1
Deacon Timothy Moore
Thirty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Daniel 7:13-14, Rev 1:5-8, John 18:33b-37
Jesus Christ is KING--and ‘calls us’ to allow him Kingship over our lives.
This is the last Sunday of our year, liturgically speaking.
And just ‘AS’.. AT…the wedding feast of Cana,
Jesus may have saved the best for last.
I was reading a commentary from one of the writers of the early Church,
‘Origen’, who had written this commentary on the ‘Lord’s Prayer’;
and he reminds ‘US’ that ‘the Kingdom of God cannot be seen
because it is ‘within’ us.
He adds: “When a person prays…that God’s Kingdom may come,
they are praying, as they should, for the Kingdom of God, which is within them,
that it may rise, flourish and reach its full growth.”
This passage brought John’s Gospel today…into better understanding for me.
Jesus tells Pilate: “My Kingdom does not belong to this world.”
If God’s Kingdom is to rise, flourish and reach its full growth within us,
then it is important for us to let go of worldly attachments –
to be “IN” the world but not “OF” it.
And letting go…does NOT necessarily mean…that it has to be cast out ‘OR’
thrown away; but “IF” somehow…any of our worldly possessions
were lost forever, our spiritual life would be strong enough and mature enough
to proclaim “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord.”
It is then that the unshakeable Kingdom of God can make its presence
known to the world through us.
OUR need…’IS’ to speak the TRUTH in order to prepare the world for
Christ’s return.
The awesomeness of God…is certainly the message of today’s readings.
The prophet Daniel speaks in visionary words (fore telling) of how “ALL”
peoples, nations and languages are subject to God.
The author of the book of Revelations speaks of God as the
Alpha and the Omega,
1
2
The one who ‘IS’ and who ‘IS TO COME’ , the ALMIGHTY.
How can we, ‘AS’…the human, finite people that we are,
comprehend the power of God?
The answer is…to elevate our minds and hearts.
We need to reach a different plane.
“WE NEED TO SEEK THE “TRUTH”
Christ’s…‘Kingship’…was ‘NOT’… what was expected;
Christ brought a Kingship of Truth.
And as we heard, we ‘MUST’ seek the TRUTH, for as Jesus says in the gospel.
“For ‘THIS’ I was born and for ‘THIS’ I came into the world,
to testify to the TRUTH”.
Seeking the truth will require much effort.
We would be foolish to think that society easily accepts the presence of God ‘OR’
God’s truth.
An author, Gerald Darring, proposed that the ‘Kingdom of God’…is a Condition.
It’s symptoms being LOVE, JUSTICE, and PEACE.
IT is a SPACE –
existing in every HOME…where parents and children LOVE each other,
In every Region and Country…that cares for its WEAK and VULNERABLE,
In every Parish…that reaches out to the NEEDY.
IT is a TIME –
IT happens when someone feeds a hungry person,
Shelters a homeless person ‘OR’ cares for a neglected person.
COULD it be??…that in OUR OWN…TIme and Space
“WE”…can bring this Kingdom into being??
The plight of the Syrian refugees comes to mind.
‘WILL’… our FEAR…overwhelm our FAITH…and cause us to turn away…those…
who desperately ‘seek’ to escape their war-torn land??
In the Life and teaching of JESUS CHRIST, the KING….
WE aspire to be HIS agents in the world…
2
3
bringing about Justice, Peace and LOVE.
We MUST take the necessary risks to seek the truth.
Then we MUST ‘ACT’ on what we find.
WE MUST do our share…. to bring Christ back…
to our families, neighborhoods and the world.
Yes, there is a great challenge, but there is a “PROMISE” as well.
Jesus says in the Gospel,
“Everyone who belongs to the TRUTH…Listens to MY Voice.”
Our sincere efforts will be rewarded;
‘There can be little doubt.’
In discovering truth we bring the world one step closer to ‘WHY’ we are ALIVE
“To welcome Christ when HE returns as KING.”
Yes, there is a PROMISE of tomorrow.
It is the GOAL for which we strive daily – ETENRAL LIFE.
Don’t forget that there is a PROMISE for today as well.
As Scripture puts it,
“You will know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH will set you free.”
3