The Feast of Christ the King November 26, 2023 Those poor goats. What did they do to be cast as the bad guys? Goats are nice animals. They’re very helpful to humans. It doesn’t seem fair to make them a metaphor for all things mean and unjust. Well, a lot of Jesus’ parables use these kinds of absolute binaries: wise vs. foolish bridesmaids, wheat vs. weeds, sons who give lip service vs. sons who get the job done. Binary options like this accentuate contrasts between ideas. In the real world, of course, things are rarely black and white. Interestingly, some sheep breeds common in that part of the world look quite a bit like goats, and they are often grazed together. Separating them may require the Shepherd’s practiced eye. More about sheep and goats later. This last Sunday before Advent is known as the Feast of Christ the King, so I want to start with some thoughts on that idea. Once on a Christ the King Sunday in the Diocese of Chicago—the land of smells, bells and well-used