This Sunday, we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, which is more popularly known as the Feast of Christ the King. While the feast has biblical roots, its observance was instituted one hundred years ago by Pope Pius XI. He did so in response to the increasing secularization of Western Civilization, whereby Christ was being pushed more and more out of the public sphere. The pope sought to remind the faithful and the world at large that Christ is King of all the world, now and always.
Before the coming of Christ, the Israelites expected the Messiah to be a great military conqueror, who would overthrow the Roman Empire, which was occupying the Holy Land at the time. In place of Roman rule, the Messiah would set up a new, glorious Israelite kingdom with Jerusalem as its capital. The new kingdom would be the strongest in the world and all the nations of the world would bow down to Jerusalem.
However, Christ proved to be a very different kind of Messiah. He came as the Suffering Servant foreshadowed in the Book of Isaiah. He came to lay his life down for the salvation of all of humanity through his death upon the Cross. Rather than breaking the bondage of the Roman Empire, he broke the bondage of sin.
He would in time enter into his glory and receive kingship, but first he had to suffer and undergo death by crucifixion. In the Gospel passage for this Sunday, we see that Christ is being mocked as king as he is hanging upon the Cross. In reality, he is the King, the King of all. But he chooses not to exercise his sovereign power, not until he has completed his mission among us to offer himself up as a sacrifice in atonement for our sins. Only after dying upon the Cross for us does Christ claim his glory as King of the Universe.
As followers of Christ, we too are promised a share in the glory of Christ, eternal glory with him in Heaven. But the path to that glory for all of us is through the Cross. We too must be crucified. True, most of us will not be physically martyred, though as our society spirals more and more out of control, we must not entirely count out that possibility. But we are all called to daily martyrdom in the giving of our lives to others. We too must lay our lives down in self-sacrifice as Christ did for us. As Christ has assured us, our sharing in his self-sacrifice will be followed by our sharing in his glory.
The Feast of Christ the King also points toward a key doctrine of the Church, the social kingship of Christ. Now that Christ has claimed his sovereign glory, his kingship is not limited to the New Jerusalem, at the end of the world. He is King of the whole universe, including of our society. As Catholics, our task is to bring society into harmony with the kingship of Christ. Our laws, our policies, our social institutions should all be aligned with the values of Christ.
Today, our society needs Christ more than ever before. As Christ has been pushed out of our culture more and more, we see a deepening sense of brokenness in the lives of people. The further we get from Christ, the more unwell people are becoming. Only the love of Christ can heal this brokenness and make us well. Whether we seek to address problems on a smaller personal scale or a grander societal scale, the love of Christ is the only answer. Only the grace of Christ can end wars justly, heal families, and restore our hearts.
To bring Christ back into our society, first we have to start with ourselves, to make Christ the King of our own lives. We should seek to place all of our actions, decisions, words, and thoughts under the authority of Christ. We should invite him to be King of every aspect of our lives. The Feast of Christ the King is also a good time to enthrone Christ formally in our homes. Either individually or together with those with whom we might be sharing our home, we should ask Christ to be the King of our home, giving him authority over everything that happens there. Only when we allow Christ to rule us fully can we become channels of his grace to all the world.
But perhaps we might feel that it is too late for us, that we have been too far from Christ throughout our lives, that we have been mired in too much sin to be transformed in such a glorious way today. If such thoughts intrude, we should remember the case of the repentant criminal, known in tradition as the Good Thief, hanging next to our Lord. The Good Thief is about to die on the cross himself when he reaches out to Christ, asking him for his mercy. Christ immediately assures him of his forgiveness and promises him a place in Heaven. As the saying goes, while there is life, there is hope. While we are still alive upon this earth, we can choose Christ. And when we do so, accepting his grace, he will remake us in his holy image.
Let us, therefore, consecrate our lives to Christ. Let us be his instruments in the world and let us be channels of his love to all people, especially those who need him the most. To consecrate our lives to Christ and to invite him to be King of our lives let us pray this prayer together today:
Consecration to Christ the King
Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, today, I consecrate my life and my home to you. I place myself, all that I am, all that I have, all that I do, under your kingship, your authority. Guide all my thoughts and actions, the whole course of my life. Help me to give you, glory, honor and praise with every aspect of my life, my whole being.
I place my home and all my possessions under your kingship, your authority. Bless all who live here, stay here, visit, or work here. Bless any animals that may enter my home. May all that happens in this place glorify you, be pleasing to you, be guided by you.
Lord Jesus, be the King of my heart, my life, my home.
Lord Jesus, King of the Universe, I praise you.
Lord Jesus, King of the Universe, I bow down before you.
Lord Jesus, King of the Universe, I worship you.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
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The readings for the The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Cycle C, are:
2 Samuel 5:1-3
Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5
Colossians 1:12-20
Luke 23:35-43
The full text can be found at the USCCB website.
Photo Credit: Roof fresco of Pantokrator, Nativity of the Theotokos Church, Bitola, North Macedonia from Wikimedia Commons.
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