Sunday Readings: Daniel 7.13-14; Revelation 1.5-8; John 18.33-37
Pilate, the Roman governor, summoned Jesus again and asked him, “So, then, are you a king?” Jesus answered, “It is you who say I am a king? The reason I was born, the reason why I came into the world, is to testify to the truth. Anyone committed to the truth hears my voice (John 18.37).
The Feast of Christ the King ends the liturgical year and holds up in Jesus an alternative vision of power for leaders in our world. Jesus testifies to truth that is not armed and ready to fight but to the truth he demonstrates in feeding the hungry, giving sight to the blind, raising Lazarus. Jesus reveals God’s power is love that heals and gives life.
Only in John’s gospel does Jesus have a conversation at his trial with the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, a leader who wants the crowd to free him from a decision he fears making. It is not truth that governs his decision making but political calculations and an acute lack of courage. Making the expedient rather than the just or truthful decision is all too tempting for most of us. Pilate may be us
Catholic social teaching is a helpful resource in our search for truth today. We live in a society in which the media daily hammers us with sound bites that may not be true in context and promotes fear to sell advertising. To follow Jesus we must testify to the truth within us, in the gospels, and in our tradition that recognizes the sacredness of every person. This requires making a habit of actively discerning and judging how we can contribute to the common good. As Christians we can’t help but see Jesus in the least and can’t dodge the work of including the least in our care—in our families, our social circles, and global neighborhood.
- What local issues do you see needing action? What do you observe? What in your judgment needs to change? What actions might a positive difference?