Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Jerome,
Pax Christi semper vobiscum!
In 1925 Pope Pius XI declared the celebration of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, on the last Sunday of the annual liturgical cycle. The first celebration of this solemnity was in commemoration of the 16th centenary of the Council of Nicea held in 325A.D. The Nicean Council firmly asserted that Christ has two distinct natures, human and divine, united in One Person, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. In addition, this solemnity invites us to reflect on the Kingship of Jesus Christ that He shares with us in Baptism.
The primary role of the king is to govern his constituents and to protect them by the authority that he exhibits. A good king is the one who serves his people and promotes their progress according to their needs. As our liturgy this weekend reiterates that Jesus Christ is our King, the Gospel reading this Sunday gives us an ironic idea of the Kingship of Jesus. He governs from the Cross rather than governing from a kingly throne. He wore a crown of thorns rather than wearing a crown of gold. He was portrayed naked instead of wearing a rich purple robe. Surely, these images of Christ are not new to us. We have grown up with these images which abound in Christian art and in all Catholic churches. But what are these symbols all about while we claim our Christ-like discipleship?
As we go back to the baptismal kingship that we share with Jesus, how do we exemplify our sense of governance in the spirit of service to our neighbor? We know that there is a governance that is associated with parenthood. There is also a form of governance that is linked with all types of jobs as also a type of governance in our involvement in the parish ministries. However, this biblical understanding of governance is totally different from simply giving orders to others for the sake of commanding. This fallen human behavior is often a possible temptation whenever someone is in the position of power or leadership. The scriptural meaning of governance is about rendering service to others. Remember the conversation of Jesus with the sons of Zebedee? They wanted to be seated on both sides of Jesus to affirm a status of authority. You know the rest of the story. (Mark 10:35-45)
In the end, it really is a question of our conviction on how we live out our call to baptismal kingship that we share with Jesus Christ. It sums up our conviction to imitate “Jesus’ way” on how to make our lives an actual expression of service that emanates from His kingship. Our consciousness of this reality is the key to fully actualize what Jesus showed us as an example.
Finally, we have a new parish secretary, Maria Elena Tapia. Please welcome her when you happen to come to the Parish Office. Also, sponsorships for the Our Lady of Guadalupe Masses and for the Christmas Novena Masses are available for sign up. Our bulletin today has information about Mass sponsorships. I shall see you next weekend. Thank you for constantly supporting our parish ministries.
