JESUS CHRIST, OUR SOVEREIGN KING
Happy Feast of Christ The King! The celebration is the culmination of the liturgical year and the readings fully describe what we have been working towards all year and to declare in thanksgiving and jubilation – Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King!
The readings today bring out the meaning and significance of Jesus as King. We examine our lives and ask if Jesus truly reigns in all areas of our life and where do I resist? In the Gospel reading Luke 23, we have an unjust trial which condemned Jesus of blasphemy, stirring up the people, and assuming royalty. In this reflection, do we at times see ourselves as one of the people in the reading, and here are some suggestions - as Pontius Pilot, the man who was able to decide, who knew what he ought to do but could not do it. He was being pressurised by the crowd and his superiors, preoccupied with getting ahead; even though his wife pleaded with him not to do it. Pilot went ahead and eagerly passed Jesus to Herod, upon learning that Jesus had been brought up in Galilee which was not Pilot’s territory, and not knowing at that time that Jesus was from Bethlehem. Are we Herod, who wanted to see miracles, novelty, to see and not believe? Along the winding route of Via Dolorosa … are we Simon of Cyrene, whom the soldiers laid the cross on him, to carry the cross behind Jesus? Simon, denied himself taking up the cross and became a Christian. Are we in the group of women who mourned, wept, and had empathy? When they came to the place of the Skull, are we one of those who doubted, sceptical, scoffed – one of the criminals, the soldiers, rulers, or the crowd. Or are we the other criminal, who trusts and believes Jesus is the King. He pleaded with Jesus to remember him when He comes to His Kingdom. St. Luke proclaims Jesus as the King in our lives, even while suffering on the cross and giving His life in love. His kingdom is different from earthly kingdoms and does not wait for the perfect but to turning hearts, and is open to all who turn to Him in faith.
Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King in 1925 in the encyclical “Quas Primas” (“In the First”) to lift all the nations in the world and to proclaim that there is one King of the Universe, Jesus Christ. This was to respond to the wars and conflicts which mankind was labouring in at that time, growing secularism and atheism especially in Mexico and some parts of Europe. The cause of the conflict and strife came about as mankind had thrust the Kingship of Christ out of their personal lives and society. The encyclical reminds us that earthly kingdoms are not enduring, but Christ reigns as King forever.
We see this in the lives of the Saints: a 20th century Saint, Jesuit priest Miguel Pro in 1920 faced an anti-Church government whom took control of Mexico. The churches were closed and Priests were forced to go into hiding to save their lives. Under these circumstances, he decided to continue his ministry clandestinely using various disguises to reach the people. He would come as a beggar in the middle of the night to baptise infants, bless marriages, celebrate Mass, and anoint the sick. He would go into the jail dressed as a police officer to bring holy communion to the condemned Catholic prisoners and help to relieve the material suffering of the poor. He was eventually caught and sentenced to death. The government invited the press to the execution thinking he would want to save his life and renounce his faith, which would suppress the entire church with fear. St. Miguel Pro did not plead for his life. Instead, he knelt holding the crucifix. When he finished his prayer, he kissed the crucifix and stood up. Holding the crucifix in his right hand, he extended his arms and shouted “Viva Cristo Rey” Long Live Christ The King! The soldiers fired and killed him, and the press captured this moment. St. Miguel Pro believed Jesus is the King in his life, and gives witness to the faith. Today, “Viva Cristo Rey” is still used as a declaration of faith.
In John 18:36, Pilate asks Jesus “are you the King of the Jews” and Jesus replied “My Kingdom is not from this world.” The Kingdom of God explained by Origen, early Church Father (c. 253) taught that “Jesus is the Kingdom in person,” emphasizing that the kingdom is not a physical or worldly dominion but a spiritual reality within the person of Jesus and in the hearts of believers.
The first Reading 2 Samuel 5:1-3 recalls David’s anointing as king of Israel during the time of prophet and judge Samuel. The Israelites were oppressed by the Ammonites. Overcome by fear of the enemy, the Israelites desired to have a king like the other nations who would free them, fight their enemies, and restore their nation. They did not want to rely on God’s protection and to take responsibility for their sinful lives. Instead, they placed the blame on Samuel’s leadership. The people were not only rejecting Samuel but rejecting God. The new king would be the point of their unity rather than God. Following the death of the first king Saul, David was appointed the king of Judah and brought together the tribes into a united Israel. Jesus brings together all people and all creation. Many times, in our lives we too like the Israelites look for a king, someone we draw our identity and safety from, something we trust to come to our aid in time of our need. Our identity and security do not come from earthly kings and possessions, who eventually fail us. Our identity and security come only from Jesus, the Good Shepherd and King.
In the 2nd reading of St Paul to the Colossians 1:12-20, St Paul encourages us to give thanks to the Father who has made us worthy to share in the inheritance of His people. Christ has delivered us from the power of darkness and the Father has “created a place for us in the kingdom of the Son that He loves” (Col 1:13). “Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation” (Col 1:15) and Jesus is the one through whom all things were created, both in heaven and on earth. It reflects Christ’s supremacy; he is the centre of everything and in Him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the Church and God’s plan for salvation. At every Eucharist, we renew and celebrate this bond.
With the upcoming Advent season and the new liturgical year; let us always be reminded when in difficult times or when we fall into compartmentalization in some areas of our lives and shrink from the Kingship of Jesus. Rather than doing so, to strive and to live the challenge in the encyclical “Quas Primas” – Christ must reign as King in our minds, in our wills, in our hearts, in our bodies and in our members. In Luke 11:2, Jesus gives us The Lord’s Prayer which links us from St. Peter, St. Paul, and the apostles till today. Each time we invite Jesus into our hearts and pray “May Your Kingdom Come” in The Lord’s Prayer, in our daily prayers, at Mass and when celebrated all over the world – we find unity under Christ’s Kingship, teaching us to live in His Kingdom each day, to follow Him, to trust in His ways and to declare in jubilation, Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King (as in the hymn, link below).
To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King
To Jesus Christ, our Sovereign King,
Who is the world's salvation,
All praise and homage do we bring,
And thanks and adoration.
Refrain:
Christ Jesus Victor,
Christ Jesus Ruler!
Christ Jesus, Lord and Redeemer!
Thy reign extend, O King benign,
To every land and nation,
For in Thy kingdom, Lord divine,
Alone we find salvation.
To Thee and to Thy Church, great King,
We pledge our hearts' oblation,
Until before Thy throne we sing,
In endless jubilation.
Article by Olivia Tan, HFC Blog Contributor