That, the name of today’s Solemnity as we come to the final week of the Liturgical Year, certainly sounds as triumphant as it can get. We are proclaiming that Jesus was, is and always will be the Ultimate Ruler of All—all people, all creation, all planets, all galaxies—the entire Cosmos. Jesus Christ, we profess, is presently living and reigning OVER ALL and always will be. You can just hear the trumpets and visualize the gallantry of it all!
So it is interesting that the gospel for this Solemnity each year seems far from such pomp. This year (B), we see Jesus before Pilate. Jesus seems reticent to call himself a king. In fact, he never does. In Year A, we read the parable of the final judgment and the separation of the sheep and the goats based on who served Christ in the poor, lonely, ostracized, and despised. And in Year C we read about Jesus on the Cross and his promise to the thief at his side that the thief would be with Jesus in Paradise. Hardly triumphant gospel accounts. Not much pageantry. Not much display of power, strength and domination. In a word, not very “kingly.”
It’s also interesting to note that this Feast, relatively new, was added to the church calendar by Pope Pius XI in 1925. He inserted this feast because he felt the world shifting towards an ever growing secularism and an intense and dangerous ultra-nationalism. (Sound familiar?) People were more in love with their own countries than they were with Jesus. They were obsessed with zealous pride for their homeland and distrust of foreigners and strangers—often portrayed as weak, dangerous, an affront to the purity of the natural citizens. They had an “us first!” mentality. And even more, they were drawn towards leaders who promised to strong hand the “enemy” and bring true order to the homeland. This, after all, is the age of Mussolini and, a little later, Stalin and before long, Hitler.
So the point becomes clear: to celebrate Jesus Christ as Lord of the Universe is to say that if you are a Christian, your first love and your primary and overriding allegiance is to Jesus Christ. And every other relationship—to family member, friend, neighbor, co-worker, fellow countrymen, foreigners, is subject to and guided by your primary relationship with Christ. Why? Because Jesus Christ is King. And that means that his way—not the way of Mussolini or Stalin or Hitler or Putin or Biden or Trump or anyone else—holds sway. Jesus’ way of doing things, his way of relating to others, his way of living, is the way that reigns, that rules, that lasts, that is, as Jesus says in today’s gospel, the Truth. So any other way presented by any other person is judged by how faithfully it adheres to Truth, to the One Way, to the way that holds sway, to Jesus. And anything that any ruler or leader presents or does that is contrary to the Way of Jesus is to be rejected and denounced and even, when necessary, fought against in non-violent ways until justice, Truth—the way of Jesus Christ—comes to pass.
The fact is that Jesus announced, ushered in and lived the Kingdom of God. And he revealed with the entirety of his life that the Kingdom of God runs completely counter to the kingdoms of this world. Simply put, the way of “kingdoms” of this this world is the love of power. The way of the Kingdom of God is the power of love. The love of power leads to secularism, materialism, violence, fear of all who are different, and a desire to conquer, control, dominate. We see it everywhere, in ways small and great. The power of love, on the other hand, leads to awareness of the sacredness of each person and all creation, respect for the resources of the Earth, peace, and openness towards encounter with all others and an appreciation for the inner connectedness of all Creation. We need to see much more of such power in a world increasingly ruled by autocratic dictators and people fearful of the Cosmos’ natural evolution towards unity in diversity.
So, as we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, it’s good for us to remember that true transformation of our world—true justice and peace, will not come through any earthly leader. In fact, many of them work against truth and justice and peace. It will come from people like you and I acknowledging that our Leader’s way is the one true way. And so we let the way of Jesus Christ hold sway over every aspect of our lives: our minds, our hearts, our actions. That is the only way by which the love of power will be undone and transformed by the power of love. And Truth will prevail.
With love and hope,
Father Liam
Jesus Christ
You have heard Him spoken of,
indeed the greater part of you are already His – you are Christians.
So, to you Christians I repeat His name,
to everyone I proclaim Him –
Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end,
the Alpha and the Omega.
He is the king of the new world.
He is the secret of history.
He is the key to our destiny.”