(November 20, 2010) The Feast of Christ the King celebrated on the last Sunday of
the Liturgical year. The feast of Jesus Christ the Universal King was instituted by
Pope Pius XI in 1925 and is observed on this Sunday as it helps us to meditate on
the Second and Final Coming of Christ, the last Judgment, and the end of the world.
The Solemnity of Christ the King is a newer feast in the Catholic Church. The pontiff
was witness to a turbulent time in the world’s history. Secularism was on the rise
and dangerous dictatorships were emerging in Europe and beyond. Christ had long been
referred to as King, but Pope Pius XI and the Christian faithful saw the respect and
reverence for Christ’s authority waning in the midst of the unrest during the first
part of the 20th century. In response, the feast was set with the intent to reaffirm
and refocus faith and respect in the kingship of Jesus. Clearly “King” was one of
the earliest titles given to Jesus the Son of God. The title does not refer to a status
of an earthly king, which many of the Jews had been expecting; rather he came to be
the spiritual king of the Universe. From the dawn of civilization, kings have arisen
who have dreamed of possessing a world-wide dominion, a universal kingdom that would
last forever. Some have come close to conquering much of the known world, like Alexander
the Great, Genghis Khan, Augustus Caesar, and Adolf Hitler, to name a few. And some
kingdoms have lasted a very long time and others but a few years. These persons portrayed
their power and physical strength and often ruled people with authority and pride.
The feast of Christ the King celebrates the fact that there is one who is remarkably
different. He came to serve all, even His enemies. He truly was a Son of Man, with
a vulnerable human nature and at the same time truly Son of God. Not in some mythological
sense, like the Pharaohs, or the wishful thinking sense, like the Caesars, but really
and truly, the Immortal, the Eternal king, taking the form of a mortal man in a specific
time in history. To all intents and purposes, Christ, on the cross, was the perfect
picture of defeat. His enemies derided and mocked Him; his companions, with the exception
of John and a few women, had abandoned Him. It remained for one of the thieves crucified
with Him to recognise Christ for what He was a King and he asks for a place in his
kingdom and receives it. Pope Pius XI hoped the institution of the feast would
have various effects. The Pontiff felt that nations would see that the Church has
the right to freedom, and immunity from the state. Secondly that leaders and nations
would see that they are bound to give respect to Christ. Finally that the faithful
would gain strength and courage from the celebration of the feast, as we are reminded
that Christ must reign in our hearts, minds, wills, and bodies. Today, the same distrust
of authority exists, although the problem has gotten worse. Individualism has been
embraced to such an extreme, that for many, the only authority is the individual self.
The idea of Christ as ruler is rejected in such a strongly individualistic system.
Also, many balk at the idea of kings and queens, believing them to be oppressive.
Some even reject the titles of "lord" and "king" for Christ because they believe that
such titles are borrowed from oppressive systems of government. However true these
statements might be Christ's kingship is one of humility and service. Jesus said that
those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their
great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to become great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes
to be first among you will be the slave of all. Many in today’s democratic set
up will discover that the title "King" does not register too well. Hence they feel
that a better image of today's Feast is achieved by presenting it as the Feast of
Christ the Leader. Leadership is the theme of the feast day Mass, as we have seen
in the different readings. And it is an important theme for us, as Christians, to
consider. All of us, some time or other would like to think of ourselves as leaders.
Listen to the average conversation and we find that there is little done by others
that we could not have done better. It is easily said that our national leaders are
fools; our sporting heroes make shocking errors of judgement; our civic fathers would
be dangerous if they were endowed with brains; and if only our Bishops knew half as
much as the average assistant priest, the Church could be so much better. But despite
all their machinations, pretensions, and self-glorifying monuments, the great rulers
of the earth all proved mortal like anybody else. They had their day in the sun only
to disappear. Their kingdoms, too, ultimately passed away, leaving abundant ruins
for generations of tourists and archaeologists to explore. The feast of Christ
the King celebrates the fact that there is one who is remarkably different. He came
to serve all, even His enemies. He truly was the God-man, divine and yet with a vulnerable
human nature. Jesus knew the oppressive nature of secular kings, and in contrast to
them, he connected his role as king to humble service, and commanded his followers
to be servants as well. In other passages of Scripture, his kingdom is tied to his
suffering and death. While Christ is coming to judge the nations, his teachings spell
out a kingdom of justice and judgment balanced with radical love, mercy, peace, and
forgiveness. When we celebrate Christ as King, we are not celebrating an oppressive
ruler, but one willing to die for humanity and whose "loving-kindness endures forever."
Christ is the king that gives us true freedom, freedom in Him. Thus we must never
forget that Christ radically redefined and transformed the concept of kingship. The
Scriptures speak of Jesus as God and also as King. This infant without a home was
legally the son of Joseph, the son of David, as his genealogy tells us. In Mary’s
womb he was begotten of the Holy Spirit. But in obedience to God, Joseph adopted him
named the child Jesus, thus becoming his legal father. So Joseph and Jesus were not
biological father and son, but legal father and son, and, therefore, the throne of
David belonged legally to Jesus. In the annunciation narrative we have the angel
Gabriel bringing the good news to Mary in Nazareth, saying, "He will be great and
will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his
ancestor David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will
never end." This is the fulfilment of the promise that God made to David as we read
in the second book of Samuel. Jesus Christ is David’s royal son. There are no more
kings coming after him, because this Son will never die. His kingdom is for ever and
ever. When the Magi come to Jerusalem they ask "Where is the one born king of the
Jews?" The priests inform them that he is born in Bethlehem. Here Jesus Christ, the
one whose origins are from eternity, the baby who was born of a virgin in Bethlehem,
is presented as the ruler of Israel. We find another reference to the kingship of
Jesus Christ in Matthew during his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Here people call
him son of David and greet him as a king. This refers back to the Old Testament prophesy,
“See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of
a donkey."’ Later during his passion when Jesus is placed before Pilate, he is asked
the question ‘are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replies."
Here we see in Jesus’ own words his claim to be King. Finally before his Ascension
Jesus tells his disciples: ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to
me.’" He is the king of the universe, ruling over all. The Apocalyptic vision and
the final coming tell us: In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was
one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient
of Days and was led to his presence. He was given authority, glory, and sovereign
power over all peoples. Nations and men of every language worship him. His dominion
is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will
never be destroyed. During his life Jesus preaches the Kingdom of God and openly
tells the disciples to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. It means
we must put God first in our lives. It means we must come under the rule of this God/King,
Jesus Christ. It means we must confess with our mouths, Jesus is Lord, and do what
he says. As God and King, he alone is sovereign and can alone say, "All authority
in heaven and on earth is given to me." He alone is King of kings and Lord of Lords. Christians
have long celebrated Jesus as Christ, and his reign as King is celebrated to some
degree in Advent, Christmas, Holy Week, Easter, and the Ascension. But Jesus is a
king of unique nature. Rather than destroying His opponents, He forgave them. Rather
than dominating His subjects, He exalted them. He even called them not servants,
but friends, and bestowing on them a share in His priesthood and kingship. Though
He died, like other kings, it was for a different purpose than Augustus in his bed
or Hitler in his bunker. He died willingly to save His people, and His death was
not a result of a battle lost or a plan gone awry, but of a glorious victory planned
before the world began. He rose in glory, which can’t be said for the rest of them.
And at His heavenly coronation, when He ascended to His Father, He was given what
all the rest lusted for namely, a worldwide dominion that will not pass away. The
true King, however, is biding His time. He will return and suddenly things will be
seen as they truly are. His coming will sweep away ambition, vanity, and pretensions,
and much of what now appears important will look very empty. No longer will oppression
be allowed to stand; the innocent will finally be liberated from those who victimize
them. This dominion will truly be universal and all will recognise him. Jesus
knew perfectly well the oppressive nature of secular kings, and in contrast to them,
he connected his role as king to humble service, and commanded his followers to be
servants as well. Scripture tells us that the kingdom of Jesus is different, tied
closely to his passion and death, leading finally to his resurrection. At the same
time he is a benevolent king manifesting mercy forgiveness and love. Hence when we
celebrate Christ as King, we are not celebrating an oppressive ruler, but one willing
to die for humanity and whose "loving-kindness endures forever." Christ is the king
that gives us true freedom, freedom in Him. Thus we must never forget that Christ
radically redefined and transformed the concept of kingship. Christ Himself speaks
of His own kingly authority in His last discourse, as he explains the rewards and
punishments that will be the eternal lot of the just and the damned. After His resurrection,
when giving to His Apostles the mission of teaching and baptizing all nations, He
took the opportunity to call Himself king, confirming the title publicly, and solemnly
proclaimed that all power was given Him in Heaven and on earth. These words can only
be taken to indicate the greatness of his power, the infinite extent of His kingdom.
What wonder, then, that He Whom St. John calls the "prince of the kings of the earth"
appears in the Apostle's vision of the future as he who has put on his garment and
on his person written, 'King of kings and Lord of lords!'." It is Christ whom the
Father has appointed heir of all things; for he must reign until at the end of the
world He hath put all his enemies under the feet of God and the Father. Pope Benedict
XVI during his Angelus Message on the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King
of the Universe said: We know from the Gospels that Jesus refused the title of king
when this was intended in a political sense, along the lines of the "kings of the
nations". Instead, during his passion, he took upon himself a singular regalness before
Pilate, who asked him: "Are you a king?" and Jesus replied: "You say I am a king";
but shortly before this he declared: "my kingdom is not one of this world". The royalty
of Christ, in fact, is the revelation and accomplishment of God the Father, who governs
all things with love and justice. The Father entrusted to his Son the mission of giving
eternal life to man, loving him even unto the supreme sacrifice, and at the same time
conferring on him the power of judgment, from the moment he became Son of man, like
us in every way. The Gospel insists upon the universal royalty of Christ the Judge,
with the magnificent parable of the final judgment. The images are simple, the language
is common, but the message is extremely important: it is the truth on our ultimate
destiny and on the criteria with which we will be valued. "I was hungry and you gave
me food, I was thirsty and you gave me to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed
me" and so forth. Who isn't familiar with this? It's a part of our civilization. It's
marked the story of the peoples of Christian culture: the hierarchy of values, institutions,
and the host of beneficial social works. In effect, the reign of Christ is not of
this world, but brings to completion all the good that, thanks be to God, exists in
man and in history. If we put into practice our love for our neighbour, according
to the Gospel message, we then pave the way for the lordship of God, and his kingdom
is realized by means of us. If instead each one thinks only of his own interests,
the world can't help but go forward in ruins. The Church year ends awaiting the
return of Christ, when evil will be defeated and Jesus will begin his reign as King
of kings. The Second Vatican Council moved the feast to this final Sunday to make
it coincide with the ending of the liturgical year. Christ’s kingdom begins in the
community of people who live in a new and different way because of God’s presence
in their lives. This kingdom community will always contrast with earthly political
and social systems; we cannot disconnect our relation to God from our relations with
others. Celebrating Christ’s kingship gives us an opportunity to proclaim the good
news that his second coming brings joy rather than fear, hope rather than despair.
We are cleansed and renewed and brought closer to our God. How appropriate it is to
sing hymns and carry banners on this feast day of our King.