From The Bishop

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The Feast of Christ the King marks the end of the liturgical year. The Readings offer us some insight as we begin a new liturgical season. In the Gospel of St. John, reference is made to Jesus who is the faithful witness to the truth. In speaking with Pontius Pilate, Jesus states, “For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.” In a world of fake news and alternative facts we need the truth. It was Pope Benedict who first used the term, ‘dictatorship of relativism’ to describe this present reality. He observed that truth is no longer absolute. We see the confusion that is created when everything becomes relative, especially when it comes to morality and life issues. In the Second Reading, St. John states that “Jesus Christ is the faithful witness.” If we are followers of the Lord, then we too must be faithful witnesses to what is good, true and beautiful. As faithful members of His Kingdom on earth, we must draw all people to Christ by our witness. Pope St. Paul VI stated this fact in his encyclical on evangelization, “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses. It is therefore primarily by her conduct and by her life that the church will evangelize the world, in other words, by her living witness of fidelity to the Lord Jesus…” (Evangelii nuntiandi 41). On this Feast of Christ the King, we echo the words of Daniel found in our First Reading, “To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.”