SUNDAY HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING
Theme: The Enthronement of Christ
By: Rev. Fr. Anthony O. EZEAPUTA
The primary mission of the Church is to advance the Kingdom of Christ on Earth. For this reason, she guides her members to this mission in a cycle of memorials, feasts, solemnities, and seasons (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Sacred Paschal Triduum, Easter, and Ordinary Time), which is called the Liturgical Year or Calendar. The year of the Church allows us to savor the mysteries of God that weave their way through the pages of Scripture. As a result, the Liturgical Year is intended toward the consummation of all things in Christ, both those in the heavens and those on the earth (Eph. 11:10).
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe is observed at the end of the Liturgical Year, just prior to the Advent Season, to celebrate the culmination and consummation of the entire liturgical calendar; the advancement of the kingdom of Christ. Aside from that, today’s celebration serves as a reminder of the alpha and omega points in salvation history. On a larger scale, the Solemnity of Christ the King represents the climax of all creation, the enthronement of Our Lord Jesus Christ as the King of the Universe today.
The enthronement of Our Lord Jesus Christ as the King of the Universe is both an offering and a binding of ourselves to Jesus Christ. That is, ensuring that our lives are a true reflection of the honor due to him. In other words, it entails making a daily commitment to living for Christ and accepting Him as the King of our lives, and devoting our entire lives to the work of salvation.
Additionally, the enthronement of Christ as the King of the universe involves restraining oneself from being swayed by a superficial religious sentiment that easily moves weak and vulnerable hearts to tears while leaving vice intact.
Enthronement requires familiarity with Christ, his Church, his doctrine, life, passion, and glory. It encompasses being pervaded by a vibrant and constant faith that affects not only the mind and heart but also governs and directs our behavior. “For Jesus Christ reigns over the minds of individuals by His teachings, in their hearts by His love, in each one’s life by the living according to His law and the imitating of His example” writes Pope Pius XI.
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The kingdom of Christ offers eternal life, liberates from evil, and triumphs over the dominion of death. It is a kingdom where love reigns supreme. It is a kingdom where love draws good from evil. It is a kingdom that can soften a hardened heart, that can bring peace in the midst of the most bitter conflict, and that can rekindle hope in the deepest darkness.
Saint Paul writes, “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). The kingdom of Christ is a kingdom of truth and life, holiness and grace, justice, love, and peace. Christ came “to bear witness to the truth,” as he told Pilate, and whoever accepts his witness serves beneath his “banner.” As a result, every conscience must decide. Who do I want to emulate? Is it God or the Evil One? Is it true or false?
Let us keep in mind that choosing Christ does not ensure success by worldly standards, but it does ensure the peace and joy that only he can provide. This is demonstrated throughout history by the experience of numerous men and women who, in the name of Christ, in the name of truth and justice, were able to resist the enticements of earthly powers and kingdoms in their various manifestations, even to the point of martyrdom.
Christ has already given us birth into this kingdom through baptism, and he has taught us how to live in it, though we only live in it by faith. Today, let us look forward to the day when his glory will be revealed when we will all be gathered into the kingdom of God, where we will forever sing praise to that glory. Until then, let us examine our involvement and commitment to the advancement of the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Christ, especially in our lives. Let us pray, “May your kingdom come, O, Lord.”
Homily for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.
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