First Reading: Dan 07:13-14
Second Reading: Rev 1:5-8
Dear friends on this
Solemnity of Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe we are called to
acknowledge the true and one Lord of the whole universe. In the Gospel, Jesus
clearly states to Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world (Jn 18:36). The
Lordship of Jesus is not constrained to any defined territory. He reigns beyond
space and time. He was a king, He is a king and He will be a King (Rev 1:8).
Today, the term ‘king’ is limited just to a title. The one who own’s the title
‘King or queen’ only enjoys the glory and pomp’s; the supreme and absolute
authority is no more with that title. However, the authority and nature of
Lordship is not completely away from the worldly structures. We do have power
plays, rather strong sense of power and authority of kingship or queenship do
exist in other forms and titles such as democracy, capitalism, socialism,
federal systems, President of the state, Prime Minster and so forth. The
celebration of today’s feast is a reminder to all these people and
establishment that the power that they hold and seek very dearly is subjected
to the one and true Lord of the universe: Jesus Christ. The systems may control
the political, social and economic landscapes across the world. The leaders may
continue to win the elections and hold on to power for years but all of those
are in no way rule out the absolute and supreme authority of the Son of Man.
We do address Jesus, the
Messiah as Son of Man because of its association with Old Testament prophecies.
The Lord of the Universe came to this world as Son of human family constituted
of Mary and Joseph. The Son of God revealed Himself to the world as Son of Man:
Mary and Joseph. The one true king of the whole universe, who could move around
clouds, evoke thunders and cause terror was standing powerless in front of
Pilate, the human governor. This is the irony of human power dynamics. The one
who has all power acts as though He has none in His hand. On the contrary, the
one who has power that is constrained by time and space acts as though he is
going to be in that powerful place forever.
In the name of dignity all
of us seek and expect things from each other. We pay attention to how we are
treated, how others address us, the words others use in speaking to and about
us, the kind of place that is offered to us or the place where we are received
and we can go adding to this list. This expectation is seen not only among the
powerful people in society but also in the life of the ordinary people. In
democracy all the citizens are kings and kingmakers. Therefore, the desire
which the kings and few other people alone had in monarchical time is today
being passed on to every human person under the pretext of freedom. Jesus came
to give us freedom. The fall of monarch is the result of the experience of
freedom that the Christianity has offered to every individual. Today we are
free from outside constraints but caught up with internal pressures which could
be called as EGO. All of us behave in a way and do things as though we are
going to be here forever. We march ahead with worldly ambitions and success
with the thought that we are the only ones who are better than anyone in the
whole of human history. For us the Christ who stands in front of Pilate as
powerless is a challenge. Do we do things with powerlessness? It is the doings
of the powerless that has become powerful in the world today. The powerless
itinerant preacher (Jesus), the powerless apostles who ran away, the powerless
nature lover (St. Francis of Assisi), the powerless nun (St. Catherine of
Siena), the powerless servant (Mother Teresa), the armless man (Gandhi), the
numerous defenceless martyrs, the undervalued servants like Fr. Stan Sway and
many others who share powerlessness in their doings are the ones who have become
models and revered highly. It is sad that despite knowing the strength of the
powerlessness we still choose to have and exhibit power in our doings. This is
a self-mockery without realization.
Let the words of Pilate
resound in hearts today; are you the king? (Jn 18:33). Let this verse resonate
in us again and again until we come to realization that nothing is in our
hands, we are just servants (LK 17:10). Seeking power in various forms such as
respect, honour, hospitality and positions do not really make the one great,
they are only tools for one’s downfall. It is the detachment of power in all
forms makes one a great. There is a power in being powerless. The Lord of the
Universe is powerful because He was willing to be powerless in front His
creature. It is like, parents becoming powerless in front of their children. It
is natural for the children to be powerless in front of their parents but it is
highly unnatural to be the other way. It is this ‘other way’ which we are
called to embrace: the powerless way of leading a life and doing things.
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