Newsletter - 20 November 2022
Christ the King – What is it all about?
The feast of Christ the King is the feast from which our parish takes its name. It is also the feast that ends the church year. Christ the King gathers all the events of Jesus’ life around the central theme of his mission – the coming of God’s Kingdom. It also focuses on the final event of his life on earth – his death on the cross, when he truly comes into his Kingdom. The feast shows us both the great promise of the coming Kingdom and an urgent call to believe and live the good news of the Kingdom.
The promise of the coming Kingdom is the theme of today’s Gospel (Luke 23:35-43). Jesus dies on the cross between two thieves. The first mocks him - “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.” The other believes him - “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” Jesus replies, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”
The call to repent and change the way we live is the focus of another Gospel for this feast (Matthew 25:31-46). It pictures Jesus sitting on his throne of glory and separating those who will enter his kingdom from those who will not. The criteria for judgment is simple – did they or did they not care for those who in need? Jesus says, what they did for “one of the least of these, they did to me.”
The Kingdom is the title of a poem which speaks of both the promise and the call. The call seems difficult and distant – a reverse image of how we live and see the world. But in fact it is near at hand when we trust the promise and make “the simple offering of faith”.
It’s a long way off but inside it
there are quite different things going on;
festivals at which the poor man
is king and the consumptive is
healed; mirrors in which the blind look
at themselves and love looks at them
back; and industry is for mending
the bent bones and the minds fractured by life.
It’s a long way off, but to get
there takes no time and admission
is free, if you will purge yourself
of desire, and present yourself with
your need only and the simple offering
of your faith, green as a leaf
- R.S. Thomas
Deacon Ted Wood ccn
Focus of the Week
CHRISTMAS OPEN DAY
Sunday 25 December
INVITATIONS to the Open Day are available in the entrance hall. Please take one if you would like to come or know of anyone who would be alone on Christmas day.
Please complete a form and return to the parish office as soon as possible.
Please can you spare an hour or two on Christmas Day to help serve the lunch and/or wash up? If so, please complete a form and indicate the slot you are available for. If you have any queries please contact the parish office.