“HE is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in Him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible…” (Colossians 1:15-16)
I tell my students in homiletics class that preaching is about proclaiming Jesus Christ, the King of our lives. I tell them to preach His Kingdom, which is all about goodness, mercy, forgiveness, justice, reconciliation, peace, and love. I tell them to testify to people on how these values of His Kingdom are manifested in their lives and in the people they serve —how their actions and thoughts reveal the treasures, the truth, the beauty and the mysteries of His Kingdom.
Hence, as preachers, they must show a strong conviction that Jesus Christ is the center of their lives—their meaning and purpose. And this should show not only in their ministry but also in their spirituality and prayer life. Even their intellectual pursuit is about coming to a deeper knowledge and understanding of the Kingship of Jesus Christ and the mysteries of His life, death, and resurrection.
As preachers of the Gospel, seminarians have to conform themselves to the image and likeness of Christ. Are they a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their encounter with Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race? Are they instruments of Christ’s grace? Are they men of communion as Jesus is with all human beings in all weaknesses and strengths?
This is true, not only for seminarians, but also for all Christians. Our lives must be about professing the Kingship of Jesus through our beliefs and actions. Drawing from the words of the tribes of Israel in this Sunday’s First Reading (2 Sam 5:1-13), Jesus Christ is our “bone and our flesh”. His truth, life, and ways must reign and live in all our relationships. They must also penetrate every fabric or aspect of a society and a government. As St. Paul tells us, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col 12:17)
We proclaim Christ’s Kingship always in the context of heroic service and love for all men and women. He is the King, who dies for the other; who is ridiculed, scorned, and mocked. In Him, there is no envy, greed or lust for power. He is all about service and love for the poor, the sick, the sinners, and the people in the margins of our society. He is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep.
Therefore, our proclamation of Christ’s Kingship is not restrictive, exclusive, and close to dialogue with people. Absolutely, we must present the truth of His divinity and teachings, but we must also find ways on how we can appreciate the actions of Christ and the movements of His grace in people who embrace another religion and who do not live up to the ideals of our Christian faith.
Let the Spirit of Christ then envelope our lives and fill our hearts with love for God and our neighbors. Let him dwell in our homes, schools and marketplace. Let His Spirit move us to trust and to hope, especially in times of suffering and grief. Let us fix our minds not only on His Kingdom here on earth but also in heaven, our common home!
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From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (1999-2001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of ImmAaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.
