Feast of Christ the King
Cathedral of Mary Our Queen
November 20, 2022
Introduction
As we gather for the Feast of Christ the King, all of us are aware that the Attorney General has filed a motion in court to release a report that details heartbreaking betrayals of trust and innocence on the part of the Church’s representatives going back to the 1940’s.
The Attorney General’s motion gives us a sense of the enormity of these crimes, crimes that have inflicted grave harm and lasting damage on many of our brothers and sisters who are living in our midst.
News such as this is sadly not new, but it is a stark reminder of the past sins of the Church’s ministers and the historic failures of the Church’s leaders to address those sins effectively.
For some, the Attorney General’s motion may lead to answers they are seeking.
For others, it may re-open old wounds.
Still others may feel that this is an inadequate or incomplete account of justice.
To all, however, I pray it brings some measure of healing to the deep wounds caused by the scourge of abuse in the life of the Church.
No doubt, the Attorney General’s motion may also reignite questions about the Church’s commitment to transparency,
and the adequacy of the Church’s vigorous efforts over the past several decades to protect those entrusted to her care.
Ever-aware of the pain endured by victim-survivors, I once again offer them my sincere apologies, and I will continue to apologize as long as there are people in pain.
And as I said in my letter to the faithful of the Archdiocese last Thursday, I pledge to continue to do everything possible to ensure that no one in the Church’s care is ever again harmed by a representative of the Church.
This includes a firm zero-tolerance policy and many measures to protect, heal, and hold ourselves accountable.
But no matter what steps the Church may take, we are aware no such efforts can completely eradicate the reality of evil, even in our own ranks.
Nor can the Church’s efforts take away the pain of survivors.
Nor do they excuse the abject failures of Church leadership to protect and heal.
Again, I offer my most sincere apologies for what the Church has done and for what the Church has failed to do.
“Remember Me When You Come into Your Kingdom”
And we might ask ourselves: Is there anything in today’s Solemnity of Christ the King that will help us to grapple yet again with this terrible evil in the life of the Church?
The readings and prayers for this feast day contain many beautiful themes and images for us to ponder.
But on this particular Sunday, we are led to one image, to the unlikely place where Jesus truly reigns, namely, his Cross.
There Jesus saves us by not saving himself.
There Jesus, our King, pays the price for the sins of all the world, including our sins and the grave sins that have so grieved our hearts.
There were many reactions to the crucified Lord.
Some looked on with curiosity. Others ignored his suffering.
On one side of Jesus hung a criminal who reviled Jesus, but on the other side, hung a man who responded differently.
Facing the truth of his crime, he turned to Jesus for mercy.
He said simply, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
In so doing, he recognized Jesus’ power to save.
And Jesus responded to his plea for mercy: “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
For my own part, on this feast day, I want to identify with the repentant thief.
I cannot lead this local Church, without repenting for the sins and failings of the past that have harmed far too many people.
The only recourse for this local Church, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, is to come before Jesus, our King, like the repentant thief – willing to face the truth, acknowledging the ways we are justly condemned, and begging only that he remember us when he comes into his kingdom.
The Kingdom of Truth and Life, Holiness and Grace, Justice, Love, and Peace
In approaching Jesus, we are keenly aware that his Kingdom is not of this world.
What king but Jesus reigns from the Cross?
But it is from the Cross that Jesus conquers the power of sin and death, and from the Cross that he offers us healing and hope.
It is from the Cross that he invites us, even now while we are still broken, to become a part of his Kingdom.
Like repentant thief, let us approach Jesus with humility.
At this Mass, and at every Mass, the reality of Calvary is made present.
So, as we approach the altar, we call upon God our Father, praying in the words Jesus gave us, begging that his Kingdom would come, here and now upon us: his kingdom of truth and life, his holiness and grace, his kingdom of justice, love, and peace.
To be made fit for that kingdom, it is necessary to undergo repentance & conversion.
It is necessary to ask for forgiveness of our sins and healing for all those who have been harmed.
On this feast of Christ the King, let us ask the repentant thief to pray for us, as we pray with him, “Jesus, remember us when you come into your kingdom.”