November 23-24

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On this final Sunday of the Church’s liturgical calendar we celebrate our Lord Jesus Christ as King of the Universe.   This is not a title earned but rather the very nature of Who He is as the Word by Whom the Father created the Cosmos.  For us  as Americans, who established a republican form of government, the concept of kingship is foreign to us.  We may perceive kingship as having to do with finery and majesty, palaces and wealth and a lot of bowing and scraping to another human being who often does not deserve the reverence they receive.  In the course of human history few and far between are those who worthily bear that title.  But we joyfully submit to the King Who came not in regal array but in the poverty of a stable and Whose only throne was a cross.  To This One we give our all.

 Happily, then, we acclaim Christ our King.  How best then do we serve our King?  By obeying His laws which we know are not burdensome but rather free us from the shackles of self destruction.  The world He created has to know this.  We , after all, are His ambassadors.  The world comes to recognize Christ  through the good done by His subjects.  We must all ask ourselves the question: “how am I advancing the Kingdom of Christ?”  Am I a builder or a tearer down?  Hopefully always the former.  Each one of us has the gifts and the capacity endowed by the Lord Himself to work for the betterment of the world, not on a grand scale but in the little, humble ways we are directed by a prayerful life. ” Here I am Lord, do with me what You will.”  Simple but powerful, make it part of your daily talking with God.

A blessed and abundant Thanksgiving to all.  Remember to start your festivities with Him at the ultimate Thanksgiving, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Father Langan