JESUS CHRIST THE UNIVERSAL KING
Dear Friends,
Greetings in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe! With the celebration of the solemnity of Christ the King, we come to the end of the liturgical year. Instituting this Feast of Christ, the King in 1925, Pope Pius XI proclaimed: “Pax Christi in regno Christi” (the peace of Christ in the reign of Christ). This means that we live in the peace of Christ when we surrender our lives to him every day, accept him as our God, Saviour and King and allow him to rule our lives.
The title “Christ the King” has its roots both in Scripture and in the whole theology of the Kingdom of God. In most of the Messianic prophecies given in the Old Testament books of Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, Christ the Messiah is represented as a King.
There are many New Testament texts that refer to the Kingship of Jesus:
a) In the Annunciation, recorded in Lk 1:32-33, we read: “…and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the House of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there will be no end.” In fact, the Kingdom of God is the centre of Jesus’ teaching, and the phrase “Kingdom of God” occurs in the Gospels 122 times, of which 90 instances are uses by Jesus.
b) The Magi from the Far East came to Jerusalem and asked the question: (Mt 2:2) “Where is the Baby born to be the King of the Jews? We saw His star… and we have come to worship Him.”
c) During the royal reception given to Jesus on Palm Sunday, the Jews shouted: (Lk 19:38) “God bless the King, who comes in the name of the Lord.”
d) During the trial of Jesus Pilate asked the question: “Are you the king of the Jews?” (Jn 18:33) Jesus replied: “you say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the Truth” (Jn:18:37)
e) The signboard hung over Jesus’ head on the cross read: “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.”
f) Finally, in today’s Gospel (Matthew 25:31) Jesus is revealed as Son of Man in Glory, as the King who judges justly.
The Solemnity of Christ the King is in fact a summary of our lives as Christians. On this great feast, let us resolve to give Christ the central place in our lives. When we accept Jesus as the King of our lives, then everything else will fall into its place.
May all of us thus, come to hear the words of the King: “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.”
God’s Blessings!
Fr. Joy
