An Ordered Life

A Reflection on the Second Reading for Sunday, November 26th, 2023:
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

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1 Corinthians
15.20-26, 28

​Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a man; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Happy New Year!

No, I am not getting ahead of myself. Happy new liturgical year. The Feast of Christ the King signifies for us, as Christian Catholics, the beginning of a new church year. While we enter a new cycle of scripture readings, the major feasts and seasons that constitute our liturgical year are the same: Advent, Christmas, a wee little bit of Ordinary Time, Lent, Easter, and more Ordinary Time leading us back to start the cycle again with Advent. 

There is an order to the life of our Church.  And I have to admit it is one of the things I love about our Church. The rhythm of Church life helps me to put the rhythm of my life in order.  Sure, our secular world has seasons and celebrations, but they are often one-day affairs that, while fun, are a celebration for celebration’s sake. Don’t get me wrong, I like an excuse for a good party; but the seasons and celebrations of our Church are rooted more deeply. They celebrate not a what but rather a who: Christ. Christ who is all and in all, as Saint Paul reminds us. Christ who offers me a life that is ordered. For some this can sound monotonous and maybe a little boring. Who wants the same thing year after year? Well, I like order so, to me, it is freeing and eventually fruitful because I know that each year I get another chance to “do” my Advent or Lent or other liturgical season better than the previous. Annually God gives me another chance to encounter Him actively moving and present in my life to transform me. And the absolutely greatest thing is that our God is not a God of only second chances. He is a God of many chances throughout our year and throughout our lifetimes.

And we need multiple chances. Have you seen our world? Right now we need all the God we can get! God knows that and provides us with chances to know Him and grow in Him in an orderly fashion – not because God suffers from OCD, but rather because He knows us. He created us! And I don’t know about you, but I can be a little thick, stubborn even,  thinking I’ve got it all figured out by myself. However, our God does not stop…

… pursuing me.
… proposing His love to me.
… pouring out His Spirit over me.

And God waits – ​as Saint Paul says, "each in his own order." God waits for me to order my life with His so that I can better witness Him to a world that needs to know that God orders all things for Good.


Aurea Sadi

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