Homilies & Reflections
The Solemnity Of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King Of The Universe By Rev. Fr. Lucas Binnah Junior, C.S.Sp
We can’t pray ‘Your kingdom come’ without also praying ‘my kingdom go.’
– David Payne (an English Actor)
First Reading: II Samuel 5:1-3/Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 122:1-2.4-5 (R. cf. 1) Second Reading: Colossians 1:12-20/Gospel Accl.: Mark11:9b.10a/Gospel: Luke 23:35-43
Theme: A King Who Condemns Nobody!
A solemnity is the highest liturgical celebration in comparison with feasts and memorials. As such, today’s solemnity, Christ the Universal King, deserves some form of high moments especially regarding its historical perspective. It was Pope Pius XI who instituted it in 1925 through his encyclical letter, Quas Prima (Latin: “In the first”) in response to growing nationalism and secularism in an era where the world witnessed the rise of non-Christian dictators especially in Europe, and in particular, in the context of the unresolved Roman Question under the fascist leader Benito Mussolini. Elsewhere in Germany, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party was growing in power and influence. This was also a period during which the world was experiencing a great depression after the First World War (1914-1918). With these undertones, many people began to doubt Christ’s authority and existence and the Church’s mandate to continue Christ’s work on earth.
In effect, secularism, which in the words of G. J. Holyoake (1851) means “a way of life which leaves God out of human’s thinking and living, and organises human life as if God does not exist,” had called for the separation of religion from civic life and state of affairs. Thus, respect for Christ’s authority was waning in a world bent on self-destruction and turning towards itself. According to Pope Pius XI, “…evils in the world were due to the fact that majority of men had thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives…And as long as individuals and states refused to submit to the rule of our Saviour there will be no really hopeful prospect of a lasting peace among nations…”. Hence, the institution of this celebration was first aimed at those abusing political power, and then intended to remind rulers of countries, legislators, members of the judicial and civil societies, and Christian leaders, to imbue in themselves the values of Jesus’ Kingdom such as love, humility, justice, peace, obedience and harmony, as well as, faith in God.
Originally, the solemnity was titled: “Our Lord Jesus Christ the King,” and celebrated on the last Sunday of October, a week prior to the Solemnity of All Saints. But in 1969, Pope Paul VI gave it a new title: “Our Lord Jesus Christ King of the Universe” and a new date, the last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year, that is, the thirty-fourth Sunday in ordinary time. It is a solemnity celebrated not only by Catholics, but also, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians and others. The eschatological significance of this new date is that, it puts emphasis on the fact that in the final analysis, at the end of everything, it is Christ who matters, who rules and who judges.
Going to the readings, we see in the first, how David is made King by God over the Israelites, and was favoured by both the former and the latter. We read thus: “All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said: ‘Behold, we are your bone and flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you that led out and brought in Israel; and the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’… and they anointed David king over Israel” (II Sam. 5:1-3). David’s kingship brought justice, peace and progress. It was the golden age of Jewish history. More than this, God wants us to expect and work for the reign of Christ in our lives and in our world so as to experience his blessings and favours.
In this regard, St. Paul highlights in the second reading, what the reign of Jesus Christ does for us. He says: “He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13). A king wields power (Greek: Dunamis) and exercises authority (Greek: Exousia). Indeed, with his almighty power, God as King exercises exousia for our good. In ancient times, when a kingdom conquers another, it transfers the vanquished people lock, stock and barrel to its own territory. This is what Jesus did for the repented thief on the cross. Consequently, Jesus assured him: “Truly I say to you, today, you will be with me in Paradise” (Lk. 23:43). This criminal was rescued from the power of Satan to the power of God. In the words of William Barclay, “Without God men are slaves to their fears, to their sins and slaves to their own helplessness. In Jesus Christ there is liberation.” This is what we too must expect if we surrender fully to Christ! Notice that Christ himself was immobilised by the nails on the cross, yet, in this seeming ‘weakness’, his power was not lost but manifested fully to the extent of granting access to paradise to the good thief (cf. II Cor. 12:9). So, as Christians, when it seems we are at our wits’ end, our lowest ebb, and all the difficulties hem us in, even at that point, God’s power is able to save us!
Jesus is the perfect and complete revelation of God, the visible face of the invisible God, so, Paul tells us: “He is the image of the invisible God…For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven…” (Col. 1:15, 19-20). Paul is saying that if you want to see what God is like, look at Jesus, for nothing more is necessary! Hence, Jesus is not an emanation from God; he is God, and this is the profound truth we deny to our own detriment! Jesus himself tells Thomas: “If you knew me, you would know the Father also; indeed, from now on you know him and you have seen him… Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn. 14:7, 8-9). He has absolute power over the whole universe. It belongs to him for he created it. All the host of heaven: Angels, Archangels, Thrones, Dominions, Authorities, Principalities, Cherubim and Seraphim occupying different spheres of the seven heavens are not just incomparable to him, but absolutely inferior to Jesus! He is supreme over all things – life, death, everything nameable and unnameable. Indeed, Christ is the universal King! If Christ is the real king whose reign is boundless, limitless and eternal, then the earthly positions we temporarily occupy should not make us arrogant and behave like immortals, ‘untouchables’ and demigods! Whichever situation and condition we find ourselves as leaders in society, be it in religion or politics or education or economics or business or any profession or job or whatsoever, we must be humble and be subjects to God. We must work for justice without which peace is a mirage! We must live in love, harmony and faith, not in hatred, bigotry, unbelief and violence.
This is what the good thief did in Calvary. First, even in his sinfulness and near-death condition, he sincerely acknowledged Christ as king and personal saviour. He prayed thus: “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingly power” (Lk. 23:42). He was contrite and repented of his sin. He surrendered totally to the authority of Christ who rescued him from the dominion of darkness into his kingdom of light, peace and salvation. What the thief did was to command righteousness into and sin out of his life. A king commands! By our baptism, we also share in the kingship of Christ, and like the good thief, we also have to command holiness into and sin out of our lives.
Be that as it may, some wonder why Christ, if he is God, allowed himself to be ‘humiliated’ on the cross. In other words, if Jesus Christ is God, and God has almighty power, then why did he even suffer and die on the Cross? How can God suffer? Does this not lead people to question the impassibility of God? This was the drama at the foot of the cross on Mount Calvary as we read today’s Gospel. We are told that: “The rulers scoffed at Jesus, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” (Lk. 23:35). Some others even mocked God saying: “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!” (Lk. 23:37). Yet, the so-called humiliation of God ultimately shows forth his almighty power! In each person is the survival instincts. No one in his right or normal senses will choose to die if there is another option to live! Therefore, if our worst fear and worst enemy is death, then the one who willingly submits to death and rises from death on the third day never to die again, is the most powerful and incomparable being there can be! No one has been able, is able and will ever be able to do this except Jesus! This is the God we all must fear and surrender to his reign! Let us not be secularists and drive God out of our lives like the characters in the Gospel, when they drove him away to Calvary to crucify him!
We must chance it when opportunity knocks at our door. Writhing in physical pain unworried about his terrible state of sin and the impending perpetual loss of his soul, the other criminal screamed at Jesus unbelievingly: “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us! (Lk. 23:39). This is what sin does to us if allowed to rule us. It not only enslaves us, it also makes us blind to salvation and miss eternal life even when it stands before us free of charge! We must hate sin and flee from it.
Beloved in Christ, God is for everybody. There is no length his love would not go to save us; no limitation to his forgiveness. Nonetheless, this is not a carte blanche for us to go on sinning. Rather, is our opportunity to repent. He loves us deeply and the purpose of his love is to save us. Our response to his love must be a life of holiness whereby all aspects of our lives are surrendered to the control and direction of God. He must reign in our lives and in our world! We must stop complaining and do the needful as human beings and particularly as believers in God. If we let God into our lives, we will find the peace we seek. It is our own actions and inactions which condemn us. However, if we repent and believe, we will find forgiveness, healing and restoration.
We are assured: “Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For, in Jesus Christ the Law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the Law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:1-2). We have to hand over the car keys of our lives to him and he will drive us safely to our destination in eternity. If he is the captain of the ship of our lives, he will securely navigate us even in the midst of the turbulent and stormy sea. May all the things which prevent us from surrendering totally to Christ lose their hold on us. We pray that all who are suffering from various addictions, weaknesses, fears, existential problems and diseases may find strength and hope in the kingship of Christ. May your Kingdom come, and our own kingdom go, oh Lord! Happy Solemnity and may God richly bless us! Remember we serve: #A-King-Who-Condemns-Nobody#
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