This weekend we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King and It is the Last Sunday of the Liturgical year. This reminds us that Jesus is the source of every intelligence and intellect, He is the powerhouse of every discovery and invention and He is the ultimate in conquering any problem or difficulty.
“God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians: 2:9-11). Jesus is the King of the Universe, we believe that the powers are subjected to Him and we are called to submit our hearts and will to Him. This is because Jesus is love itself. He is the good. By submitting ourselves to him, we are pursuing the highest good we possibly can. The Magi from the East came to Jerusalem and asked the question: (Mt. 2:2) “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” The answer to this question is very much found at the end of the Gospel, with Jesus hanging on the Cross and a statement which reads in Mt 27:37, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”! No land to reign, but our hearts, No majestic throne, but the Cross, No mighty army, but a few people to spread His word, No royal treats all the time, but pain and suffering that leads to salvation and No grand fiesta, but the sacrifice of the Calvary, in the Most Holy Eucharist. This King – along with His Blessed Mother, the Queen of heaven and earth, who stood at the Foot of the Cross with absolute faith, hope and love – invites us to renew our commitment to Him. In God’s kingdom, Royalty is less, but faithfulness is assured and Popularity is rare, but blessings are plenty! What is the kingdom of God? Here is a beautiful explanation given by Gerald Darring (St. Louis University: Center for Liturgy): The Kingdom of God is a space. It exists in every home where parents and children love each other. It exists in every region and country that cares for its weak and vulnerable. It exists in every parish that reaches out to the poor and needy. The Kingdom of God is a time. It happens whenever someone feeds a hungry person, or shelters a homeless person, or shows care to a neglected person. It happens whenever we overturn an unjust law, or correct an injustice. It happens whenever people join in the struggle to overcome poverty, to erase ignorance, to pass on the Faith. The Kingdom of God is in the past in the life and work of Jesus of Nazareth; it is in the present in the work of the Church and in the efforts of many others to create a world of goodness and justice; it is in the future reaching its completion in the age to come. The Kingdom of God is a condition. Its symptoms are love, justice, and peace. Jesus Christ is king! We pray that God may free all the world to rejoice in his peace, to glory in his justice, to live in his love. Dear friends, the solemnity of Christ the King encourages us to celebrate and live out our faith in public.
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