I am thankful for time away with family and friends, but I am also thankful to be back as pastor of this wonderful faith community.  If Fr. David Arnoldt was a few years younger, I’d be worried that he’d want to steal my job.  He is such a great priest and I praise God that he is a friend who’d do anything for me.  He is the best and I rejoice that he has become beloved in our parish.
 
At Monday night’s Pastoral Council meeting I shared this Thanksgiving reflection which I think sums up well our gathering this week:
 
Thanksgiving
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
 
Today is the last Sunday of the liturgical year, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, to give it its full title in the Missal.  It is difficult for us to properly understand Christ’s kingship, because our images of earthly kings don’t really fit. Pope Francis alluded to this in a homily last year “The kingship of Christ is most evident on Golgotha, when the Innocent One, nailed to the cross, poor, naked and stripped of everything, incarnates and reveals the fullness of God’s love.  Jesus’ complete abandonment to the Father expresses his utter poverty and reveals the power of the Love that awakens him to new life on the day of the Resurrection” (Nov. 19, 2017; #7).
 
So, this is not a day of pomp and triumphalism, viewing Christ as the most powerful of all worldly kings. It is a day to recognize and remember that our king reigned from a cross, not a throne, crowned with thorns, not gold and jewels. What may seem like a feast exalting Christ’s power actually celebrates his powerlessness and poverty in contrast to the powers of society.  To follow such a king is not easy because claiming Christ as king calls us to live the values of his realm, redefining power and greatness and learning from him how to be free enough to give all we are.  Love, not power, will always be the bottom line for Christ our King.  It is in following our King that we will find new and everlasting life.
 
Next Sunday then will begin a new Church year as we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent.  I love new beginnings, but the new Church year begins during a time of year that can be very stressful for many.  December can be extremely busy. Crazy busy! Is it too busy? Perhaps. During these weeks, we can get a little crazy trying to get it all done – from decorations to gift shopping, visitors to parties. The busyness of the season can be fun but also exhausting, often leaving some a bit overwhelmed. The busyness can also snuff out the importance and the why for all that we are doing. Why are we eager to give gifts to those we love the most? Why are we taking an entire month to prepare to celebrate and open gifts? Why are we scrambling to find that perfect tree or the most festive wreath? Sometimes the reason for the season gets lost in the midst of the busyness.  So, I encourage you to identify what it would look like for you to find moments in the midst of this crazy busy season to pause and remember Jesus. Be intentional about making this happen.  Here are a few suggestions:
 
1. Build on Thursday’s Feast: At the end of each day, take five minutes to place yourself in God’s presence and as you review the events of your day, thank the Lord for two specific moments of grace in your day.  A kind word, an act of love, a little sacrifice you were willing to make, a beautiful sunset, a call from a friend, a good meal, etc.
 
2. The Eucharist is named for the Greek word for “thanksgiving” because it is the perfect act of giving thanks to God.  In addition to Sunday Mass, make a commitment to partake in at least one other Eucharist during the week.
 
3.  Attend Sunday School for Disciples which begins at 9:45 am next Sunday (coffee and donuts at 9:30 am).  For the four weeks of Advent we will be participating in the Presence series. Presence, the Mystery of the Eucharist, explores the radical mystery of God’s love expressed in the Eucharist and shows how in this sacrament God is really present to help and strengthen us at every step of life’s journey.
 
Fr. Jerry Ragan