The
Feast of Christ the King was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925, in
response to the perceived growth of secularism. It has an
eschatalogical dimension, pointing to a belief that, at the end of
time, God's kingdom will be established in its fullness throughout
the earth. The Pope's encyclical emphasised that Christ must reign in
human minds, wills, hearts, and bodies, all being “instruments of
justice unto God”.
The
short liturgy, below, which may be used by any group of people, or by
individuals, takes a broader base than the specifically Christian,
namely, the commonality of being human. If
using it in a group, then everyone is invited to join in saying the
responsive words in bold
type. There may be one leader
to say the biddings, you can take it in turns, or just share it as
best suits you.
The
liturgies, celebrations, ceremonies, prayers, and reflections offered
on this blog are the result of my thoughts, reflections, and
experiences, woven together using my own words and sometimes adapting
the words others have used: I am indebted to their wisdom. Please use
these liturgies freely, adapting them as suits your own context. I am
always pleased to hear from people who have used them.
Once
upon a time,
there
were creatures who had the capacity to adapt to a changing world:
They
evolved into the humans we are today.
Over
a long time, characteristics developed that help define our species:
Walking
upright, harnessing fire, making tools and weapons,
using
symbols to communicate, cultivating plants,
and
domesticating animals.
Brain
size increased and became more complex, diets changed,
bodies
altered and grew larger for survival in heat and cold in migrations
through what are now Africa, Europe, the Northern lands, and Asia:
Language
and social systems developed, so that together
they
could meet the daily challenges of their environment.
We,
who are reading this, speaking this, sharing this, are all human:
We
are all human - not better than any other creature:
we
have simply developed differently.
And
no individual human is intrinsically better than any other human:
We
are simply different.
We
are all human, but do we, can we, live as humans should?
Instead
of living according to our common needs and interests,
we
identify our differences;
our lives are encompassed by conflicts
based on secondary issues.
We
do not choose to wait for kingdom come.
Today
is the time for a new way of life, a way of harmony
with
other humans and with all created things, animal and plant and rock:
Without
this, we risk all of the life of our planet.
Today
is the time to declare our unity as human beings beyond all our
differences, to act together as humans in support of our shared
priorities
from
survival to fulfillment:
Today
is the time to affirm the simple fact of our human-ness
as
the bedrock reality of our lives.
Human
unity is the basis for the world's healing:
Human
unity is the only way to re-create balance
and
to serve the needs of all people, all creatures,
and
the natural environment.
There
is enough of every thing for every one – as long as we share:
Nothing
belongs to you or to me:
it
is ours, it is for all of us.
Only
through radical sharing can justice and peace be known:
Because
to share is justice, to share is peace.
Not
in some future, far off time, when the end of the world is even
nearer, but here and now, we commit our selves to meeting one
another
without
judgement, but with aspirations to achieve better for everyone:
Here
and now,
we
commit our selves to respect our differences
and
to find not shared opinions, but common values;
here
and now we commit our selves to bring people together,
so
that, together, we can make a difference.
Togetherness
is the difference.
May
it be so.
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