people all over the world have been involved in the Synod’s activities: some by participating in the meetings at the local level, some by collaborating in the animation and coordination of the activities at the different levels, and some by offering the support of their prayers: “We also express our gratitude to the contemplative nuns who accompanied their people in prayer and continue to pray for the fruits of the Synod of Synodality” (EC Peru). All of these people who got involved are the real protagonists of the Synod…” Here is the section entitled “Beyond clericalism:” 58. The tone of the reports is not anti-clerical (against priests or the ministerial priesthood). M

While people were listening to Jesus speak, he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem, and they thought that the Kingdom of God would appear there immediately. So he said, “A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’  His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’ But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading.

Here is a Reflection for Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time by Jill Rice.  I find it especially appropriate this Church year (about to end).  It will be very relevant throughout 2023 and in 2024.  It begins with the first Psalm. Blessed the man [and woman] who follows not the counsel of the wicked Nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, But delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on his law, day and night. (Ps 1:1) (begin) Today’s psalm is my favorite. Of all the psalms, it’s probably a pretty basic one to love—the first! Whenever I hear it, I am transported back to grade school daily Mass, sitting with my classmates, listening to the Irishman who always did the Thursday readings at Mass. (This psalm seems to occur way more often on Thursdays than any other day, though I have no evidence to back me up on that.) Go ahead and read this line in a strong Irish accent: “Not so, the wicked, not so! They are like chaff which the wind drive

First Reading: Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch, says the LORD of hosts. But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays. (Malachi 3:19-20) Gospel: While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, "All that you see here-- the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down." Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?" He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them! When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it

What follows is yesterday's account of Father James Martin's visit to Pope Francis.  It's a reminder of the need for understanding and compassion for LGBTQ Catholics who are part of the Body of Christ. (begin) Pope Francis received James Martin, S.J., for the second time in private audience in the papal library of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace this morning, Nov. 11. Father Martin, an editor at large at America, is known as one of the leading figures in the U.S. Catholic Church for his pastoral ministry and outreach to L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics. He has been criticized and attacked for this pastoral work by some in the U.S. church, including clergy and a few bishops.

 

The Solemnity of Christ the King occurs later this month.  I offer the following Catholic Register article (November 2017) written by guest columnist Stocking, the Central Ontario animator with the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace.  Considering the ongoing situation with the mid-term elections and conflicts created by political disagreements, it’s fitting to read this perspective about the crown worn by Jesus.  Which type would we wear as his followers? (begin) “So you are a king?” Pilate questioned Jesus. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus replied. “For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the Truth. Everyone who belongs to the Truth listens to my voice.” Nov. 26, the last Sunday of the liturgical year, is the feast of Christ the King. Is Christ our king? How we live our lives is the measure by which we may answer yes. For when we say Christ is King, we are not saying, “Christ is King…once we get to Heaven.” We are not saying, “Chri

It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and tortured with whips and scourges by the king, to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law. One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said: "What do you expect to achieve by questioning us? We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors." At the point of death he said: "You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but King of the world will raise us up to live again forever. It is for his laws that we are dying." After him the third suffered their cruel sport. He put out his tongue at once when told to do so, and bravely held out his hands, as he spoke these noble words: "It was from Heaven that I received these; for the sake of his laws I disdain them; from him I hope to receive them again." Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man's courage, because he regarded his sufferings as nothing.

Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?  No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and sneered at him. And he said to them, “You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:9-15) “One nation under God…” is part of our Pledge of Allegiance to t

Yesterday’s reflection by Christopher Parker from America Media about the 99 sheep made me reconsider their and our status. (begin) So Jesus addressed this parable to them. “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’” (Luke 15:3-6) What kind of sheep do you hope to be? Depictions and descriptions of Jesus as the good shepherd must be one of the most common analogies in the Catholic Church. It is an image so inextricably knotted to the Catholic understanding of Jesus that we can easily stop engaging with it or thinking critically about it. The omnipresence of today’s Gospel story can hinder us from seeing anything new in it.

  We all need a washing machine.  Although some of us may not be as dirty as all the rest (so we may think), we still need a thorough cleansing.  Time for confession. Deacon David Pierce