Christ the King, A, 2002; IC 2:2 November 23, 2002

It might be that only in the Catholic Church does one find much use of the epithet, Christ ‘the King.’ Sacred Scripture may be the reason, for it tells us that Jesus once fled from an enthusiastic audience because He feared they would make Him king. There were some good reasons for our Lord to shun their conferral of kingship. Messiah is a term that denotes a great political ruler, in the likes of King David. Certainly, our Lord would not have wanted to give the wrong signal to his disciples and have them think that the purpose of his being among them was to display political clout. He had an infinitely superior reason for His coming: nothing less than the redemption of all humanity! But it’s true all the same that He is a king (He affirmed it during His passion and the inscription on the cross publicized it for all to see, in every language likely to have been understood to the denizens of Jerusalem: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”).

And so we are puzzled: if Jesus did not want to be a king (in the ordinary sense), why did He admit He was a king? Our Lord is indeed a King but with a distinctive kind of kingdom, a kingdom with a double aspect, exterior and interior. Outwardly, the kingdom of God on earth is the Church Jesus founded. It has a visible structure, a visible leader (or ‘head’) who represents Christ (this is the Holy Father); it has a priesthood, and the visible instruments of grace we call the sacraments. The internal aspect of Jesus’ kingdom is the mystical body of Christ of which He is its head, we its members, and the Holy Spirit its soul. The internal kingdom of Christ is what happens when men take in sanctifying grace: they become holy, they are united to God and to each other, and are transfused with God’s life.

For today, I want to identify just three areas of Christian life where the kingship of Christ can be concretely understood: first, in the life of our parish; then, in our Christian families; and, last, in our own individual souls. I could mention other dimensions of his kingdom too, but I want to concentrate on these three only because there’s something positive and effective you can do in extending Christ’s Lordship in each one of them.

This parish church is only a small unit in the whole structure of the Catholic Church. It’s a true house of God where all the facets of the Christian life are conducted. The kingdom of Christ finds expression here in a way that is at once the same as in every other Catholic parish and yet, in some senses, unique. This is a place where Christ is in His castle, and where His rule, His wishes, His orders are obeyed. Our priests represent Christ, especially when they perform the sacraments. The altar is the symbol of our King (which is why we blessed and honored it with incense at the opening of Mass) and His word in the Gospels is held here in solemn honor (which is why we jump to our feet when we hear it). Under the appearances of bread and wine our King is present: it is He Himself who began our Mass, and who will approach the altar to commence His sacrifice. If we obey Jesus here, take-in His words, adore Him, receive Him, and allow ourselves to be changed into His holy subjects, He’s truly the King of Assumption Grotto Church–a thought that makes a pastor happy.

A second unit in which Jesus’ kingship should be evident is our families. The family is meant to be a church in miniature, a community of grace. The husband and father is a symbol of the Lord in his household–a position that a man ought to take seriously, humbly and responsibly. When the man of the house is honored, Jesus the King is honored. The governing of the Christian family is brought to perfection by practicing love among family members. The more love, goodness, forgiveness, honesty and faith there is in a home, the more Christ reigns there as its King. The blessings of a truly Catholic home are past recounting: from the family both the Church and human society draw their membership. When the family is sound, when the family is loving, the world and the Church are prosperous and at peace.

While not everyone lives in a family, everyone can be a local province of Christ’s kingdom, what our Lord called “the kingdom of God..within you.” This, of all three forms of Christ’s kingdom, is the most hidden. He is certainly in our souls if we are in a state of grace. To borrow the traditional imagery, a Christian soul is like the Bride or the Queen of Christ its divine King and Groom. Our portion of the Imitation of Christ for today counsels us not to be too concerned about who is with you or against you, but only whether God is with you. “Keep a clean conscience and God will mightily defend you. Entrust yourself entirely to His care. God protects and delivers a humble man. Even in the midst of trouble, the humble man remains wholly at peace, for he trusts in God, not in the world.”

As today’s Gospel indicates, there will be a time when, at the end of the world, Christ the King He will show all His splendid sovereignty. Then all will be clear for everyone to see: the parish will become part of the heavenly City; our family on earth will be incorporated into the family of saints; and our soul–and someday our bodies too–will reign together with our King. Our living a devout Catholic life is our way of preparing for that great day to arrive: Thy kingdom come on earth, as in heaven!

To help advance the Kingdom of God, the Church recommends we make a solemn Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ the King on this day–for which a plenary indulgence is granted, under the usual conditions. I would like to lead you in this now, before we begin the Creed.

Please kneel and join in spirit as I pronounce the words of this prayer...