The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe - Fr. Leo

To be Christian is to love Jesus Christ and all that he revealed in his life, death and resurrection.   Having an intimate relationship with Jesus is key.  And this relationship is the model for all our relationships. This is why true faith will always express itself in sacrificial giving.

In our gospel today, the consequences of our faithfulness is brought to light.  Jesus will welcome those who serve him and others, but those who serve themselves will not come into the eternal feast.

Balancing our prayer and living out our faith is the heart of our spiritual life as Christians.  Daily we bridge our faith into action.  Sometimes in little ways and some times in more obvious ways. Katherine Hepburn told a story of how her dad took her to see the circus.  Before them in line was a poor family of eight children.  They were exuberant and dad was so excited to be taking his kids to the circus.  But when the cost turned out to be much more than the father expected, his pain and quivering lips showed how deep his pain in disappointing his family could be.

Katharine’s father took the twenty dollars he had, and threw it on the ground and let the man know he had “dropped his money.”  He understood the kind gesture and with great gratitude took his family in.  It was the right thing to do. 

Returning home without seeing the circus, Katharine and her father felt an incredible joy that was far greater than seeing the circus.  Katharine said, “That day I learned the value to Give.”  The giver receives more and knows the joy of giving. So while sacrificial giving might be something we turn against, once we experience it, we know it can become our greatest experience of joy.