SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING

 

Readings: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17

1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28
Matthew25: 31-46

 

 

"Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one
of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

 

 

With the 1925 decree of Pius XI promulgating the feast of Christ the King, its devotion acquired a universal character. At a time when the world was thorn by crises of many sorts brought about mainly by the First World War, the Pope wasted to reassure the people that the God whom we adore is a God who really cares. He is the king of kings, the Prince of Peace.

 

At first, the feast of Christ the King was celebrated on the last Sunday of October, perhaps to stress a militant church. With it, the feast of All the Saints on November 1 (which emphasizes the church triumphant), and the feast of All the Faithful Departed on November 2 (which reminds us of the church suffering), form a thematic succession. But with Vatican II, the feast of Christ the King became more and more integrated into the liturgical calendar. And as we have it now, it is celebrated on the last Sunday of the year, giving its full theological significance that Christ is the climax of history. Thus, today's depicts Jesus' kingly image at the end-time: coming in glory, sitting upon his glorious throne. As a righteous king, he is also a just judge separating the good from the wicked, giving them due reward and punishment. Let us, then, meditate on the kingship of Christ as we celebrate this great solemnity.

 

1. Christ is king because he is the fountain of life, the Creator of all, the source of everything that is good. Although the kingship of Christ takes its triumphant image at the end-time, the idea of Christ's kingship must not only be focused on the last judgment event, but must be holistic as to start it from the beginning of the world. If Christ is indeed to be hailed as king of the universe, his kingship must be thought of along with the life of the universe. In this context, we know in biblical literature that the Word that created the world and everything in it is the very same Word who became flesh for the salvation of man. In short, the Word of Creation is the Word of the Incarnation.

 

The universal lordship of Christ, therefore, goes with the life of the world. His self-manifestation as God, his “theophany” is evident every creature, from the most insignificant to the most magnificent work of creation. St. Bonaventure once beautifully compared the whole of creation to a book, which pages are the very works of God's creation. Thus, the more one gets closer into creation, the more he discovers and knows the Creator, The kingship of Christ is indeed made manifest in every comer of the universe. Thus, St. Paul emphatically describes the lordship of Christ over the different levels of life: "Everything in heavens, on the earth and under the earth shall proclaim to the glory of God the Father: Jesus Christ is Lord!" (Phil 2:10-11).

 

2. But not only is the presence of Christ made manifest in his creation. He is also most present in us, especially in the poor. His presence in the poor and the needy is vicarious; meaning, every poor and the needy take the place of Christ on earth. And since every needy is a neighbor, Christ becomes the living image of a neighbor: "Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me…” Here, we see that Christ is king not because he is over and above us (although for all reasons he truly is), but because he is with us, among us and like us. He identifies himself with us. And in the gospel, he identifies himself mostly with the poor and less fortunate. A closer look, therefore, leads us to the truth that the kingship of Christ is a kingship of service.

 

This kingship of service is well portrayed in the gospel image of the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd serves so well because above all, he knows his sheep and his sheep know him (cf Jn 10:14). Indeed, he knows his sheep by heart, and so, he understands even the unspoken sentiment of his sheep. That is why he always comes at his side to comfort him when sad, to feed him when hungry, to give him a drink when thirsty, to give him warmth when feeling cold, to lead him back when astray, and to search for him when lost. Such is the Good Shepherd who dares leave the ninety-nine just to rescue a single soul (cf Lk 15:4-7). Christ the King reigns as a Good Shepherd. For such reason, at the end-time, Christ as King will also behave like a shepherd separating the goats from the sheep. And as he reigns as a Good Shepherd, he makes "shepherding" as the gauge of dispensing his most righteous verdict.

 

3. At baptism, we share the three-fold office of Christ, namely, his being a priest, a prophet, and a king. Thus, by baptism, we too are "king" in the name of Christ or "king" according to the kingship of Christ. In other words, we share the kingship of Christ by vocation, by our call to faith. In this sense, we are called to live out the kind of shepherding, which the Good Shepherd has laid upon us as an example. And as we know, the only way into the sheep gate is to be like the Good Shepherd, or at least to behave like a sheep and not like a goat.

 

But sadly, we want to appear like a sheep while behaving like a goat. This puts us into life's one big irony. And worse, it is our piety and fanaticism, which at times put us into this great malady. Look. We give so much respect and reverence to relics and images, that we cannot afford even the slightest offense against them either by words or by actions. Any unlikely word or act, or even jokes, are considered irreligious, sacrilegious, uncatholic. This may be a good practice of religiosity if only we can translate it into our concrete dealings with our neighbors. But most often, while we are giving such religious respect to images, we don't give the same care and respect to our neighbors who are in fact the living images of our Lord. Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.

 

This is what we greatly miss, and perhaps fail to correct for so long a time. Worse, we sometimes even re-enforce this attitude by our wrong sense of justice. We pray a lot of novenas, recite the rosaries and do other acts of devotions in order to compensate the many transgressions we made against our neighbors. Or else, we put some considerable amount of money in the donation or collection box or offer our bills for mass intentions, hoping to cover up the omissions we did to the needy whom we meet in the streets or who perhaps even knock at our doors.

 

Today's gospel must redirect us to the very fundamentals of our faith. This must teach us about the true meaning of Christ's kingship. Whereas we have gone far complicated with our devotions and prayers, the gospel message remains steadfastly the same. Our faith and morality, which ought to reign amidst Christ's kingship, must consist in the relationship we have with our fellow. Our conduct and behavior are called to be in harmony with that particular norm, which demands of our love and concern for others. After all, our salvation shall be measured according to one particular standard, i.e., how much or how less we love and care for our neighbors in need.