Most Reverend Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv DD STL, Bishop of Parramatta
The 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
Readings: 2Sam 5:1-3; Col 1:12-20; Luke 23:35-43
Building a new kingdom in which the cosmic Christ is its centre
Dear sister and brothers,
Sometimes, one can learn a great deal in the most unlikely places and among the most unlikely people. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Lutheran pastor who was later imprisoned and killed by the Nazis went to America to study. As it turned out, he reflected that he learned more from the mixed race at Harlem than he did at the upmarket white middle class suburb in New York where he was placed. He quickly saw a parallel between the injustices suffered by African Americans and those of the German Jews in his home country.
6 years ago, I went to Papua New Guinea to meet the refugees who were held in indefinite off-shore detention facilities – a policy Australia adopted to keep boat people from entering our country. I was deeply touched by their resilience, camaraderie and humanity in the face of harrowing tragedy. I learned more from these men than whatever support and solidarity I could offer them. Despite the ordeal, their human dignity was unbroken.
The Word of God this Christ the King Sunday also speaks of the best of human nature and God’s revelation through the most unexpected of people and places. It challenges our assumptions, certitudes and prejudices. The God that Jesus made manifest is unreservedly the God of those on the margins or, as Pope Leo said in Dilexi Te, those on the receiving end of societal indifference. Therefore, our Christian faith will be less than authentic if it does not break down every barrier, or bring close those who are distant, unite strangers, and reconcile enemies. For Christ the King demands nothing short of a radical alignment of our attitude and behaviour with his vision of a dignified life for all.
The book of Samuel tells us the story of the unlikely election of David as the new king of Israel. Already in earlier episodes, against established norms, he was chosen ahead of his older brothers. He was the boy shepherd whom not even his father thought was destined for greatness. Here, he is pitched as the underdog against the mighty King Saul who had adopted the way of the empire. Yet, this was how divine paradox would manifest itself throughout history. The story puts in bold relief the biblical notion of God favouring the underprivileged, the common and the unworthy. St Paul would say “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” To put it in another way, God reveals his power through vulnerability of the weak the rather than the narrow channel of the strong and the privileged.
The Gospel story, too, speaks of such a God. The scene was one of tragedy, despair, pain and death. Jesus was hanging on the cross with the two criminals. Yet, one can catch a glimpse of God’s revelation precisely at the moment of utter vulnerability. It is through the cross that the greatest love was revealed. It was not evil that had the upper hand. It was God’s unflinching fidelity, his unconditional love for the world in Jesus that brought about the triumph of love over hatred, good over evil.
It was one of the thieves who turns out to be the unlikely hero. He recognises the way of the powerless Messiah and entrusts his fate to him. “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”. Unlike his fellow criminal, he has come to understand Jesus’ kingdom vision of love in vulnerability. The sinner becomes the unlikely saint. “Indeed I promise you, today, you will be with me in paradise.”
Dear brothers and sisters,
On this feast, we renew our commitment to follow the radical and subversive way of Jesus. Driving on the M4, I saw banners hanging on bridges that said, “Jesus is king”. I just hope that it wasn’t a sign of an assertive and triumphant Christianity. We have been there, and it wasn’t the best that we could have been. Vatican II has closed a chapter on a form of dominant, conquering and colonising Christendom. Jesus was not a conqueror through domination and subjugation, but a humble servant through non-violence, love and service. He was a king who rode on the back of the donkey, who mixed with the outcasts and washed the feet of others. We must, therefore, follow his example in forging common bonds of humanity in the face of fear. We must be a community of hospitality, compassion and neighbourliness that serves as reminder to what our nation can be and should be.
Today’s celebration reminds us of the kingdom vision which was at the heart of the Gospel message. It also frames our horizons with eschatological hope –a hope that galvanises us because of its divinely-guaranteed fulfilment. As Paul reminds us in the second reading: “God wanted … all things to be reconciled through him and for him, everything in heaven and everything on earth”. We are called to build a new kingdom in which the cosmic Christ is its centre, its Alpha and Omega.
In a time of rising tensions and divisive ideologies, we must resist the nostalgia for the Church’s former power, prestige and affluence. Rather, our challenge is to embody the inclusive kingdom vision of Jesus –one that is rooted in justice, compassion, solidarity and service. Only by living that vision fully as the Body of Christ, can we become a lighthouse for the world. As Jesus tells Pilate, let us on the side of truth, listening to his voice and enacting his vision starting from the marginalised and the forgotten.
