The following are some reflections on this lovely feast. The first one is by Fr. Flor McCarthy.

When it is the Judge who is on Trial

This being the last Sunday of the Church's year, we naturally think of judgement-the Last Judgement and our own individual judgement after death. Today's Gospel then comes as a great surprise, because the one who is being judged is Jesus himself, the one we call our King.

Sometimes in a court case it can happen that it is not so much the accused who is on trial but the judge. Indeed, sometimes it is the very concept of justice itself that is on trial.

Take the case of Louise Woodward, the 19 year old English au pair whom a jury in Massachusetts convicted in 1998 of killing an eight-month-old baby, Matthew Eappen, who died in her care. But many people who followed the trial were convinced that a miscarriage of justice had taken place. In view of conflicting medical evidence, it was hard to see how the jury could have found, beyond reasonable doubt, that she had killed the baby. Her defense team appealed against the verdict.

At the start of the case, Louise was the one who was on trial. But now the focus shifted onto the judge, Hiller Zobel, who was reviewing the verdict. As we waited for his ruling, questions were raised as to his character. It was said that he was a very independent-minded man. A man not swayed by popular opinion, or one who bowed to pressure. The verdict he reached would show if those claims were true. Now it was Judge Zobel who was on trial.

After careful deliberation Zobel changed the jury's verdict of second-degree murder to involuntary manslaughter. Yes, a child was dead, and Louise bore some blame for his death. But she was not a murderer. And since she had already served seventeen months in prison, he set her free. In the eyes of most neutral observers, his verdict was a fair one. Judge Zobel emerged from the trial with an enhanced reputation. He was shown to be a man who was passionately concerned about justice.

Picture the scene in today's Gospel. Alone and unarmed Jesus stands before Pilate on trail for his life. He has been accused by the Jews of stirring up trouble among the people, and of telling them that it was wrong to pay taxes to Caesar.

However, Pilate soon saw that Jesus was innocent of the charges. He even declared him innocent before the religious leaders. But the religious leaders began to exert political pressure on him. They threatened to report him to Rome for letting someone they claimed was an enemy of Caesar, go free.

Now the focus shifted from Jesus to Pilate. Pilate was now the one on trial. Would he see that justice was done? Jesus made it easy for him by assuring him that his kingdom was no threat to Caesar. Pilate did struggle with it. But then he began to compromise. He tried to appease Jesus' accusers-first by having Jesus scourged, and then by releasing Barabbas. When this didn't satisfy them, he bowed to pressure and handed Jesus over to them.

Pilate knew what he had done. He called for water and washed his hands in the vain hope of cleansing himself of the stain of innocent blood. In the end, he is the one who stands condemned. With a click of his fingers he could have set Jesus free. Yet out of fear for his own position, he allowed the most innocent person ever to walk this earth to go to his death. His cowardice contrasts with the quiet courage of Jesus (and Judge Zobel.).

Today political leaders are frequently subjected to similar pressures. Pressure groups get on to them, threatening to put them out of office unless they get their way. At one time or another, all of us come under pressure. All of us find ourselves on trial.

By the way we live, especially by our attitude to truth and justice, we declare whether we are on the side of Christ and his kingdom, or whether like Pilate we take the way of evasion and cowardice. It is not possible to remain neutral.

Who judged Pilate? He judged himself. We too judge ourselves. Don't wait for the Last Judgement. It is happening now. It takes place every day, in little ways. Long before the end, people will already have judged themselves. In a thousand ways they will have already chosen for or against themselves, for or against their brothers and sisters, for or against the truth. God's judgement will not accomplish something new. It will merely show up what already is.

Let us never forget, however, that the Father's love and mercy are at the heart of the kingdom. Jesus didn't tell us to fear the last day, only to be ready for it.

What a joy it is to belong to Christ and his kingdom. To let our lives be ruled by his spirit, and in our own small way to work for the spread of his kingdom-a kingdom of truth and life, holiness and grace, justice, love and peace.

The following piece is from a liturgy resource book called Living Liturgy. It says:

On this last Sunday of the liturgical year we clearly see that Jesus' kingdom is not of this world. Even on this solemnity when we so much focus on Jesus' identity as the victorious one, we still are not far from seeing ourselves in this great mystery as well.

With respect to Jesus, this solemnity celebrates Christ as worthy of our worship because he has been the "faithful witness" who "freed us from our sins by his blood." He became incarnate and dwelt among us and didn't shrink back from anything of our human condition except sin. He persevered through our misunderstanding and obtuseness. He trusted us enough to send us out on his very mission. He died for us. He did all this before he was raised up on the third day.

With respect to us, this solemnity invites us to renew our commitment to serve him with all our hearts. It invites us to renew our self-giving stance as disciples who follow the King. In our self-giving as we are transformed so is the world because he has made us into a kingdom (second reading). The surprise of this feast is that we are God's kingdom already. We already share in his victory for we are "freed from our sins."

At the end of this liturgical year we are invited by the liturgy once again to fall in love with our King, that gentle competitor who won for us eternal life. "To him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen."

Living the Paschal Mystery

(The term Paschal Mystery refers to the death and resurrection of Christ, which is also enacted in our lives as we reflect on our "dyings" and "risings" our failures and successes. Living Liturgy has this to say about Living the Paschal Mystery as this feast.)

Self-giving service is a small price to pay for our share in this eternal glory. Living the paschal mystery means that we don't count the cost but always find strength, hope, encouragement in the glimpse of final victory that we are repeatedly given throughout the liturgical year. Living the paschal mystery means that we see the victorious Christ even in the everyday trials and difficulties that we face. Living the paschal mystery means that we are ever faithful to the rhythm of dying and rising as it unfolds every day-in our prayer, work, leisure. Living the paschal mystery means that we are "priests" (that is, mediators) for those whom we meet-that we are the body of Christ leading others to holier lives and happier commitment. If someone should then ask us. "What have you done?" (see gospel) our answer would come quickly and surely-we have served our King.

A Quote - by Rainer Maria Rilke

"Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart.

Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language.

Do not now look for the answers.

They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them.

It is a question of experiencing everything.

At present you need to live the question.

Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day."