Exiit qui seminat
If you remember from last year's article, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe was established in response to what was known as "the Roman Question", namely, what role should the Holy Father and the Church have in the temporal affairs of the world. As the name of this highest of feast days suggests, there is no aspect of our lives and our world that our God and our faith don't belong. This celebration on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time takes on new importance in a world that is not just increasingly secular, but also anti-religious. We can see numerous examples of how prominent people in society point towards the impact of human agency over that of God. It's akin to celebrating the fact that we have fire without recognizing the roles of oxygen, fuel and heat to make the fire happen. In metaphysics or ontology (both of which are the study of being and of existence), we are reminded that it is God alone who is the first and primary cause of all things. The Lord is what Aristotle called "the Unmoved Mover", the reason why all things are. We, as His creation, are secondary causes. Since we cannot live or move or have being without God, He is necessarily the source of our ability to act. We can't do anything without Him. In turn, while the Lord is never the author of anything that is evil, He does respect the freedom of our will and permits our agency, our ability to act, to be used for sinful things. In spite of our disobedience, God's will for us is to only do things that are good and to live out lives of holiness. It is our role, as subjects of the Eternal High Priest, our King and Lord, to recognize His power and purpose in our lives and to surrender our wills to His. As Padre Pio writes, “In all the events of life, you must recognize the Divine Will. Adore and bless it, especially in the things that are hardest for you.” Let it be our prayer that we always allow the Lord to be the King of our hearts and our lives. Viva, Cristo Rey! Long live Christ the King!
Fr. Rob Sinatra
