The Solemnity of Christ the King
The Solemnity of Christ the King: The Sinner’s King
Sunday, November 24
To All the Parishioners of the Epiphany of the Lord
It has long been a common custom to give to Christ the metaphorical title of King, because of the high degree of perfection whereby he excels all creatures. So, he is said to reign in the hearts of men, both by reason of the keenness of his intellect and the extent of his knowledge, and also because he is very truth, and it is from him that truth must be obediently received by all mankind. He reigns, too, in the wills of men, for in him the human will was perfectly and entirely obedient to the Holy Will of God, and further by his grace and inspiration he so subjects our free-will as to incite us to the most noble endeavors. He is King of hearts, too, by reason of his charity which exceedeth all knowledge. (Pope Pius XI, Encyclical Letter Quas primas, 1925, Paragraph No.7.)
On the last Sunday of every liturgical year, the Holy Mother Church celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King. The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism: a way of life which leaves God out of man thinking and living and organizes his life as if God did not exist. This feast simply calls us to humble ourselves to accept the loving reign of God and the need for God in our lives. Therefore, this feast is still needed to remind us who is our real Boss! In the Gospel text of John 18:33, Pilate asks Jesus: Are you the king of the Jews? Later John would tell us in John 19:14) that the placard that was affixed to the cross to point out to the crime of Jesus read: This is the King of the Jews. And all the four gospels agree on this interesting detail (Mathew 27:37; Mark 15:18; Luke 23:38; John 19:14).
In short, Jesus was being killed in the Roman way because of treason: he was accused of calling himself King of the Jews. But this was only a false accusation. Nowhere in the gospels do we find a text where Jesus made an explicit declaration like: I am the King of the Jews.
Dear parishioners of the Epiphany of the Lord, if we look at the temptations of Jesus that appear early in the Synoptic gospels (Mathew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13), and more spread out during his public ministry in the Gospel of John (John 6:30-31;6:15; 7:3), we see Jesus making a discernment about his kingdom and what type of a king he is going to be. Jesus has the possibility to be the king of spade – sing his power to overthrow his enemies. He does not choose this way. He has the option to be the king of diamond – using the possibility to possess the whole world and to buy people. He does not give into this. He has the opportunity to be the king of club– to use his power to perform miracles to preserve himself. He sees this as a temptation. Jesus discerns that the will of his father is that he be the king of hearts. This is not all!
However, Jesus will have to usher in the Kingdom of God through love, by appealing to the hearts of people – a kingdom that will not be brought through revolution, but through the evolution from within through the conversion of hearts. Now, this is going to take time. It will be a slow process. It entails pain and even death. He opts to be the Suffering Servant. And that is why, as the gospels describe, he ends up as a king who hangs on the Cross.
Nevertheless, the Sacred Scripture reminds us that: so, must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life (John 3:14-15). Notice how Jesus conquers souls. He shows Himself to be powerless and weak so that we can relate to Him, as we see Him relating to us. It is tempting for people, like the impenitent thief, to struggle, shout, and curse when they suffer. But it is in those crucial moments that we most need to believe, love, and hope in Christ as our King. Those are moments when the Lord can conquer us, because we see how weak and vulnerable we are, how incapable we are of saving ourselves. Hence, we are called in to surrender for: Jesus Christ is none other than the sinner’s King.
More so, the Gospel reading of this Solemnity of Christ the King places us on Calvary. It is a familiar scene: Jesus is dying on the Cross between two thieves, two criminals, and one of them asks the Lord to save him: Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom (Luke 23:42). And our Lord sees this man’s faith, love, and hope, and then promises that he will join Him in Paradise. A Psalm verse that St Paul applies to the Ascension is very apt here: Thou didst ascend the high mount, leading captives in thy train, even among the rebellious (Psalm 68:18). Have we, as a believing community, taken cognizance of the above fact.
The Solemnity of Christ the King could make our parishioners feel strange: how a king would exercise His power: by pardoning and saving sinners. Yet that is how Christ the King exercises His kingship: by conquering souls. Conquering souls one-by-one is all that He really cares about: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him (John 3:16).
Dear parishioners of the Epiphany of the Lord, in honoring Christ as our King, let us especially thank him for all the humiliations and sufferings he endured on our behalf. If our Christian way of living makes some demands on us let us not forget how trivial they are when compared with what Christ’s earthly life cost him. He made these severe sacrifices for us; we are asked to make our small offerings for ourselves. Our self-interest alone should inspire us, but our gratitude to Christ should especially move us to play our part. Let us promise to be grateful and loyal subjects of his for the rest of our days. He has made us members of his kingdom on earth—the Church—and is preparing a place for us in his everlasting kingdom. Let no one be so foolish as to forfeit an eternal happiness because of some earthly attachment to the passing things of this world.
All the Families of the Epiphany of the Lord Parish are encouraged to reflect on: people who seek after power and position, people who seek to control and take advantage of others, and people who say: I don’t need any help—Jesus is not for them. At least, they cannot receive Him as long as they are that way. Today we can choose not to be that way and to accept Christ the King on His terms. He loves us from His Cross; He loves us as we suffer on our cross. His love will conquer and save us if we will surrender to it. For He who accepted the frequent epithet friend of sinners without shame, is as unapologetically, their King. Jesus Christ is truly the King of All of Us who are Sinners in this world of ours.
We, as one believing community of the Parish of Epiphany of the Lord, need to comprehend that there is no conquering by violence, threats, or any other way that men typically use to get what they want. The Lord Jesus simply shows Himself to be all love and forgiveness and allows us to make up our minds about Him. He reveals Himself to us, suffers before us, makes Himself weak, and souls are drawn to Him as the only One who can save them: And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself (John 12:32).
I conclude my reflections, my dear parishioners, with a quote:
Christ is a King with a Heart of Flesh, like Yours; He is the Author of the Universe and of Every Creature, but He does not Lord it over Us. He Begs us to Give Him a Little Love, as He silently Shows us His Wounds. (St. Josemaria Escriva, Christ is Passing By, No. 179.)
Gracefully Yours,
Fr. John Peter Lazaar SAC & Fr. Clement Sahaya Anand SAC