"The LORD is king, robed with majesty;..." Psalm 93:1
Reflections on the readings for The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (November 21, 2021): DN 7:13-14; PS 93:1,1-2,5; RV 1:5-8; JN 18:33-37
MISSIO offers “Preaching Mission,” as a homily help, providing connections to mission from the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days.
This day give us a special opportunity to adore Him while acknowledging and venerating the truth of God’s eternal love for His people.
We end the church year by celebrating Jesus Christ as our King. Soon we will be readying ourselves for the wonder of His birth. Right now we look ahead to Christ Triumphant, recognizing His ultimate victory over evil and the accomplishment of His Kingdom. Jesus frequently spoke about idea of the Kingdom of God, often in parables, throughout the Gospels. But, today our attention is on the scene of His judgement before Pontius Pilate. Christ is on trial for His life and Pilate questions Him, demanding to know whether or not He is the King of the Jews. “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If My kingdom did belong to this world. … You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice” (John 18:36-37). Pilate, like all the others clamoring for Christ’s death cannot understand the truth. This day give us a special opportunity to adore Him while acknowledging and venerating the truth of God’s eternal love for His people.
Our human concept of kings and kingdoms focuses on power, domination, even the right to rule over and control the lives of others. But, the Son of God came teach us something very different. He grew up in an unimportant village, known to neighbors as the Son of Mary and her husband Joseph, the local carpenter. With His public ministry, Jesus taught love, mercy and forgiveness. The poor and forgotten were cherished, the rich needed to turn away from dependence on possessions and embrace God’s will. Our King came to suffer and die for us, asking us to offer ourselves, too, for the sake of the Kingdom. Pope Benedict XVI noted that “the feast of Christ the King is therefore not a feast of those who are subjugated, but a feast of those who know that they are in the hands of the one who writes straight on crooked lines.” With compassion, Jesus Christ invites us to enter His Kingdom and claim it for our own.
