+ At this Thanksgiving time of the year we have a different perspective on giving thanks from our readings for this last week in Ordinary Time. We have celebrated the Feast of Jesus Christ as King of the Universe last Sunday; and that is what he is: he is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lord whose Kingdom will come and will last forever: it will be indestructible, and we are all invited to be a part of it.
The readings today continue the theme from yesterday about the fear that all earthly kings, rulers, presidents have about losing their kingdoms, territories, countries to other kings, rulers and presidents. Theirs is only a temporary reign at best anyway. And all authority they wield comes from God in the first place, and to him they will give an accounting one day – whether they know it or believe it or not!
But the reading from the prophet Daniel tells of a King who is to come whose Kingship will be above all the other kingships, and whose kingdom will supersede, end and replace all others: the Kingdom of Jesus Christ the King of the Universe: who shall sit on the throne of King David, his Father and rule with justice, peace and love forever!
The gospel passage tells that proclamation of this new and Universal Kingdom will make the proclaimer quite unpopular, especially in the public forum – for this new kingdom is a completely interior one, standing in opposition, apparently, to the external kingdoms of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood and stone! There will be persecution, even death for them. But in the end, for those who persevere in delivering the message and those who persevere in receiving the message, all will be well, all will be new, all will be wonderful and JESUS CHRIST WILL BE KING OF IT ALL!
How all this ties in with giving thanks is this: we ought to thank God many times a day for arranging things to be this way: the way of his King and Kingdom. It ought to give us a great sense of security and comfort knowing that God himself truly is in charge and that everything that happens in our lives – day by day – will all work out for the very best one day – if we live like we believe that Jesus is our King and that his Kingdom will come with all its glory and that we want to be a part of it! The details of how and when that Kingdom arrives, as we heard yesterday in the gospel passage, we ought to leave completely up to God and not worry about it at all. It will be a truly awesome and fearsome day for those who have wavered and denied him. But for us who want and choose him and his kingdom it will be a grand and glorious day!
The day of the arrival of God's Kingdom could be any day! That is why we are each invited to live each and every day in thanksgiving like it were right around the corner – because it just might be!
Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life!
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