Pastor's Corner

24^th November, 2024

Daniel's vision in today's First Reading is a description of a sovereign king, who is to rule the people in glory and majesty. For the Israelites, this vision was a true description of the long-awaited Messiah, whom they believed would free them from the multiple rulers that oppressed them throughout history. The figure of Jesus before Pilate in Saint John's Gospel displays a different type of king, however.

A prisoner about to be flogged and crucified, Jesus defines himself as not of this world, and not as the long-awaited Messiah of Israel. The Second Reading affirms that his death on the cross made him the beginning and the end of all creation, and that by his resurrection, Christ conquered death and leads us to eternal life. These texts proclaim that Jesus Christ is King of the Universe; with them we conclude the Liturgical Year and, in a way, they prepare us to begin a new cycle next weekend with the First Sunday of Advent.

The cyclical movement of the liturgy shows us that Christ is at the center of the life of the Church, and we move slowly around time and space to understand more deeply the breadth and depth of his Paschal Mystery. At each stage, we grow more in our spiritual journey and learn how to strip ourselves of all that is unnecessary in our lives, so that we may be better able to practice charity and provide service to the needy.

Rev. Juan J. Sosa
Pastor