Allocution Sunday Christ the King
Today, Sunday, November 22, the Church celebrates the feast of Christ, King of Mercy, of love, of peace, of humanity. In all the Catholic churches of the world, the gospel of Saint Matthew, chapter 25, verses 31 to 46, is read.
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As Christ is King of love, He has had mercy on the lepers, the paralyzed, the blind, the father of the crazy son, the daughter of Jairus, the widow who lost her only son, Lazarus, the Canaanite woman, Peter, Matthew, the adulteress, the Samaritan, the Magdalene, the good thief, the crucifiers, the orphans whom he gives to the Virgin, the couple from Cana, the leader of the Roman platoon.
And the King of mercy reminds us that we, baptized, are kings and that our house must be full of mercy and that our church be mercy and that our people be merciful and that we all be servants of mercy. Christ wants no hungry person to go without our food.
Blessed Belkis who shares her soup with the neighbors, the sick in the neighborhood, the needy.
Christ wants no one who asks for water at our door to be left without water served with love, even if we live next to a high school. Blessed Margarita Victoria who distributes water to all the high school boys who ask for it.
Christ wants all the sick to be visited, helped, helped. Blessed is Dr. Ana Amelia, who visits her patients calmly and leaves drops of hopeful dew.
Christ wants the mothers of prisoners to be comforted. Blessed Laura who dries so many tears and fills so many families of prisoners with peace.
Christ wants no one lacking clothes to be left without our clothes. Blessed are all those who brought their clothes to the Church of Jesús del Monte after the January 2019 tornado.
By being merciful like our King, our house will be the palace of Christ, our church a foretaste of heaven, our earth the most beautiful that human eyes have seen.
In this way we will live the happiness that we so long for and seek and then, servants and served, at the side of the King in his eternal kingdom.
Without mercy your home is a battlefield, your heart a garbage dump, your church an undesirable place, your life a hell.
Choose to live in hell, far from God, now and forever or live in the heaven of mercy, now and forever.
(Song)
”Once upon a time, according to legend, a European kingdom was ruled by a very Christian king, with a reputation for holiness, who had no children. The monarch sent his heralds to place an announcement in all the towns and villages of his dominions. This said that any young man who met the required requirements, to aspire to be a possible successor to the throne, should request an interview with the King. Two characteristics were required of every candidate:
- Love God.
- Love your neighbor.
In a very distant village, a young man read the royal announcement and reflected that he met the requirements, because he loved God and, likewise, his neighbors. Only one thing prevented him from going, because he was so poor that he did not have decent clothing to appear before the holy monarch. He also lacked the necessary funds in order to acquire the necessary provisions for such a long journey to the royal castle.
His poverty would not be an impediment to even meeting such a famous king. He worked day and night, saved his expenses as much as possible, and when he had enough money for the trip, he sold his few belongings, bought fine clothes, some jewelry, and set out on the journey.
A few weeks later, having exhausted almost all his money and being at the gates of the city, he approached a poor beggar on the side of the road. That poor man was shivering from the cold, covered only in rags. His arms outstretched begging for help.
He implored with a weak and hoarse voice: “I am hungry and cold, please help me… please!”
Crossing the threshold of the city, a woman with two children as dirty as she was, begged him: “My children are hungry and I have no job or money!” The young man was so moved by the beggar’s needs that he immediately threw off his new, warm clothes and put on the beggar’s rags. Without thinking twice he also gave him part of the provisions he was carrying.
Without a second thought, our friend removed the ring from his finger and the gold chain from his neck and, along with the rest of the provisions, gave them to the poor woman and her children. Then, hesitatingly, he continued his journey to the castle dressed in rags and lacking provisions to return to the village.
Upon his arrival at the castle, an attendant of the King showed him the way to a large and luxurious hall. After a brief pause, he was finally admitted to the throne room.
The young man bent his eyes to the monarch. What was his surprise when he raised his eyes and met those of the King. Stunned and with his mouth open he said: “You…, you? You are the beggar who was on the side of the road!
At that moment a maid and two children entered, bringing water to the tired traveler, so that he could wash and quench his thirst. His surprise was also capital: “You too? You were at the gate of the city!
-“Yes,” replied the sovereign, “I was that beggar, and my maid and her children were also there.”
-“But, but… you are the King! “Why did he do that to me?” he stammered, swallowing, after gaining a little confidence.
-“Because I needed to discover if your intentions were authentic regarding your love for God and your neighbor,” said the monarch. I knew that if I approached you as King, you might pretend and act insincere in your motivations. That way it would have been impossible for me to discover what is really in your heart. As an almoner, I not only discovered that you truly love God and your neighbor, but that you are the only one to have passed the test.”
“You will be my heir! You will inherit my kingdom! You will be the King!
(Song)
“Blessed José Olallo Valdés, modest and holy man, who, born in a humble corner of Havana, came to continue the sublime work begun in Granada in the 15th century by the founder of the Order that you embraced; that you loved the poor, that you swept the hospital wards; that you cleansed the leper and lovingly removed all the miseries of the body, along with the dirt of the soul; that you did not have time for your scarce food, nor to fall asleep, nor to care for your delicate person, completely dedicated to that limitless love for suffering humanity.” Pray for us so that we can care for Christ, poor, sick, needy, as you did, in our land.
Thank you, Blessed Olallo Valdés, pray for us.
(Song)
May the blessing of The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit, descend upon you, upon your families, and upon all the people you serve. Amen.