Compassionate Kingdom
by Fr.Gus Carter
11/20/05

Most English people seem to be happy to have royalty as part of their way of governing. Kings or queens provide a point of national unity and serve to remind people of their heritage. Monarchs do not rule as they once did, but "king" supplies a good image for the Son of God among us in Jesus. He is the rule maker for Christians and the ultimate authority on how we should behave. Today's feast reminds us of two thousand years of Christian heritage. When applied as in "Christ the King," we see Jesus as the person who unites us in a kingdom of love. He is the source of our oneness with God and with one another.

Something of God is accessible to human knowledge. Like knows like. Hence, in our own human nature, but especially in the human nature of the Word made Flesh, we come to valuable knowledge of God. Today's readings give us another important image of God. The prophet Ezekiel portrays God as the Good Shepherd. The Jewish people saw their nation devastated by the exile to Babylon. One of the main reasons the prophets gave for the disaster was that the "guardians of Israel," its kings and priests, had fostered their own welfare and neglected the people. The Lord promised that he would shepherd the people - the sick, the lost, the injured and give them rest. Kings of Israel thought of themselves as ruling in God's place. They were supposed to treat the people mercifully and gently. When kings of Judah failed in their responsibility, the people looked forward to the Messiah King who would truly shepherd them as the Lord promised.

Jesus Christ is the true shepherd king promised to Israel. He will fulfill all the hopes of the downtrodden in the world. One of the great surprises of God is that the shepherd king would rule from what seemed to many as weakness. Himself being a great power, He has asked weak human beings to carry out his mission of love to the world. The Kingdom of Love will come about through humans who represent the Lord. The Gospel today tells us of the behavior expected of those who continue the mission of the Messiah. What is of major importance is the way Jesus' followers must treat the least among the people. Above all those sent by Christ must be compassionate. "Whatever you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me." Among Jesus' teachings we find him saying, "Be compassionate, as your heavenly Father is compassionate. "

We are called to follow the meek and gentle Jesus by being compassionate. We are made in the image of God, and we will come to true knowledge of God by paying attention to the compassion God has placed in all human natures. Infants in their cribs are disturbed by the cries of other babies in their room. Researchers see this as a sign of inborn human compassion. On television we see people placing flowers and candles at the site of human tragedies. Empathy is when we feel the pain of others~ compassion is when we do something about it. We Christians are called to represent God's compassion to the world.
Compassion, many observers of human nature believe, is God's greatest gift to us. Compassion forms the basis for true love. We humans are capable of understanding each other and of sharing each other's feelings. This allows for true sharing of life, for sure support for one other. The capacity to enter into the minds and hearts of other humans enables us to appreciate one another, to cherish each other. As we share life with others, we come to understand and appreciate what life is really all about, what is truly important in human living. We become wise because in knowing others, we come to a deeper understanding of ourselves. We become more accurate in assessing what others really need. We become capable of great good.

No wonder Mahatma Gandhi said that in doing violence to others, we do violence to ourselves. To knowingly hurt others, we have to dull our sensitivities that make us most deeply and beautifully human. Disregarding the rights and feelings of others numbs our souls. We lose touch with the beautiful capacities that make some humans such a force for good in the world. By imitating the mercy, gentleness and graciousness of Jesus we become sources for good for ourselves and for others. We are able to bring life or death to our fellow humans. As the Book of Deuteronomy counsels us, "Choose life, not death. "