November 22 and November 23

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

From Deacon Dick~

As we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King … we find our King hanging on a cross suffering from the jeers of those in power who are looking at their tortured and dying victim.  Doesn’t this contrast jar you a bit?  What kind of royal scene is this?  Our King isn’t ruling from throne, but from a cross … a place of defeat, humiliation and abandonment! Do we want this type of King to be the center of our lives?  What’s in it for us?  Nothing … he’s defeated and dying on a cross.  What’s in it for us?  Everything … his death opens the way to a whole new life for us … his death gives a whole new meaning to power!

We are a people who admire power.  And yet today we celebrate Christ the King who did not identify himself with the grandeur of David’s kingly rule … but with the Suffering Servant of Isaiah.  Paul gives him various titles:  Image of the Invisible God … Firstborn of all creatures … Head of the body … First born of the dead …One who is before all that exists. And, yet, he came not to exert power and dominance over people, but to reconcile us to the Father and to build relationships among the human family. 

The Church has chosen this image of our crucified King to help us wake up from our complacency by challenging us to reflect on the power each of us has and how we use it.  To what extent is Christ the King of your life?