Commentary on the readings for the Solemnity of All Saints (B)Commentary on the readings for Sunday 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B): Good remains forever.Of the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, the book of Daniel says that "he was given power, glory and kingdom; all peoples, nations and tongues served him: his power is an everlasting power, which shall never end, and his kingdom shall never be destroyed." In the Gospel of John, Pilate asks: "Are you the king of the Jews?"Perhaps because of the information received during the years of government in Palestine: the expectation among the people of a messianic king who would liberate Israel from the Romans; the desire of the multitude to make Jesus a king; the declarations of the disciples: "Rabbi, you are the king of Israel" (Jn 1:49), that may have reached you.
Jesus answers him with another question, trying to help him look inside himself: "Are you saying this for yourself, or have others told you this about me?". Pilate does not accept dialogue on an equal footing, much less the authority of Jesus who dominates him. He does not want to look inside himself, he defends himself. "Am I a Jew? Your people and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?" Jesus decides to explain to him the true nature of his kingdom: "My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have fought that it should not be given to the Jews; but my kingdom is not from here." He has put himself on the level of Pilate, he uses his language: a military argument. It is not a kingdom of this world because it does not have worldly power that kills enemies, imprisons, spills blood, imposes taxes. It is a kingdom that is based on self-giving love, and so it is the king, Jesus, who allows himself to be imprisoned, judged, condemned, and sheds his blood to free his subjects from the slavery of sin. He is not of this world, but he aspires to change this world, with the logic of love and pain suffered for salvation.
"Pilate said to him, 'Are you a king?' Jesus answered, 'You say so: I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world: to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.'" Jesus thus gives Pilate the possibility of hearing that truth, which is the full manifestation of the Father's goodness, which Jesus came to bring into the world. But once again Pilate builds a wall: "What is truth?". But Jesus has made an impact on him and tries to save him: since then he repeats that he finds no fault in him. The last attempt is made by presenting Jesus as a king to the Jews: "Shall I crucify your king?". They respond: "We have no king but Caesar." Pilate yields to fear and surrenders to it. We, on the other hand, let us allow ourselves to be conquered by the logic of his kingdom, let us listen to the truth that he came to bring and let us not be afraid to surrender our lives with him, for him, for the authentic freedom of the children of God.
Homily on the readings of Jesus Christ King of the Universe
The priest Luis Herrera Campo offers its nanomiliaa small one-minute reflection for these readings.
