Reflection From Father John
November 24, 2024
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We reflect this week on the kingship of Jesus. His kingship is not an earthly kingship, but something much more. The Feast of Christ the King marks the end of the liturgical year. It is held on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time before the beginning of Advent.
The Feast of Christ the King was originally instituted by Pope Pius IX in 1925 in his encyclical Quas primas (“In the first”) as a way to address growing secularism and atheism. During the early 1900s, military regimes in Mexico, Russia and parts of Europe threatened the Catholic Church and civilization at large. The institution of the Feast of Christ the King was a reminder to the world that Christ is not just King in heaven but of the entire universe. He is King of the world and of man, holding supreme authority.
In his encyclical, Pope Pius IX reminded the world that Christ must reign over our minds, wills and hearts. Pope Pius IX mentioned that Christ must, “...reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things,...” (Quas primas, 33)
This message of Christ as King of the Universe and of our hearts, minds and wills resonates just as much now as it did during the time of its promulgation in 1925. With the world in tension and multiple conflicts throughout the world, it is important to remember who is truly in control. Let us call to mind the words from the Gospel last week, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Mark 13:31) In the midst of the struggles of this life, let us put our trust and confidence in Christ and His Word. He has promised to be with us and to deliver us from all trials. This includes trials in our public life and before temporal powers. Jesus is not just the King of our private lives and of the Church, but He is King over all of creation. We must not keep this message to ourselves.
The interaction between Jesus and Pilate in the Gospel this week shows how Jesus interacted with worldly power. Christ came not to impose His Will, but to suffer out of love. Christ doesn’t seize earthly power, but rather ascents to it out of love for us, so that He can die for us and save us from our sins. Christ’s response to Pilate, “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above,” (John 19:11) shows His supremacy over Pilate’s authority. By allowing Himself to be crucified, Christ shows us that true power isn’t manifested by reigning from a golden throne or imposing one’s will on another but in the laying down of one’s life out of love for another. True power and true love consist not in obtaining earthly riches or power, but are shown through the laying down of one’s life on the throne of the Cross.