Homily Preview: Christ the King (34OT-C)

   Am I really that far ahead that I am thinking of a homily that's a month out, yet?  Well, remember, this feast is this weekend in the extraordinary form...
   The ancient philosophers thought that all learning in this world was simply a matter of becoming re-acquainted with the truth which is 'out there', and which we all hope to re-join when we leave the corrupt, dark world behind.  Yeah, well, that perspective seems a little dualistic to me, but maybe there is a bit of truth to that viewpoint.  Case in point, I saw an amazing quote from the teachings of Archbishop Fulton Sheen on a comment from another blog, and it brought back a wonderful sense of remembrance that only comes the grief and joy of encountering forgotten wisdom...

   Speaking of the Kingship of our Lord vs. the kings of the earth, Sheen says:

The masses were generally interested only in wonders and in security. When He multiplied the loaves and fishes, He startled their eyes. When He filled their stomachs he satisfied their sense of social justice. That was the kind of king they wanted, a bread king. “What else can religion do for man, anyway except give him social security;” they seemed to ask. The masses tried to force Him to become a king. That is what Satan wanted, too! Fill gullets, turn stones into bread, and promise prosperity—this is the end of living for most mortals. Bur Our Lord would have no kingship based on the economics of plenty. To make Him King was His Fathers business, not theirs: His Kingship would be of hearts and souls, not digestive tracts. So the Gospel tells us He fled into the mountains Himself alone, to escape their tinsel crown and tin sword. How close the masses were to salvation. They wanted life; He wanted to give life. The difference was in their interpretation of life.  Is it the business of Christ to win followers by elaborate social programs? This is one form of life. Or is it the business of Christ to be willing to lose all the stomach-minded at the cost of reaching the few with faith, to whom will be given the Bread of Life and the Wine that germinates virgins? From that day on, Christ never won the masses; within twenty months they would shout, “Crucify!” as Pilate would say, ‘Behold your King.’”

   The political implications in our search for a perfect society, engineered by entitlements and unrestricted license masquerading as "freedom", are readily apparent.  All too easily we roll over on our backs and allow ourselves to be enslaved by the contentment of "Bread and Circuses" offered by our kings.  "My tears have become my food day and night, while men say to me all the day long, 'where is your God?'"  (Ps. 42:3)   Noneother than St. Thomas More's political philosophy offers us the image of "Utopia" (Greek: "no where"), a mythical land where human cooperation and ingenuity soothes the injustices of the day.  But his fictional world is just that... fictional.  What More offers in this brave, new world is mere satire.  Even if a political system should work well for a while, (which in and of itself is an unbelievably difficult undertaking given the fallen nature of man,) the perception (which is never true in reality) of earthly perfection crushes human spirit which has been created and is destined for a greater calling, which is happiness in God alone.  While we rightfully work to stem the injustice in the world, our calling is not to this world, but to the Kingdom which is to come.  The graces of plentiful food, peace, justice, wealth, and success in the here-and-now are but tears and mourning in the sight of what is yet to come.  "Where is your God?"  "Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!  See your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding the foal of an ass... the warrior's bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.  His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth."  (Zechariah 9: 9-10)