Sunday, 24 November 2013 marked the conclusion of the Year of Faith officially opened by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on 11October 2012. In Pope Francis’ words, the Year of Faith “gave us an opportunity to rediscover the beauty of the journey of faith”. A journey which starts at the baptismal font where, you and I, who believe, thanks to the sanctifying grace of baptism, are made children of God and brothers and sisters in Christ’s Mystical Body, the Church. Obviously such a gradual transforming journey finds its culmination in the Heavenly Jerusalem where “God [is] everything to everyone” (1 Cor 15:28).
In the meantime, we still face the daily challenges that life presents us with. However Jesus, before the world power represented by the Procurator of Judea Pontius Pilate, solemnly declared that his kingship is not of this world. Had it been so, his servants would have fought to their last breath so that he would not be handed over to the unbelievers (John 18: 36). It is really interesting how the fourth evangelist skilfully employed the phrase “my kingship is not of this the world” both at the beginning and the conclusion of this line. He obviously wanted to stress that Jesus’ reign has nothing to do with this world corrupted by sin. Nevertheless, Christ’s power dwells in the hearts of those who truly accept Him as their Lord and Saviour. Christ lives and works in the ones who humbly embrace his life-changing Gospel and let it be their life programme! As the Lord says through Jeremiah: “I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them; and I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me” (Jer 32:40).
If we Christians are the people of the everlasting covenant of God’s salvific reign in this world tormented by evil, what is our role in society? Pope Francis’ homily at the Closing Mass for the Year of Faith serves as a strong catechetical benchmark for convincing Christian living.
The first step all we Christians need to take is a serious and sincere examination of conscience. Where is my personal life heading to? Is Jesus really the centre of my personal history? Is He the object and catalyst for my thoughts? The Argentinean Pontiff commented: “Jesus is the centre of creation; and so the attitude demanded of us as true believers is that of recognising and accepting in our lives the centrality of Jesus Christ, in our thoughts, in our words and in our works. And so our thoughts will be Christian thoughts, thoughts of Christ. Our works will be Christian works, works of Christ; and our words will be Christian words, words of Christ”.
The second step is that if Christ should be the centre of my personal life of faith what is impeding Him from being the centre of the believing community, the Church? Can He be “the centre of God’s people”? And we, as Christians, can we bravely let Christ, whom Pope Francis referred to as “really the ‘brother’ around whom God’s people come together”, bring to its completion in us His ardent prayer to the Father on the eve of His sacrificial death, namely that all those who believe in Him through the disciples’ word be all one as Him and the Father are one (see John 17: 20-21)? Are we Christians, coming from different churches and ecclesial communities, ready to let Christ reconcile us with one another?
Finally, if the Church is united and reconciled can she not be an effective means for presenting Christ as “the centre of the history of humanity and also the centre of the history of every individual”?
Why not then you and me turn to Jesus and daily tell him: “Remember me, Lord, now that you are in your kingdom! Jesus, remember me, because I want to be good, but I just don’t have the strength: I am a sinner, I am a sinner. But remember me, Jesus! You can remember me because you are at the centre, you are truly in your kingdom!”
Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap
San Gwann