In our own time, there are many varied images of what being a king means. We have the idea that a king or a queen has a leading position of responsibility or leadership in a particular country. Our mind directly associates being a king with a particular country and the responsibilities of a king lie mainly with the material development and well being of the people of that particular nation.
Jesus’ kingship is very different. The feast of today gives us an opportunity to reflect whether Jesus Christ reigns in me. We are today given the chance to reflect whether I am living my life according to the attitudes, values and teachings of Jesus Christ. The kingship of Jesus is much more radical because it has a direct bearing on how each one of us responds to the invitation of Jesus Christ to pattern our lives on his own. This is an invitation that St Paul recognized very well and an invitation that encouraged St Paul to model his own life on the example of Jesus. This is the reason why in his letter to the people of Galatia which was a city in modern Turkey, he proclaims. “It is no longer I who lives, but it is Jesus who lives in me”. (Gal 2:20)
Jesus Christ has influenced millions of people throughout the past 2000 years. Incredible things have been achieved by people who seriously tried to mould their lives on His teachings. We do not need to go far to realize this. If we take a look at our Diocese, we are blessed with so many opportunities where care is given to so many from the moment of birth till the time when we have to depart from this life. So many volunteers working with so many church organizations are constantly providing daily practical help to so many. The sick are being cared for with great expertise and care; our aged care facilities are places where the dignity of each person is respected, the Diocesan social services are providing so much needed encouragement and practical guidance to those who are in need. Members of the St Vincent de Paul and Catholic Women’s League are at the present time providing much needed moral and financial sustenance to so many of our people who are suffering the effects of the drought which is gripping our country. Our schools are making their contribution to provide a thorough and solid preparation to our students for life; while overall our parishes are a constant source of generosity, care and service. All of these things are animated by the fact that Jesus Christ is alive today in you and in me. Whatever we do as Catholic people in the area of taking care of others stems from our basic belief. Just as Jesus Christ gave everything for us we are in turn obliged to give ourselves in order to cater for the needs of everyone because every person as created by God deserves the best. Whenever we put this into practice we are saying very clearly that only Jesus is our King, the motivation of what we say and do.
As I speak the image of Maureen Considine comes to mind. Maureen has a beautiful family. One of the sons has a disability. Shortly after I came to the Diocese, she came to see me with her friend Bernadette to see what we as a Diocese can do in order to help people with a disability especially when their parents get old and would be unable to provide the necessary care. That meeting gave a rise to so much awareness about the need for care for people with a disability. At the present time, the Diocese with the help of Centacare are working solidly to provide accommodation for people with a disability and for giving the opportunity to these people to live their life in a dignified manner surrounded by care and the due attention. In addition, this afternoon at St Joseph’s parish a group of people will meet together as they do every month in order to provide whatever is needed so that people with a disability can exercise their God given talents and where they can worship and give thanks to God respecting their needs and capabilities.
As a Diocese we formally launched the pastoral document entitled “I have a story – People with Disability and their families participating fully in Parish Life”, in March 2006. We have done this so that as a Diocese we are reminded that all of us are important to God and therefore all of us contribute to the building up of our Christian community and God’s kingdom. We became definitely richer as a church and as a Diocese when we are capable and conscious of welcoming everybody. This launch was not about doing the disabled a favour. It was to realize that the disabled are a gift to the parish family. We are incomplete without their participation. The parish life is enriched by the gifts of each other.
On the day of the launch of the document, Maureen was present. She came out of hospital that day to be with her family and with others. She was receiving treatment for cancer. She was given permission to come only for the Mass. She was sitting in a wheelchair and her right hand was bandaged because she had just been given the necessary medical care intravenously and immediately after the Mass she was expected to go back to the hospital to continue her treatment. Maureen died shortly afterwards. The Diocese has established the Maureen Considine Fund so that her dream of having proper care and accommodation for all disabled would be realized.
Where did she get her energy and commitment from? Where did she get her perseverance from? Her heart was animated and empowered by the spirit of our Jesus Christ. This is why she persevered. She reminds all of us of our call and of the reality that indeed it is no longer we who are living but it is Jesus Christ who is living in us. Indeed Jesus Christ is very much alive today. May we all continue to let Him be the only guide and shepherd of our thinking, of our attitudes, of our values and of our belief so that we can continue to change our society based on what He stands for. “Long live Christ the King”.
God Bless.
