Serve Christ the King, Be Inspired by St. Catherine

“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to the least of these who are members members of my family, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:31-46

Today is Christ the King this Sunday, which day marks the culmination of the current Christian year, symbolizing the eschatological reign of Jesus Christ, our King above all kings.

In His benevolent reign, our Lord promises a world where no one suffers from hunger, thirst, homelessness, or solitude in prison. It is a vision of compassion and justice, where we, as His devoted servants, extend our care to the least among us. As Matthew 25:40 reminds us, in our service to the least of God’s family, we are, in fact, serving our King.

Last Sunday we were reflecting about the parable of the talents, and we were told that we have to be diligent and do good in our servanthood to the King to inherit the kingdom through being good in our shepherding. Today we are told to care for the hungry and thirsty, the homeless and naked and to be in solidarity with those who are in prison as the ways of shepherding.

I was just thinking; if one day before I was licensed and introduced as your new chaplain, I came to you without being robed, a stranger who looks obviously from East Asia or the global south, and then tell you that you cannot inherit the kingdom because you have been negligent Christians, that you are so individualist who only think of your own good, that for your comfortable living you allowed your governments and the capitals of your big companies to be invested in our countries and siphoned our wealth, and allowed the hiring of poor people from neighbouring countries during the harvest and planting seasons who are paid less, without proper working benefits and good shelters while they are here, and that people of color here are neglected, rejected and dehumanized what and how would it be? I am sure that you will have varied reactions.

During His time, Jesus’ teachings and preachings were so attractive to the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the naked and people in prison because he was talking for them and on behalf of them. At the same time, it earned the ire and shaken the very core values of those who are living comfortably and that is why they demonized Him which ended him to be a crucified king.

According to the legend and tradition, St. Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel, was a Christian martyr who lived in the early 4th century. She was born in Alexandria, Egypt, around the year 287 AD. She was reportedly well-educated and from a noble family. Catherine converted to Christianity at a young age and was known for her wisdom and eloquence.

The most famous account of St. Catherine’s life revolves around her confrontation with the Roman Emperor. The emperor was persecuting Christians, and Catherine, a Christian herself, confronted him, defending her faith and challenging his pagan beliefs. Impressed by her intelligence and eloquence, the emperor gathered fifty of his best philosophers to debate with her, hoping to convince her to renounce Christianity. However, Catherine successfully argued for her faith, converting many of the philosophers in the process that angered the emperor, who then subjected Catherine to various forms of torture, including the breaking of a spiked wheel. According to the legend, the wheel miraculously shattered when Catherine touched it, and she was ultimately beheaded. That is why a wheel, and the sword are often associated with her iconography.

It should be noted, however, that during the earlier periods of Christian growth within the Roman Empire, the movement often gained traction and was appealing topeople among the lower classes, including slaves, laborers, and the poor because of its emphasis on equality, compassion, andof course including the promise of a better life in the afterlife. The Christian message often resonated with those who were marginalized or oppressed. Christian communities provided a sense of belonging and support for individuals who were socially isolated or economically vulnerable. The early Christian congregations often functioned as close-knit communities that cared for one another. Early Christian missionaries actively engaged in outreach efforts, and their messages often found a receptive audience among those who were disenfranchised or seeking a sense of purpose.

What delights me in remembering and honoring the saints is the fact that there were those Christians and followers of Jesus ahead of us whose lives are the models of the faith. They who were able to live out the faith and like Jesus challenged the establishment. They who offered their very lives for the good of all which was and is the ministry and vision of Jesus who is the head of the church.

The church as an institution and the church that is us have been celebrating Christ the King Sunday, and the saints’ days, we have been praying “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” in the Lord’s prayer, but how much do we really live out all of these? Is the church and us and the kind of faith and spirituality still relevant to the situations of our societies?

I hope that I am wrong, but what I see is that when the church propagated Christianity, it has propagated the institutional church’s kingdom and the kingdom of the lords of the world effectively setting aside Christ. When the church is seen in rubbing arms with the oppressors, in shoulder to shoulder with the powers that be and spend so much money in maintaining her institutional needs including the very proud high towering symbols while spending less in seeking justice for the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the naked and the unjustly imprisoned, the kingship of Jesus Christ is not there.

Friends, the church and us needs to be born again and be attracted to Jesus once more. We need to be the Christians and the Catherinians to make us relevant so that Jesus and the Church will be attractive to those who are no longer following Christ the King.