Christ the King
Feast at Vettucaud (Mass for the Youth) Tuesday,
19th Nov 2013)
Introduction:
The feast of Christ the king of late has become so popular
that it is given the status of a regional feast with the district
administration declaring the afternoon of the ostentatious flag hoisting day as
holiday. The crowds on Fridays, irrespective of religious affiliations, give testimony
loud and clear of its growing popularity..! People certainly must be
experiencing the solace Jesus promised to those who are laid with the burdens
of life.
With the usual fanfare we have commenced the feast with the colorful
flag hoisting ceremony. And it is the fifth day dedicated for the younger
people of our parish as well as the region, especially the pilgrim population.
As pilgrims and devotees, you must all be eager to listen to
the glories of Christ the king and thereby to submit yourselves to his reign of
love and peace. Bear with me, if you can for having come here not to incense
your piety, but to explore with you the rational foundations of the title ‘king’
in the light of the gospels. At this
juncture, I would like to request you to lend your ears for something not
necessarily pietistic or even faith bound. Let us wade through the muddy waters
of history, theology and the like to reach to the pure and pristine waters of
the original message.
King:
Do we know that both ‘Christ’ and ‘king’ are only titles?
The title Christ has become so identified with Jesus that the one stands for
the other! Christ or the anointed one or the redeemer, savior is what his disciples
felt Jesus to be, especially after his ‘resurrection’: “…God has made him both
Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36) This was the first
preaching. This same Peter who answered Jesus that he was the Christ. And Jesus
charged them to tell no one about him (Mk 8:29-30).
Christ is a title which may go well with God. And what about
kingship, a lesser status attributed to God. [Incidentally remember the story
of Napoleon snatching the crown from the Pope who was supposed to crown him and
place it on himself!] So, there is no credit in calling Christ a king.
In Jesus God dwelt among us ‘doing good.’ (Acts 10:38) He ‘did
not count equality with God… humbled himself and became obedient unto death,
even death on a cross.’ (Phil 2:6-8) He told us that ‘You are the light of the
world…’ (Mt 5:14) in the same vein as he claimed to be the ‘the light of the
world.’ (Jn 8:12) He taught us to call God ‘Our father…’ (Mt 6:9) He called us ‘friends.’
(Jn 15:14-15)
The title, Christ the king is not seen in the gospels but
for the following: the assembly of the elders…, both chief priests and scribes accused Jesus of claiming to be “Christ
a king” (Lk 23:2) and his challenging
the position of Christ being the son of David (Mt 22:41-45).
In
few instances Jesus was said to be the king of Jews. The
wise men from the East coming to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been
born king of the Jews”? (Mt 2:2) At
the trial the governor asked Jesus, “Are you the king of Jews?”(27:11). John in
19:19 speaks of a title Pilate wrote to be put on the cross; it read, “Jesus of
Nazareth, the king of the Jews.”
In fact he never
wanted to be a king, even when people wanted to make him one after the
multiplication of bread in John 6:15. When the governor asked him, “Are you the
King of Jews?” he said to him, “You have said so.” (Mt 27:11) Moreover his very
vision of life is that of service quite contrary to that of any king’s.
When Samuel
didn’t subscribe to the Israelites’ demand for a king of their own God directs
him to anoint one after warning them of the fallouts of having a king I Sam
8:10-18. Jesus would be the last person to be one such king, however generous
he may be.
We have made of
Jesus many things which he never ever dreamt even in his wildest of dreams. Was
it not the same the Satan placed before him at last and Jesus stoutly denied to
be wooed down by such a temptation even (Mt 3:8-10)?
It was only in
1925 Pope Pius XI instituted the feast of Christ the king, may be to justify kingship
when it was almost crumbling down after the World War I, practically leaving
only four kings and that too in the playing cards? A church thrived in the monarchy must be feeling insecure… May be to
retain power she needed a strong symbol, unassailable, to safeguard her
interests in the institutions around…
Prophet:
Jesus who withdrew
from being made into a king (Jn 6:15) and who denied of any kingship
comfortably claimed to be a prophet: When the people were astonished at the words
and deeds of him who was so familiar with them and took offence at him, Jesus said:
“A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country and among his own
kin, in his own house.” (Mk 6:1-5)
When some scribes
and Pharisees wished to see some signs from him, Jesus answered, “…no sign
shall be given… except the sign of the prophet Jonah…” (Mt 12:38-39) At his entry
into Jerusalem all the stirred city’s exclamation the crowds said, “This is the
prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Mt 21:10-11) “… And others said, “It
is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” (Mk 6:15) The two of them
heading to Emmaus in their conversation with the visitor answered him, “Concerning
Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all
the people…” (Lk 24:13-19) The multitude after having been fed from the five
loaves and two fish said, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the
world!” (Jn 6:5-14) A prophet could never be a king…
Youth
was Jesus when he laid down his life as a symbol of total self-giving as an
antidote against the evils of selfishness/sinfulness. This prophet lived just for
33 years only, a life worth lived… He was at the prime of his youth…
At thirty he appears from
nowhere at Jordan to receive baptism from John. With that commences his
‘public’ life of profound compassion for the poor which invited him to strong
bonds of solidarity with them eliciting enough of controversies culminating in
his crucifixion at Calvary at the age of thirty three, the peak of his youth!
Jesus being a
sensitive youth was moved by the abject poverty, neglect and sufferings of the
masses. The scriptures call them the ‘anawim’/poor of Yahweh. It was to deliver
them that God came down seeing their affliction, hearing their cries, knowing
their sufferings. (Ex 3:7-8) Economic constraints were certainly there, but
what pained him was their shame and disgrace.
It was his great
compassion which led Jesus to mix socially with the ‘lowest of the low’ and
identified himself with them. Quite expectedly he set out to liberate them from
every form of suffering and anguish… This he exercised through his healings, feedings
and feastings and forgiving.
We, the youngsters
have no different role than that of Jesus in his youth which consummated with
his penultimate sacrifice for the liberation of man from selfishness…
Demographically,
today’s India is at its youngest best
and has the power to meet any challenge with the collective consciousness and
effort of all people, especially young people like Jesus in his days.
Supreme value of youth is incalculable
and indescribable. Youth is the most creative, productive and daring
of all life. The way in which one utilizes this period will decide
the nature of the years to come ahead. Happiness, success, honor and
good name all depend upon the way in which it is lived in the here and now. The
world has put its faith in you; the elders keep their hopes in you. You
can’t but be great.
The essence of true success (not as
against failure) is what you make of yourself. It is the conduct of life that
you develop, the character you cultivate and the type of person you become...
Successful life is one that succeeds in producing an ideal individual, a noble
man. Success is not measured in terms of what all one obtained but
of what you become, how you live and what you do.
Ours is
the time when youth is alert and aware and provoked by the happenings around and
the stark reality of no values. We are facing incredible challenges:
·
Violence
·
Hunger(1/8) and illiteracy
·
Health and hygiene [dismal
sanitation-open defecation- toilets first, temples next]
·
Mobile phones vis-à-vis toilets
-
A time of maximum creativity
and productivity…
-
Time for ideal living and
living for others… ‘Youth is not synonymous with wisdom but it is always
synonymous with honesty and sincerity.’ [-Annie
Mascareen – 1902-1963 - felicitating the new speaker A. M. Thomas on
19.05.1951]
-
Time challenging the
inequalities and injustices of life… [Annie resigned when one of her cabinet
colleagues was found corrupt… speaking on ‘Payment of Salaries and Allowances
Bill 1951, on 20.09.1951 she advocated for a simple life style for the members
when the poor are suffering…]
-
Time with maximum energy and great
adventurism… (Sanju V. Samson…)
Vivekananda:
·
Arise, awake and stop not till
the goal is reached…
·
Give
ourselves a noble reason to live, a lofty ideal to live for and a higher state
to reach within the boundaries of human existence.
·
Cultivate
and nurture the ability to ‘feel’
Supreme value of youth period is
incalculable and indescribable. Youth life is the most precious
life. Youth is the best time. The way in which you
utilize this period will decide the nature of coming years that lie ahead of
you. Your happiness, your success, your honor and your good name all
depend upon the way in which you live now, in this present period.
I wish you to be great. The
world has put its faith in you. Your elders keep their hopes in
you. Now youth means to place your firm confidence in yourself and
exercise your hopeful determination and resolution and willing good intentions
in this beautiful task of self-culture. This will truly bring
supreme satisfaction and fulfillment not only to you, but also to all
concerned. The shaping of your life is indeed in your own hands.
The essence of true success is what
you make of yourself. It is the conduct of life that you develop, it is the
character that you cultivate and it is the type of person you
become. This is the central meaning of successful
living. Therefore, you will see this important matter is not so much
a question of success in life ( Jivan – Me- Safalta) but rather it is success of
life. Such successful life is one that succeeds in producing an ideal
individual, a noble man. Your success is not measured in terms of
what all you obtained but in term of what you become, how you live and what
actions you do. Upon this point reflect well and attain great
happiness.
Robert Kennedy: ‘Youth, rather than a period of life, is ‘a state
of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of
courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the life of ease.’
Chinmayananda:
‘Children (youngsters) are not vessels to be
filled, but lamps to be lit…’ Youth are not useless, they are used less…
As a pot is known
by its content, like milk pot or honey pot, so too a nation, a community is
known by its people, especially the young people.
Rumi:
‘Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I
am changing myself.’
‘Genetics load the gun; life style pulls the
trigger…’
-
India is a young nation with
its teeming young population…
-
All these many hearts need to
beat as one…
-
what really need to be
programmed are not the computers, but human minds…
-
For change one needs to be
§
Physically fit
§
Emotionally strong
§
Intellectually refined
§
Culturally rooted
§
And spiritually uplifted.
Abdul
Kalam: Why are our leaders harping
on our ‘backwardness always? Why are we so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We
are such a great people.
Strength:
Fighting
the elements
Traditional
expertise than mechanized
Colachel
war
Politics:
·
Annie
Mascareen (1902-1963) [Constituent Assembly of India/ Minister/ MP]
·
Lourdammal
Simon (1912/ Minister of Fisheries 1957-62 Manakkudi
Bureaucrats:
·
Maria
Desalphin IAS 1970s (Rubber Board Chairman/ Ambassodor)
·
Nanjil
Kumaran IPS Chennai Commissioner of Police (Now an Asst. Commissioner…)
·
Cyril
(Archeology Dir., Pondichery)
Industrialists:
·
Richard
Fernandez (Industrialist-Plastic ‘Family Plastics)
·
Johnson
S (Pretech)
·
JPR
(Muttom Port)
·
Cletus
Francis (Media industry - Deepika)
Education:
·
University
- Sathyabama/
·
Colleges-
Arts and Science, Engineering, Nursing etc
Scientists:
·
Scientists
(Betty etc)
·
Mathematicians
(Wilfred, Sabu etc.)
Artists:
·
Art
(Cinema-William D’Cruz, Vijaya Kumar)
·
Painting
Jayan…
·
Music
(Arulappan)
Literature:
·
Literary
men (G R Edmund, Berguman etc.)
·
Theologian
(Fr. Felix Wilfred)
·
UN
speakers (Fr. Edwin, on ‘Neighborhood communities, etc…)
Sports
and games:
·
Cricket
(Sanju Samson)
·
Foot
ball (Thomas Sebastian etc.)
·
Shuttle
badminton (Gloria Xavier)
Crew:
·
Pilots,
Captains and engineers in ships
·
IT
and other capabilities and foreign migration
·
Diocesan/Religious
heads…
·
Huge
investments - Multi-crore churches, halls, rectories and shrines…!
·
VSSC/ISRO,
Titanium, Airport, and now Vizhinjam Container Terminal
·
Rather
exclusive right over the sea and its resources
·
Shark
hunting
·
Cured
fish exporters/ seafood processing
·
Rajakkamangalam
Port (Village Trust)
·
Abdul
Kalam **Matha Amirthananatha Mayi ***Vyasan
They
all struggled in an unfriendly and challenging environment. Now, favorable environs
could be provided as in a laboratory situation for much higher contribution…
Weakness…
Illiteracy
(Trivandrum-coast- along with Malappuram)
Dependency
(Kept insulated from the main stream…)
Health
and hygiene (open defecation/Karumkulam Panchayat)
The recurring
in-fights and the ensuing litigation and so on…
Celebrations,
and now the heavy dowry system
A
Valiant People:
Fighting
with nature so directly and consistently
Colachel
War – a victory of its kind with a European force…!
Pope Francis:
Unemployment for
youngster and abandonment for the aged are the most worrying realities of the
day.
When God sends
the prophet Jeremiah, he gives him the power to “pluck up and to break down, to
destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant” (1:10). It is the same for
you. Bringing the Gospel is bringing God’s power to pluck up and break down
evil and violence, to destroy and overthrow the barriers of selfishness,
intolerance and hatred, so as to build a new world.
The Church needs you, your enthusiasm, your creativity and the joy that is so
characteristic of you. 'Do not be afraid!' When we go to proclaim Christ, it is
he himself who goes before us and guides us. When he sent his disciples on
mission, he promised: 'I am with you always' (Mt 28:20). And this is also true
for us! Jesus does not leave us alone, he never leaves you alone! He always
accompanies you.
“Older men declare war.
But it is youth that must fight and die.”
― Herbert Hoover
