Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (Year A) “Then the king will say to those on

Every one of us has a particular state in life that comes with certain responsibilities. That might be a wife and mother, or a husband and father. Or it might be a college student, a senator, a CEO, or a mailroom clerk. Wherever God has planted us, He has given us certain obligations — as well as the ability to fulfill them.

No matter how or when death enters our lives, it shakes us out of our complacency. Death has no regard for our schedule or plans. It will come for each of us one day or another. We all face death, but as Christians we do not face it without hope.

In this Sunday’s gospel (Mt 23:1-12), Jesus instructs his hearers to obey the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees because they “have taken their seat on the chair of Moses” (Mt 23:2), but not to follow their hypocritical example.

In identifying these two greatest commandments, Jesus is teaching us how to properly order to our love. The One whom we should love first above all others is God because God is more lovable than anyone or anything else. God is love (1 Jn 4:8) and therefore infinitely worthy of love. After God, I should love my neighbor as myself because my neighbor is equally worthy of love as I am.