On this Solemnity of Christ the King, our liturgical year comes to a close.  For those of you paying attention, all our Gospel readings this past year have been taken from Luke, often known as the Gospel of the Poor or the Gospel of Mercy.  This year was an obvious choice for the Year of Mercy because of the Gospel cycle alone.  Luke’s Gospel is directed to those who are poor and in need of God’s mercy because we have such beautiful stories from the prodigal son to the good Samaritan to Zeacheus the tax collector.  This past year we have heard every Sunday how Jesus humbled Himself to bring God’s mercy, God’s peace, and God’s joy to everyone he encountered on the way to Calvary, where we end the liturgical year with today’s Gospel.  

    My brothers and sisters, the mission of Jesus is clear: go and make disciples.  How do we make disciples?  It’s not by proselytizing or shoving the bible down people’s throats.  Its by doing what Jesus did: bringing God’s mercy, God’s peace, and God’s joy to everyone we encounter.  That’s the mission, and we are all called to take part in it. My challenge on this Solemnity of Christ the King for all of us is to pray and ask God how he is calling us to carry out the mission of bringing God’s mercy, God’s peace, and God’s joy to everyone we encounter. 

    Pope Francis is inviting us to take up this work of spreading God’s mercy, God’s peace, and God’s joy without discouragement from the challenges we will face.  We are called to complete this mission together as a family of faith and doing so will make us stronger disciples together and a stronger, more vibrant and life-giving Church that we as adults will be proud to hand on to our children and future generations.  This is our mission.  This is why we have been baptized.  This is the mission of the Church.