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34th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C - 24/11/2013 - Gospel: Lk 23: 35-43
Conventional
We all want social acceptance of our performance. We are at ease and feel good when people speak well of us. We get upset and lose confidence when the public turns against us. If our goal in life depends on public rating then we walk on a dangerous tight rope simply because maintaining public rating is an art and the competition is huge. Trying to improve popularity eventually leads to losing one's self worth.

The feast Christ the King reminds us that there is something which is much better than popularity. Things that accompany us after we have completed our earthly journey are not popularity or the public image or life's achievement but as St Paul reminds us there are three things that are important. They are faith, hope and love and the most important of them all is love (1 Cor 13,13). Love comes from the heart and when the kingdom of Christ lives in our heart we are satisfied and need world glory no more. Where there is God's love there is joy and happiness. We enjoy Christ's peace and we want others to enjoy that peace as we do. Jesus during his life on earth was much focussed on God's love and mercy and eternal life that He denied everything the world had to offer. He denied all world glory. He denied public rating. He denied authority and power. He denied being made the prince of evil. He denied a home to live in, a boat to do fishing. All He wanted was to reveal God's love for the world and those who live a life of that love will inherit the eternal life.

Nothing of this material world lasts forever including things that today seem untouchable but with time they will be erased from the face of the earth. In the past we know that the magnificent Temple, kings' mausoleum, sepulchre and recently the Berlin wall all collapsed and they exist no more.

The feast Christ the King of the universe challenges us the question of whom should we place our trust in. Earthly power comes and goes as we know too well, because the public gives support today and then takes it away tomorrow. The human side of our Church has so much scandal both within the Church and in dealing with people whom they care for. It is in the process of being cleansed to make it better. Conventional is our way of life and unconventional is God's way of saving us from death and bringing us to life in Him. Christ the King taught us to live a life where giving is better than receiving and forgiving is better than judging and keeping quiet is better than responding to jeer and sneer. Instead of having an army with swords and spears for battle Jesus chose the cross to save not just a few but to save us all. Jesus chose to open his heart to give us a new heart, a heart of loving and caring and forgiving. Jesus chose to die and rise to allow us rise with Him.

Thank you Lord, Jesus.

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