Sunday, November 24, 2024

Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King.  Very often an icon or statue of Christ the King presents Christ as we hear at the Last Judgment in Matthew: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne…
 
While the Last Judgment presents our ultimate goal, to be on the side that enters the Kingdom, we are not there yet: we are in the process of building up the Kingdom by the way we live our lives.  From that perspective, I like an icon or statue of Jesus the King as He is presented in our Gospel today: defenseless, alone, beaten with whips, crowned with thorns, and plopped in front of Pilate, the secular power whom Jesus allows to have complete control over Him.
 
This is a King who humbles Himself in a most degrading way and allows Himself to be tortured, all to bring about the Kingdom of justice, love, and peace.
 
My friends, this feast calls us to imitate Jesus, not just to win glory for ourselves, but by doing our best to bring about His Kingdom of justice, love, and peace.  There is so much unhappiness and pain in our world, so much conflict and division.  There are many who do not have the basic necessities of life.  We can’t solve it all, but we need to model our lives after our King, doing our best to bring about His Kingdom in the lives of those we are able to touch.
 
We can’t do it all. It isn’t all our work.  But we can do our part. Let us resolve to do so, as we pray: Christ, the humble King, give us the strength to follow your example in building up your Kingdom of justice, love, and peace.
 
Church sign: Make the rest of your life the best of your life!