There is a beautiful hymn that we most often hear around Easter. I am not sure who is the author but it comes out of the Taize Community and its title is “Jesus Remember Me.” The song is simple and is composed of one line that is sung over and over again in a soft meditative style: Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. If you would like, there is an example of the piece at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzTo-8pusSQ
This Sunday, the 34th Sunday of Ordinary Time, we celebrate The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King. It brings a conclusion or end to our Liturgical Year as we get ready to begin a new year next Sunday with the First Sunday of Advent. One of the beautiful gifts that we receive in the Catholic Church, (and little appreciated) is this gift of our Church Calendar. I have had people say to me — “Besides my issues & concerns, what do I focus my prayers on?” As Catholics we need to turn no further than our Liturgical Calendar. Each week we focus on yet another aspect of our faith. Yes, they repeat year after year but if we dedicate ourselves to prayer, study and service we change from year to year allowing us to go deeper year to year. And our year ends as our life should end… proclaiming that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD AND SAVIOR!
While it might be hard for us here in the 21st century and in a democratic society to really get into the image of proclaiming Jesus as our King we should work at looking at it non-the-less. 
The question I always ask myself at this time of year is: “Who or What do I worship?” May sound like a funny question but if we understand worship in broader terms then we look at things like:
- To whom or what do I turn to when I am down, upset, frustrated in hopes of working out my concerns & issues
- To whom or what do I turn when happy or joyfully and I want to celebrate
- to whom or what do I turn to save me from myself, the world, my problems
- To whom or what do I put my faith in, not what I want to say, but who/what actually gets my attention and focus
Our lives are like an onion — slowly, day by day; year by year we peel away another layer of sin, falsehoods, sorry expectations… With Christ the King Sunday I look at my past year and ask myself did I do a better job reaching for Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior or to some one or something else. And sadly I must confess to myself and to you that I didn’t do so well this past year.
Still coming out of the pain and anguish of my divorce, dealing with the loss of a very valuable working relationship with a dear friend, dealing with the challenge of a new difficult relationship…. I turned not to God but to my old ally….. food.
We are never done in our efforts to walk closer to God in faith. One of my most favorite Scripture quotes; one that I pray will be the focus of my life and on my tombstone in death comes from the prophet Micah: “What is good has been explained to you; this is what God asks of you and only this: to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with God.” (Micah 6:8). My life, your life, everyone’s life is about these three things – act justly; loving tenderly and walking in humility with God. But in our walk we stumble; I stumble… a lot. But each year at this time, Christ the King Sunday, I stop and remind myself that even while I may have screwed up again this past year; there is a new 
beginning, a new opportunity to start fresh and new.
The fact of the matter is that this Sunday, this season is meant to remind us that every day is a new day; every moment is a new opportunity to start again. To take the power back into our lives and rather than react in old and destructive ways; to CHOOSE to act in new and life giving ways. The first is to realize that it is God who created us and we belong to God. No matter how hard we fight it, peace is only found in surrender.
Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and I want my life to be a reminder to the world what God can do if we but allow it to be so. I want, at my funeral, to be a proud acclamation not of my accomplishments but what God has accomplish in and through me. But that can’t happen as long as I continue to turn to food as my salvation and comfort. And so, let it be known today that I rededicate myself to the wonder and majesty of my Lord, Jesus Christ. On Sunday I will proclaim His name as my King — not food, not acceptance, not anything but His name on my lips.
Until next time, I remain, your servant in Christ, Theresa
