"JESUS CHRIST is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and RULER OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH...Behold, HE is coming amid the clouds, and EVERY EYE WILL SEE HIM, even those who pierced HIM." We have just reached the end of the Liturgical Year. We celebrate CHRIST THE KING and can meditate on the above beginning of the last Book of the Bible: Revelation (1:5-8). I was touched by those five words: "EVERY EYE WILL SEE HIM!" Every eye, everyone without exception will see Him even those who have pierced His Heart with major sins. HE IS THE KING OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. HE is the Ruler and the King of everyone!

Last week we meditated on the meaning for us of THE END OF TIME: the second coming of Christ, the end of the world as we know it: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away" says Jesus to his disciples as he is leaving the temple of Jerusalem and knows that his own death is near (Mark 13:31). Every word from Jesus is important. Every word can touch us and change our life. The world will end, but Jesus, the Word of God, will not pass away. After His Passion and Death, HE will rise and ascend to Heaven, but HE will never leave us alone as His LOVE is everlasting, never-ending. HE sends us HIS SPIRIT and HIS promise is that we will have ETERNAL LIFE. We will be with HIM forever and WE WILL SEE HIM AS HE IS: the end of our journey on earth is to return to OUR LORD JESUS and finally SEE HIM AS HE IS. This is the "beatific vision", that eternal peace we will have looking at HIM and no longer at ourselves.

While on earth, can we already SEE JESUS? Or are we still blind like BARTIMAEUS? Is our desire to see Jesus as strong as that of ZACCHAEUS? Are we prepared to humiliate ourselves and climb a tree so that we can SEE JESUS and be SAVED? We are all sinners like Zacchaeus. We are all spiritually blind like Bartimaeus. Do we wish to SEE OUR KING? Do we believe that Jesus is indeed the King of the Universe? Do we believe that His Kingship will last forever? Do we believe that when Jesus will come again at the end of time, "EVERY EYE WILL SEE HIM, EVEN THOSE WHO PIERCED HIM"? Jesus answered Pilate's question "THEN YOU ARE A KING?” by stating "You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this, I came into the world to testify to the TRUTH. EVERYONE who belongs to the truth LISTENS TO MY VOICE." (John 18:37).

Let us LISTEN to Jesus' voice. Let us avoid the distractions of so many other voices around us. Let us focus on Jesus. Let us HEAR HIS WORD. Let us open our Bibles at least once a week, especially to reflect on the readings of the coming Sunday, and be prepared to LISTEN to JESUS' VOICE at Mass. DO WE BELONG TO JESUS totally? DO WE BELIEVE IN HIS MERCIFUL LOVE AND HIS PROMISE OF ETERNAL HAPPINESS, ETERNAL LIFE WITH HIM? Do we believe that HE WANTS EVERYONE TO SEE HIM, even those who pierced his heart by major sins? Do we believe HIS MERCY IS INFINITE? Is our greatest desire to see Jesus, and have a personal encounter with Him?

We can encounter HIM in the Confessional. We can SEE HIM and encounter HIM in the EUCHARIST. We can ADORE HIM in the Blessed Sacrament. When you leave the building of the Church, let us keep looking for HIM! HE is out there with us at every moment of our life. Let us ASK HIM to OPEN OUR EARS to HIS VOICE. He is always calling us. He has a plan for each of us: a beautiful plan of love, service, and discipleship. We can SEE HIM in the face of someone suffering, someone hungry, someone sick, someone lost. Let us SHARE OUR GIFTS with those most in need. LET US KEEP OUR EYES ON JESUS and keep doing what HE asks us to DO FOR HIM! Let us not be afraid! He will always provide what we need.

As we celebrate THANKSGIVING this coming Thursday, let us GIVE THANKS to JESUS OUR KING for everything we have: our life, our family, our friends, our employment, our church, our joys, and ...also our crosses which if accepted will transform us in true disciples of Jesus.

Let us pray together: "JESUS, I thank you for being my KING FOREVER. Jesus, I LOVE YOU! Jesus, fill my heart with your LOVE! Jesus, I TRUST IN YOU! Jesus, HELP ME TO SEE YOU in those around me EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE! Jesus, FORGIVE MY SINS and help me to forgive those who have hurt me deeply. JESUS, HELP ME TO LOVE AND SERVE EVERYONE IN YOUR NAME!"

One in Christ,

Fr. Alain