Saturday, November 22, 2014

Christ the King, Year A, 23.11.2014

Ezk 34:11-12, 15-17/ 1 Cor 15:20-26, 28/ Mt 25:31-46

I am a priest and I should be preaching the gospel, but today I would like to give the ladies a little fashion tip when they go out for a date.

It is said that when a lady goes out for a date, she must put on at least three items – high heels, earrings and lipstick.

Oh, talking about lipstick, there is a little joke: Why did the girl put lipstick on her forehead? Ans: Because she wants to make up her mind.

So, when people can’t make up their minds, just tell them to put lipstick on their foreheads! :D

And talking about make-up, it is meant to enhance the beauty of a person.

Of course, there must be some natural beauty but a little make-up here and there can either enhance some features or cover up some blemishes.

On the other hand, too much make-up will make a face look too artificial and bad make-up can make a face look like something from a horror movie (especially if the make-up is not water proof).

But there is one more purpose for make-up, and that is, it is used for disguises.

With some skillful make-up, a face can look quite different, be it for younger or older, or be it for prettier or uglier.

Now we can’t say that Jesus wears make-up (He always looks good), but He is pretty good (excuse the pun) at disguises.

There is this story of St Martin of Tours who was a Roman soldier and a Christian.

One cold winter day, as he was riding into the city, a poor beggar stopped him and asked him for money.

Although St Martin had no money, he was moved with compassion for the poor man who stood shivering in the cold.

St Martin gave him what he had. Taking off his soldier’s coat, he cut it in two and gave half of it to the beggar.

That night, St Martin had a dream. In his dream, he saw heaven and all the angels and Jesus standing in their midst.

Jesus was wearing half of a Roman soldier’s coat. It was that half that St Martin had given to the poor beggar and St Martin realized that the poor beggar was actually Jesus in disguise.

Yes, Jesus is very present in this world but He always moves around in disguises.

So, if people were to ask us where to find Jesus, we can point to the tabernacle we may even dare to point to ourselves – after all we are the Body of Christ.

But today’s gospel parable tells us where to find Jesus and also who He is disguised as.

He is disguised as those who are hungry and thirsty, as the stranger, the sick and those in prison.

And that’s why it is so challenging to see beyond the disguises of Jesus.

His disguises are what we frown upon, and what we would rather avoid because they are not nice to look at.

Jesus says: I was hungry. We would be standing in the middle of a buffet and say: I don’t know what to eat.

Jesus says: I was thirsty. And we say: Upsize the drink for me.

Jesus appears as a stranger. And we will call the police.

Jesus may be in the naked and we would look at our wardrobes bursting with clothes and say: I have nothing to wear.

Jesus is in the sick. And we ask: Is it contagious?

Jesus is in the prison. And we say: Better keep those behind bars!

Yes, it is not that easy to recognize Jesus in His various disguises.

But there is a blessing behind the disguises of Jesus. (Maybe that’s where we get that phrase – A blessing in disguise)

Because we heard in the gospel parable: Come, you whom my father has blessed. I was hungry you gave me food; I was thirsty you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me; sick and you visited me; in prison and you came to see me.

In other words, the poor, the needy, the homeless, the least, the lonely, and these we find at the bottom of the social ladder as actually God’s blessings in disguise.

Let us remember these words of Jesus: I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.