This is a wonderful feast to celebrate at anytime but it is more significant as the final Sunday of the liturgical year.
Christ as the universal king, who reigns over all the world. But not a king who rules and lords it over everyone but as a servant king. They both don’t seem to go together.
Reason why it was instituted as a feast for the church is also interesting. It was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism, a way of life that leaves God out of man’s thinking and living and organises his life as if God did not exist. The feast is intended to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Christ’s royalty over individuals, families, society governments and nations.
Today’s Mass establishes the titles for Christ’s royalty over men:
- Christ is God, the Creator of the universe and hence wields a supreme power over all things: “All things were created by him”;
- Christ is our Redeemer, He purchased us by His precious Blood, and made us His property and possession;
- Christ is Head of the Church, “holding in all things the primacy’;
- God bestowed upon Christ the nations of the world as His special possession and dominion.
- (http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm)
When we understand the reasoning behind the Pope’s proposal we would say that Pope Francis could once again encourage everyone to reflect on our world and the danger of secularism.
We are now living, especially in Australia, in a world where affluence, wealth and possessions are the very things that concerned Pius XI.
Possibly more than in 1925 we need to seriously put God back where all things are under him not replacing him. We live in a society where, for many, all is possible. If we want it we purchase it. This probably reflects on why we are so wasteful.
We need to remember the qualities of Christ’s Kingdom. They are supreme, universal, eternal and spiritual. His Kingdom may not be of this world but we can create his kingdom among us by the way we live. If his kingdom is real and here then the King will reign amongst us.
Fr Michael Morley
Parish Priest
23 November 2018
