We are citizens of heaven and Christ is our King - Make sure your “passport” is stamped appropriately

Today the Universal Church commemorates at Holy Mass the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe…….When one hears the word “king” certain images come to mind….Jesus clearly is the King - Yet, his Kingdom is not of this world - Are you ok with that?…To put a finer point on it - The world hated him because of the person he was…..The Kingdom of Christ was never about “the world” - Again, are you ok with that?….Scripture tells us all this very clearly - Because that is the way it is….“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you”…....We as Baptized Catholics must reconcile this reality with our choices…We can not have it both ways……And if we choose to follow the way of the Crucified King our life will be “different”…..Catholics are to be a people set apart….A light to the nations…….Today in the Gospel Jesus is nailed to “this throne” - A tool of torture - The Cross….And next to him, one on each side, were criminals…….One man mocks Jesus - He made his choice - His “kingdom” was a kingdom of “brick and mortar”…..The other criminal saw passed the blood and the gore…He saw passed a man beat down and defeated by the powers of the state….And because of what he saw - He too made a choice…………."Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal”….Life is all about choices and our choices guide our actions…We either see passed the things of this world and look to God or we do not…….Jesus tells us point blank….“My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.” So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”……Do we hear the voice of Christ? - I bet we do - And if we do? - Do we listen and more importantly do we respond?….Who is your King and what Kingdom do you belong too?

“For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven”

Choices - We all make them……….We all have heard this saying - “You can not have your cake and eat it too”…..To be a Catholic means we walk the narrow road that leads to heaven…….Just as Jesus once stated…….“My kingdom does not belong to this world”……Is this how we view life?…….My wife and I were asked to speak to young couples about to get married…I began my presentation with….”What is the goal of your marriage”?…….And sadly I did not get the answer I was looking for…….The primary goal of every Catholic marriage is to make sure your spouse gets to heaven…My job is to make sure my wife gets to heaven…My wife’s job is to make sure I get to heaven…..NOTHING is even a close second to that mandate……Why do you think I did not get the answer I was looking for from these young couples?….Maybe because they think “they can have their cake and eat it too”……That you can be "of the world" and still be a "citizen of heaven"…..That my friends is not the way it works……When we choose resolutely to "pick up our cross", which is to do the will of God, our lives will look very different from the secular world…Such a choice is not made in a haphazard manner…..This choice must be made resolutely!….Married life is in many ways an act of the will…I choose to do “what is hard” for my wife - Why? - Because I love her…..And because I love my wife - I choose what is best for her - And what is best for her is God......My family’s kingdom does not belong to this world….We are citizens of heaven! - I choose it firmly - So be it, come what may!

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!”

Today at Mass the Universal Church publicly acknowledges Jesus Christ as King - How about us? - Who is our King?…….The Kingdom of Christ, in the here and now is not always going to be a “bed of roses”…In fact, to live in Jesus’ Kingdom can be difficult….Hence we are told……“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”.....…So why would anyone want such a King or to live in such a Kingdom…..Why?……Because the peace of Christ surpasses all understanding…..To live as a authentic disciple of Jesus, our life most probably will not be “flashy or fancy” - However, it does come with as we say in New Jersey - “Perks”…………. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you” - Those are Jesus words……But we must remember - We can not have our cake and eat it too……However - There are “perks” to being in the Kingdom of God, and while these “perks” may not look like anything the world values - Make no mistake - These “perks” are very real…..”All that glitters is not gold”…….The Kingdom of God is at hand - Don’t be fooled - Don’t get distracted - And don’t believe the hype!……We are citizens of heaven and Christ is our King - Make sure your “passport” is stamped appropriately…………JMJ

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