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I suggest that we should not expect a single dramatic appearance of God, but rather to a process, often hidden, that God is overseeing in our world today. It is not a momentary event, but an ongoing reality. The divine process is gradual and has been going on for a long time.

This last Sunday is dedicated to Christ the King. Pope Pius XI instituted this feast, originally on the last Sunday of October, to stand up to the communist threat of his day. I personally do not like this image of Christ. I don’t like the regal, dominative, authoritarian, patriarchal Jesus that it portrays. The other image of today’s readings is the shepherd. The shepherd feeds his flock, seeks out those who stray, even lays down his life for them. The reading from the prophet Ezekiel bemoans the false shepherds who are concerned with their own power and image. Paul to the Corinthians, our second reading today, praises Christ, the first fruits from the dead in his resurrection, who shows us all the way to new life. How beautiful and inspiring! I am thankful for the Word of God in Matthew, Paul and the prophets this year. Thanks be to God!

Father Peter and a few members of the A Faith That Does Justice (AFTDJ) team had a unique opportunity to join students at MIT for a meal and an evening of conversation. The Tech Catholic Community (TCC), the school’s internal program for Catholic students, invited Father Peter to speak about Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and the role of the church in responding to society’s most pressing challenges.