26 November 2023 – Christ the King | 38th World Youth Day

by Fr Fabian Dicom

It is the last Sunday in Ordinary Time before Advent so I have got some thing more to say. Any half of an opportunity to say more, yes. Seriously, as we gather on this Feast of Christ the King, let us ponder the profound message conveyed through the parable we have heard. It is one of my favourite readings as well. A message that challenges our understanding of power and kingship in an age marked by democratic ideals and a call for equality. 

Our King is not a conventional monarch, seated on a throne of worldly power. Rather, He is a king who has experienced hunger, thirst, nakedness, illness and imprisonment as He rightly describes in the Gospel today. In a world often driven by the pursuit of dominance, our King challenges our perceptions, by establishing a kingdom not rooted in domination, not rooted in oppression but in a transformative power of humility. This is a kingdom where our King identifies intimately with the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned. 

Now who are they in Malaysia? Who are they in Malaysia? Let us identify them. Let us put a face to all these people referred to in the Gospel today. I begin with the data that shows they concur with this list but perhaps the list is bigger than this.

The migrant worker. Many face challenges due to language barriers, limited legal protection and fear of reprisals.

Indigenous people. Communities like orang asli may also be marginalised in issues related to land rights and cultural preservations.

Refugees and asylum seekers. Those seeking refuge may find it difficult to advocate for their rights due to their precarious legal status.

Persons with disabilities. Obstacles in assessing services, excluded from society and they hinder their voices in discussions about inclusive policies.

The LGBTQ community. Members continue to face discriminations, making it challenging for them to advocate for their rights.

Low income communities. Economic challenges, limited access to education and healthcare and insufficient infrastructure affect certain urban and rural areas.

Women in vulnerable situations. Those facing economic hardships or domestic violence may struggle to be heard in gender equality discussions.

And finally youth from disadvantage backgrounds. Economic and educational disadvantages may limit opportunities for participation in decision-making processes.

Can we just think about all these people who are all around us? These are the people Jesus is referring to in the Gospel. And He is present in them.

Who are His loyal subjects?

All of us. The loyal subjects are not the mighty and influential but those who, in their humility, reach out to the vulnerable, extending compassion to the hungry, quenching the thirst of the needy, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, comforting the ill and visiting prisoners. What a remarkable King and what an extraordinary Kingdom. That is our Kingdom.

And what is the policy for this Kingdom? What is the policy for this kind of governance?

The goal of our King is not to wield authority for its own sake but to break the power of evil. In His Kingdom, the injustices of economics, politics and criminality are confronted and overcome by subjects who not only respect the King of creation, we, but actively participate in the glory of His justice and live in His love.

My dear brothers and sisters, the Kingdom we celebrate today is not of worldly power but a Kingdom of truth and life, a Kingdom of holiness and grace, a Kingdom of justice, love and peace. These are not mere lofty ideals but the very fabric of a kingdom woven with the threads of human dignity, brotherhood, sisterhood and freedom.

Now, as we reflect on these profounding truths, let us consider the relevance of Christ’s Kingdom to our Malaysian socio-political and economic situation. In a diverse society like ours, the Catholic church is called to be a beacon of light, particularly for the poor and marginalised. Our faith should not be confined within the walls of our churches but must permeate every aspect of our lives, addressing the pressing needs of those on the margins. The margins, the peripheries are important. And that is the way the church is to be and that is the way of Pope Francis. In fact, the margin must be the center.

Furthermore, the issue of caring for the poor is emphasized in the Gospel reading and it is crucial for us as Christians to actively address this in our local context. Initiatives such as food drives, providing educational support for underprivileged children and engaging in community outreach programs are tangible ways we can live out the Gospel mandate: to care for the least among us.

And intrinsically connected to poverty is the economic disparity that exists within our society. Christ, our King, calls us to confront the injustices of economics in our Kingdom. As faithful followers, we can actively engage in initiatives that address poverty and uplift the less fortunate among us.

We need to see our faith greater than this church. We need to see our faith greater than just liturgical celebrations. And we have many opportunities to respond, and you and I can. This may involve supporting local organisations, volunteering our time and resources, or advocating for policies that promote economic justice.

The complexity of the Malaysian politics provide another area where the church can be a prophetic voice. We are far from it. the Christ Kingship challenges us to advocate for justice, for love, for peace in the political  sphere. This may involve actively participating in civic activities, civil society work, promoting ethical leadership and fostering dialogue that transcends divisive lines. 

I was quite disheartened when last year many of you rallied around to pray for the elections. Many of you came together. Why I am disheartened was it stopped there and nobody wanted to continue prayer, continue reflection about what is happening in the country. We were happy perhaps with the results but who is going to continue to pray? How do we maintain that? How do we remind our leaders to be faithful to the policies that they promised? To be faithful to empowering the Rakyat? The church is a very strong voice.

The Malaysian landscape presents challenges of economic disparity, political complexities and social injustices, till today. We are very, very far from being an egalitarian society. In the light of Christ’s Kingship, the church is called to be a prophetic voice, advocating for justice, for love and peace. It means engaging actively with issues of poverty, standing in solidarity with the marginalised, working towards a society where dignity of every person is respected.

In examining the Readings of the day, particularly the First from Ezekiel and the Second from the Corinthians, we find a resonance with the message of Christ the King.

The Prophet Ezekiel portrays God as the true Shepherd, caring for the lost and weak, echoing Christ’s identification with the marginalised.

In Corinthians, we encounter the victory of Christ over death, a victory over injustices that plague our society today.

My dear brothers and sisters, the Gospel if properly understood, is subversive of ecclesiastical system. What I mean is it is challenging the system in the church so I use the word ‘subversive’. It is. Basically, it is a denial of the label ‘Christian’ to any church, not characterized by loving concern for the poor. And that is serious. You cannot call your church ‘Christian’ unless there is loving concern for the poor and it is not just handouts. It is more than that.

It underlines the fact that if Christ is King, His Kingdom, His manner of Kingship is not of the world. So we cannot imitate the models out there but this model here, the Christ model, is to be the model for us.

So I am baffled actually by the irony that this clear and unequivocal teaching is conveniently ignored in our prayer meetings, in our devotions, in our activities that dominate our Christian life. And therefore, perhaps, even relegated to take the form of activities which are seasonal and extracurricular, like this season of Advent and Lent.

Before I conclude, allow me a few more minutes. This is to all the young people. It is World Youth Day, 38th World Youth Day. What does it mean?

I want to say this to all the young people here.

For the longest time, I have been hearing this from my contemporaries who are fathers, mothers, uncles, aunties, of young people. And they tell me this, many of them:
“Fabian, pray for my children. They don’t go to church anymore.”
Or more than that:-
“What are you guys doing in church? They don’t find it relevant.“
“What are you saying in church? It is not attracting the young people.“

Young people have told me that as well. And my dear friends, perhaps there is truth in it. I admit that. And on behalf of the church and on behalf of all of us, I apologise. I am sorry. 

We are a struggling church. That is the reality. Struggling to be relevant not only to the young people but to everyone, to the signs of the times. We are in a flux at this moment but I ask you, young people, don’t lose hope because the working of the Holy Spirit is tremendous.

And I believe the Holy Spirit is working and will continue to work and with the leadership of such a pope, Pope Francis, there will be transformation. Give it time. But you need to be part of that transformation. We are far from it but we can. And that is why we are hear, praying and hoping and doing.

Maybe a handful of you are involved in church activities but today, in the context of what I am sharing about our social concerns, our outreach, our definition of a ‘Christian’ today, young people all over the world (and this is a fact) have been leading in many attempts and efforts to advocate social justice. Many of them are passionate about the environment. Many of them are passionate about justice and equality. And in many parts of the world, young people have taken the lead to do such a thing.

And I ask you, young people here, you can do that here. You don’t have to join any group in the church. You can do it by yourself or a few of your friends. And if you really want to explore this, come and talk to me.

Come and talk to me.

You can do so much because you are passionate. You have got so much energy. You have got so many ideals. You can make a change. That is where the change counts. I know many of you are good singers, you are good dancers, you do a lot of things. Praise the Lord. Amen. But you can do much, much more and you can bring the light of Christ out there.

You can.

And that is why we have hope. And the Holy Father has declared 2025 the year of hope, Pilgrims of Hope, and that is the theme. And he is really heading in the right direction, I believe.

So to conclude as we partake in the Eucharist today, my dear brothers and sisters, to all of us, let us remember that we are not just celebrating a distant and abstract kingship but inviting Christ to reign in our hearts, to reign in our homes, to reign in our nation.

May the Feast of Christ the King inspire us to be agents of change, bringing the light of Christ’s Kingdom to every corner of our society. And may we never, ever forget the subversive and transformative nature of the Gospel in challenging the systems that neglect the mandate to love and care for the poor.

Amen.

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