Christ the King, Year C, 23.11.2025

2 Samuel 5:1-3 / Colossians 1:11-20 / Luke 23:35-43  

The need for attention is a need of every person. 

Every person needs attention for various reasons. 

Basically, we will call for attention because of some need. 

For example, when we are in a restaurant and we are ready to order our food, we will call for the attention of the waiter. 

For babies, when they are in need, whether they are hungry or the diapers need to be changed, they will cry out for attention. 

Even a seemingly ordinary action like pressing the bell in the bus, calls for the attention of the bus captain to let him know that we need to alight at the next bus stop. 

So, everyone calls out for attention because of a need. 

Children will try to get the attention of their parents by doing something or saying something because they need to know that their parents care for them. 

Workers will try to get the attention of their boss or superiors by being impressive in every possible way for job security and stability.

And in the competition for love, boy will try to impress the girl and get her attention, or it can also be the other way around. 

Whatever it is, the reality is that as human beings, we need the attention from others. 

We need attention to impress others and to prove ourselves. 

On the higher and noble levels of life, we call for attention to direct others to safety or away from danger, or to make an important announcement. 

Today, as we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, the gospel passage brings us back to the scene of the crucifixion. 

We may wonder, why is it that on such a grand and joyous feast, the gospel passage is about pain, suffering and death. 

The gospel passage states that fact. 

But not all facts tell the truth. 

The people stood there, but they were looking at Jesus as if they were watching a spectacle, and no response were required from them. 

The leaders jeered at Jesus saying, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the Christ of God.”

The soldiers also mocked Jesus as they said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 

And above Jesus there was an inscription: This is the King of the Jews. 

Even one of the condemned criminals hanging there abused Jesus saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself, and us as well.” 

Those were the facts at the scene of the crucifixion. 

But the irony is that those facts point to the truth, a rather mysterious truth. 

Because, all that was said by the leaders, by the soldiers, by that condemned criminal, all that pointed to the truth. 

And that truth was stated silently but profoundly in that inscription: This is the King of the Jews. 

And the King of the Jews didn’t need to prove Himself, or call for the people’s attention to acknowledge Him as the king.

By the fact that Jesus was on the Cross, He was already above the rest and they were looking up at Him. 

At the foot of the Cross, there was so much noise – the noise of jeering, insulting and mocking. 

All were trying to call attention to themselves by trying to put down Jesus.

There was so much of jeering and mocking, but only one person was praying. 

And his prayer is simply this: Jesus, remember Me when you come into your Kingdom.” 

And that simple and humble prayer brought out the divine promise of salvation. 

Although nailed to the Cross, Jesus made this divine promise: Indeed, I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise. 

That is the promise of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. 

It is the promise made to that repentant criminal, and it is a promise made to all of us who believe in Jesus as our Lord and our King. 

That promise is renewed whenever we pray the prayer that is on the prayer card, which is also our parish prayer. 

That promise is renewed when we write our prayers and petitions in the petition forms, as we put our trust in Jesus, our Lord and our King. 

As we call out to Jesus, He turns His attention to each of us, and He says: Indeed, I promise you, today you will be with Me, because I love you, and I want you to be with Me forever. 

That is the promise of Jesus to us, and let us believe in that promise. 

Because it is the truth and the promise is made by Jesus Christ, our Lord and our King.    

33rd Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 22-11-2025

1 Maccabees 6:1-13 / Luke 20:27-40  

We have heard of this word "retribution". We may even have used it before when we see someone getting his dues for the evil he had done.

In casual terms, we would say: What goes around, come around.

That seemed to be the case in the 1st reading.

King Antiochus fell into deep depression and melancholy when everything around him fell apart.

Then he remembered the wrong he had done to the Jews and he was convinced that that was why misfortune had overwhelmed him.

But that was not his greatest tragedy. What was really tragic for him was that in his heyday he had what he wanted and he never thought of a beyond, an afterlife.

He had enjoyed life, and now he was afraid of death. Because he does not know what awaits for him beyond death.

Our central belief is in the resurrection and in eternal life. It is not just a religious precept or a profound concept.

Because justice cries out for the resurrection and for eternal life.

For all the injustice and the victory of evil over good that we see happening in this world, our answer cannot be just in retribution.

We believe that God does not abandon or forget the poor, the suffering, the oppressed, and those that injustice and evil have hammered down.

God's justice will prevail. It will prevail and for eternity. That will certainly happen in the resurrection and in eternal life.

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Friday, 21-11-2025

Zechariah 2:14-17 / Matthew 12:46-50  

The feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an event that is not recorded in the gospels.

But it is found in an extra-biblical source called the Infancy Narrative of James.

According to that text, Mary's parents, Joachim and Anne had been childless, but then they received a heavenly message that they would have a child.

In thanksgiving, they brought the child Mary to the Temple to consecrate her to the Lord.

It was believed that Mary remained in the Temple to be formed and prepared for her role as the Mother of God.

The focus of this feast is to show that even in her childhood Mary was completely dedicated to God. It is from this account that arose the feast of Mary's Presentation.

A further reflection on this feast would also make us think about the environment at home and the formation that we are giving our children and our family members.

The Christian home is to be a sanctuary of prayer where the members can grow in holiness and in the ways of the Lord.

When our will is nothing less than to do the will of God, then together with Mary, we will present our lives as an offering that is pleasing to God.

33rd Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 20-11-2025

1 Maccabees 2:15-29 / Luke 19:41-44   

When faced with a threat or a danger, there are usually two options to consider.

It is either we fight or we take flight.

Both options require courage and wisdom.

In the 1st reading, Mattathias and his family were faced with a difficult situation.

They were told that if they renounced their faith and obeyed the king’s commissioners, they would be rewarded.

Mattathias declared that he and his family will remain faithful to the covenant of his ancestors.

He also fought and killed the king’s commissioners who were sent to enforce the king’s orders.

He had the courage to fight for his faith, but he also had the wisdom to take flight and escape into the hills.

Those who had the courage and wisdom also followed him, leaving all their possessions behind in the town.

In the gospel, Jesus warned of an impending mortal danger.

For those who heeded the signs and recognized their opportunity when God offered it, they would have saved themselves.

May we too have the wisdom to heed the signs from God and recognize the opportunity when God offered it.

May we also have the courage to leave the unnecessary behind and walk towards salvation.

33rd Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 19-11-2025

2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31 / Luke 19:11-28  

There is a word for someone who has lost his or her spouse, and that is widow or widower.

There is a word for someone who has lost his or her parents, and that is orphan.

But for a parent to lose their child or children, there is no word for it.

There is no word for it because the pain of losing a child or children is beyond words.

In the 1st reading, the mother of seven sons saw all her sons died in one day.

Their deaths were also horrible and gruesome; they were tortured to death.

The mother was the last to die, after her sons.

Still, the pain and grief of seeing her sons go before her cannot be described or put into words.

But there is a word that would make us feel for that mother and her sons, and that world is “humanness”.

In our humanness, we are able to feel, to love, to understand, to be kind and gentle, to be reliable and responsible.

The parable in the gospel makes us think about our life and our response to God’s love for us.

Jesus came to show us how to be truly human and how to respond to God’s love.

May we remember that we are made in God’s image and to be truly human is our calling.

33rd Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 18-11-2025

2 Maccabees 6:18-31 / Luke 19:1-10   

As we grow with age, we also will have more life experiences.

And from the experiences of life, we also gain some wisdom about life.

But it is when we learn from our experiences of life that we may also become wiser.

in the 1st reading, the 90-year-old Eleazar found himself in a difficult situation.

As a teacher of the law, he was made to eat something forbidden, so that the rest of the people will give in since Eleazar had done so.

Eleazar could have followed the suggestion of pretending to eat the forbidden food so as to save his life.

But his years of life experiences has taught him that honour and integrity cannot be traded away easily for some temporary gain.

So he rather die with honour than live on with shame. 

He lost his life, but he gained the respect of the people.

In the gospel, the moment of reckoning for Zacchaeus came when Jesus looked up and called him down because He wants to stay at his house.

All his years of life’s experiences had made Zacchaeus wise enough to embrace salvation.

May we too continue to reflect on life’s experiences in our prayer.

May we see in those experiences the hand of Jesus leading us in wisdom and salvation.

33rd Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 17-11-2025

1 Maccabees 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-64 / Luke 18:35-43   

By and large, we would prefer to live ordinary and quiet lives.

Never mind if life is rather routine and mundane.

We would rather be in a nice quiet place and live our lives peacefully.

We don’t see ourselves as leading any radical change, nor be the voice of the minority or majority.

But at times, we may have to shout in order to be heard.

Like how that blind man in the gospel called and shouted for Jesus.

The people around him scolded him and told him to keep quiet.

But that blind man shouted all the louder until Jesus stopped and asked the people to bring the blind man over to Him.

The 1st reading told of a dreadful wrath that came upon the people of Israel.

The voice of faith and prayer was suppressed by the threat of death.

As for us, we may not need to shout out our prayers in order for God to hear us.

God will listen to the prayers of the poor, the simple and the humble.

So, whether we softly offer up our prayer, or say it aloud, let us trust that the Lord our God will listen and answer to our prayer whenever we are in need.