The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
The Solemnity of Christ the King was introduced to the liturgy by Pope Pius XI with the Encyclical Quas Primas of December 11, 1925 at the end of the Jubilee Year. He then ordered that in all churches that day, after the main service, before the Blessed Sacrament, the litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the act of consecrating mankind to the Sacred Heart should be said. Initially, the celebration was held on the last Sunday in October; the conciliar reform moved its date to the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Pius XI, justifying his decision, wrote:
“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 exceeded all knowledge." And his mercy and kindness which draw all men to him, for never has it been known, nor will it ever be, that man be loved so much and so universally as Jesus Christ.
But if we ponder this matter more deeply, we cannot but see that the title and the power of King belongs to Christ as man in the strict and proper sense too. For it is only as man that he may be said to have received from the Father "power and glory and a kingdom,"[2] since the Word of God, as consubstantial with the Father, has all things in common with him, and therefore has necessarily supreme and absolute dominion over all things created.” (Quas Primas, nr.7)
This Solemnity is to make us aware that Christ is the King of all creation - the universe. His reign does not result from any achievement, election or winning this dignity. He is King because He is God-Man, Creator and Redeemer. It is for this reason that he has absolute power. God not only created the world, but continues to create and rule it. The kingdom of Jesus is quite different from all kingdoms on earth. It concerns all nations, all places and all times. It already exists in the Church, although it has not yet been fully completed. That is why, in our daily prayer that Christ himself left us, we cry out with hope: Your kingdom come!
Although Christ never wore a royal crown, did not hold a scepter in his hand, and did not sit on the royal throne, the title of King is fully due to him, and to an extent that no ruler of the world has had.
Land rulers acquire royal title through inheritance, nomination, and conquest. All three titles give Christ full right to the crown and supreme authority. As a man, in his human nature, he descended in a direct line from the King of Israel, David. This is shown by the Evangelists, who give his genealogy (cf. Mt 1: 5-16; Lk 3: 23-38). In the chosen people this truth was so well known that he was commonly called the Son of David (cf. Mt 22: 41-46; Mk 12: 35-37; Lk 1:27, 32; 20: 41-44; 2 Tim 2: 8; Rev 22:16). Thus, by blood and inheritance, Christ was entitled to the title of King.
Moreover, Christ is the Son of God, equal to God in nature, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. As such, he is the Lord of heaven and earth, the supreme and absolute Lord, to whom all earthly kingdoms cannot be compared. To emphasize this universal dominion of Jesus, the liturgy added to the title "King" the complement of "the Universe".
Christ's reign is universal and occurs first as an internal process and only then as external acts. It is to improve man and follow the path of holiness. Christ does not reign as an imposed ruler; He is to rule over man through personal choice. Accepting Christ as King is not submission to slavery but, on the contrary - true liberation from evil and sin. It is the transition from death to life, from dark to light. In the perspective of the crucified King, a Christian change himself and then also changes the environment of his life. The new man, Homo Dei, makes a new world around him. He does so with grace and in harmony with God's plan of creation and salvation.
For many, the celebration itself appears to be a remnant of triumphalism or imperialism. Meanwhile, Christ's reign is accomplished through service and sacrifice, up to handing over himself. The king is crucified and constantly bears the marks of his torment. That is why Jesus, as king, reminds us of his passion and death, because in them the fullness of God's love was revealed. Staring at Christ the King is also discovering the love of God that transforms what from the human perspective seems to be a loser. Love led Christ to the cross and now flows from it to all mankind. Christ loved every human being and somehow became one with each of them. Hence, the discovery of God's love open to every human being should be an impulse to live love towards others. Let us love one another, because God has loved us first (cf. 1 Jn 4). This love must be unconditional and universal. God in Christ saves everyone, and therefore a Christian should not neglect his love for other people. After all, everyone needs to know the only Savior. The missionary dimension of the solemnity of Jesus Christ the King of the Universe is essential and obvious; after all, it corresponds to God's saving plans. Pope Benedict XVI justified the idea of the universality of Christ's kingdom as follows:
“[…]it is not a kingship of political power, but is based solely on the free adherence of love – a love which, for its part, is a response to the love of Jesus Christ who gave himself for all. I think that above all we must learn these two things over and over again – universality and catholicity. This means that no-one can propose himself, his culture, his generation and his world as an absolute. It means that we all have to accept one another, renouncing something of ourselves. Universality includes the mystery of the cross – going beyond ourselves, obeying the communal word of Jesus Christ in the communal Church. Universality is always a transcending of ourselves, a renunciation of something that is ours. Universality and the cross go together. Only thus is peace created.” (Benedict XVI, Homily, April 5, 2009)
Jesus is King, and His reign is based on people transformed by His grace and joined by His love. This is the message of the Sunday celebration, which invites you to look not beyond yourself, but into your own hearts and answer the question of how much (or still) there is room for God and His Gospel.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george