ME
NU

OMELIE / Omelie EN

20 nov 2022
20/11/2022 – Our Lord Jesus Christ King of the Universe - year C

20/11/2022 – Our Lord Jesus Christ King of the Universe - year C

Reading 1 2SAM 5,1-3 Psalm 121 Reading 2 COL 1,12-20 Gospel LK 23, 35-43

Today’s readings highlight the word “kingdom”. We start by looking at David’s kingdom, to end up on the Kingdom of Christ and God. David is anointed king “before the Lord”. He will have always to remember he is, as a king, at God’s service for the people: he will not therefore be allowed to create laws in his favour nor to satisfy the desires of the rich or the sinners. The king who is at God’s service will keep always in mind His commandments, otherwise he will guide the people into disorder, confusion, to its ruin. Man’s ruling will need to be expression of God’s ruling: He is the only one who men can and must obey. David begins with these good and valid intentions, and the men who make him king are dreaming of the same thing. But David is a man, and the man is subject to temptation: will he be able to win it? We have to say no.

Only the one who will be called his Son, the carrier of God’s promise, the one whose Kingdom will last forever, will be able. Yes, Jesus will win the temptation, first in the solitude of the desert and in many difficult situations, then finally He will win it on the cross.

The soldiers, mocking Him, tell Him: «If you are King of the Jews, save yourself». «Save yourself» is said by everyone: the leaders, the soldiers, and the other accused. This is the tendency of every man, who are showing in this way their selfishness: saving themselves! In order to save themselves men are ready even to make others suffer, and even to obey Satan. This is the notion men have of the king: someone who saves himself. And in fact we can see how those who find themselves in a place of power try first of all to set themselves for life.

Jesus, suffering on the cross, listens to that advice as He would to blasfemy. He has climbed the cross in order to save the others, to save us from selfishness and its fruit. This is why we rejoice when we call Him king, and when we obey Him joyfully and lovingly.

We will join the thief who, having never seen His miracles, has begun loving Him the very moment, silently, He was rejecting the temptation to save Himself. We too then can say to Him: «Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom». We do not doubt of His royalty: He symbolises for us God’s authority, because He reaches all of us with the Father’s love. On the cross we do not see the human and temporary glory of earthly kingdoms, but on His face we can see the love which we have never received but we have always dreamt of.

He remembers us, defeated by temptations, as the thief. The latter could not say to Jesus: remember me because I have followed you, because I have listened to you or have obeyed you. He could only say: remember me because I need it, I have never been able to truly love, I have always tried to save myself even to the point of making others suffer with my behaviours. Remember me, who do not have any gift to bring with me in the world beyond, where nobody is waiting for me. Remember me, who are empty handed, and have in my heart only bad memories.

And what about Jesus? Jesus is listening like a true king. Like a king He promises him the most beautiful things. Jesus looks beautiful thanks to this promise of His: «Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise».

Jesus does not save Himself, but He saves us, by giving us a hope which goes beyond what we can imagine. And His face becomes the most beautiful. In this moment nobody is more amiable than Jesus, nobody is more a king than Him, even if His crown is still bloody and painful. In this very moment Jesus is the door of heaven, opens for us the most beautiful and lasting kingdom, the one of our God and Father! Thank you, Lord Jesus!