May Jesus Christ be
praised and may his holy Mother pray for us.
On this Sunday we
celebrate the feast of Christ the King.
This is the final Sunday of the liturgical year. Next week we will begin the season of Advent
and our time of preparation for the feast of Our Lord’s birth. In only a few weeks, we will celebrate the
feast of the New Born King. Today,
however, our readings and the prayers of the Mass draw our focus to Jesus Christ
who is the glorious and reigning king of the universe. The Lord Jesus, the Son of David the King, is
bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh.
He is a man like us in all things but sin. He is the one, anointed by the Father with
the oil of gladness as the eternal priest and king. The Lord Jesus is the one who reconciles us
to the Father by the blood of his holy cross.
Today we celebrate that Christ our Lord has claimed dominion over all
creation so that he might present to God our Father an eternal and universal
kingdom, a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom
of justice, love and peace.
And yet, our reading
from the Gospel today does not show us an image of Christ as the triumphant
ruler. We do not see him as the judge of
the nations at the end of history or as the shepherd who protects his
flock. Today we encounter Christ on the
cross. In him is the fullness of divine
power. Through him all things, visible
and invisible, were made. He is the king
of the angels and the Lord of all history.
But today we see him scourged, and crowned with thorns, and nailed to a
cross. The king of the universe is the
crucified and suffering savior.
The crowds gathered to
acclaim David as king in our first reading.
The crowds gathered at the foot of the cross to mock the kingship of the
Lord Jesus. David had been anointed by
the prophet Samuel and had proven himself again and again in battle. The rulers and the soldiers and even a
crucified criminal demanded that Jesus prove his kingship by freeing himself
from the cross. They wanted him to
abandon the cross. They demanded a
demonstration of his divine and royal power.
And he showed mercy.
Two men were crucified
with the Lord Jesus. One mocked him, and
the other one recognized him. The good
thief saw in the face of Christ an innocent man who suffers for the guilty. He saw a man crowned with thorns and
suffering, yet one who possesses a kingdom.
Christ Jesus came into the world to establish his kingdom. Through his passion and cross, Jesus Christ
took possession of all suffering with his kingly power. He would not abandon the cross as the crowd
demanded, because to abandon the cross would be to abandon those who
suffer. Jesus Christ is king over suffering
and he is king in the midst of suffering.
And when the good thief, in the midst of suffering, called upon the name
of the Lord Jesus, his prayer was heard.
The voice of the penitent and suffering one resounded far more than the
noise of the crowd. His plea was heard
and the Lord Jesus responded with a promise: “Today, you will be with me in
Paradise.” The good thief was given a
share in the kingdom.
And we, dear brothers
and sisters, have been promised a share in the kingdom. We were claimed for the kingdom in the waters
of baptism and anointed to be like Christ as priest, prophet and king. As we now approach our suffering and glorious
king we join with him in the eternal offering to the Father. Conscious of our guilt, but more confident in
his mercy, our hearts cry out in faith and hope, “Jesus, remember me when you
come into your kingdom.” Amen.
Preached
at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Monroe, NC
