SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING C

THE KING TRANSFORMS SUFFERING INTO HOPE

With the help of national media, and more importantly, and thankfully, international media as well, the minds and hearts of people around the world will continue to be moved by images of the suffering Filipinos who have fallen victim to the worst typhoon history has so far recorded.

And today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King.  What has this feast to offer us all and above all those who go through the most horrible ordeals of their lives? Is there a compatibility between our worship of Christ the King and our own unexplainable suffering?

Suffering is part of our daily experience of the presence of evil in the good world God has created for us. The gospel today so appropriately situates the kingship of Jesus within his own experience of crucifixion.  On his feast day as King, the gospel shows us the crucified Jesus, not a glorious and triumphant victor.

What happens when we are confronted with suffering? The key can be found in the various personages depicted in the gospel (Lk. 23).  Some people, like the rulers of Israel are overcome by disbelief:  if he is truly the chosen one, why can’t he save himself?  Some people are disappointed, like the soldiers who crucified Jesus and witnessed his death: if you are king… save yourself.

One of the thieves hanging beside Jesus was filled with despair:  are you not the Christ? He was totally devastated that Jesus seems to be unable to do anything for him at this moment of pain. I remember an interview where Philippine senator Miriam Santiago relates how she lost her faith in God after the death of her son and how she continues to rebel against any idea of God today.

But the other thief stands out among the rest as he blurts out a cry of complete trust and surrender to Jesus: Jesus, remember me… I want to think that this thief received a special grace at that moment. He did not understand his own death. He could not explain his own suffering, but he clung to his faith in Jesus.

How many of our typhoon victims echo today the trust and faith of this first companion of Jesus to paradise. You see them waiting for food and transport while clutching their images of Jesus and Mama Mary.  You see them mourning their dead before the altars of their destroyed churches.  You see them turning out in great numbers to receive the Eucharist out in the open in the first Sunday after the tragedy. You hear them say that, having nothing left, they have only God to keep them moving on.

And Jesus’ response is hope: you will be with Me. This is not false hope but concrete strength and consolation for those who truly have faith. The offer of paradise is not just beyond but one that starts now. Jesus offers hope and so must we, as his disciples.  Like Jesus, we need not explain; we need only to embrace and accompany those who suffer so that they will begin to find a ray of hope in all their pain. Christ our King, lead us to hope in your power to heal and restore all things.