Last Sunday of October — FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING

Presence of God. — O Jesus, Prince of the ages, King of the nations, be the only King of my mind and of my heart.

Meditation

1 — Today’s liturgy is a true triumphal hymn celebrating the Kingship of Christ. From the first Vespers of the feast, the figure of Jesus is outlined majestic, seated on the royal throne that dominates the whole world: “His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and all kings shall serve and obey Him. He shall sit and shall rule and shall announce peace to the nations.” The Mass begins with the apocalyptic vision of this singular King whose kingship is intimately linked to His immolation for the salvation of men: “Worthy [is] the Lamb, that was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor. To Him be glory and power for ages of ages” (Intr.).

In the Epistle (Col. 1, 12-20) St. Paul enumerates the titles that make Jesus the King of all kings. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature, for in Him were created all things in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and invisible.” These titles belong to Christ as God, perfect image of the Father, exemplary cause of all earthly and heavenly creatures and, at the same time, creator, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, of all that exists, so that nothing is without Him, but “all things by Him and in view of Him were created”... and “all things subsist in Him.” Then follow the titles of His kingship as Man: “He is the Head of the body, that is, of the Church... By Him all things were reconciled to God, having made peace through the Blood of His cross.” He, already our King by reason of His Divinity, is so also by reason of His Incarnation which constituted Him Head of humanity, He is so also by reason of His Passion, by which He reconquered our souls, which already belonged to Him as His creatures, at the price of His Blood. Jesus is our King in the fullest sense of the word: He created us, He redeemed us, He gives us life with His grace, He nourishes us with His Flesh and with His Blood, He governs us with His love and through love attracts us to Himself. Before such considerations there spontaneously springs from our heart the cry of St. Paul: “Let us give thanks to God the Father... who has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption, the remission of sins.”

2 — In today’s Gospel (Jn. 18, 33-37) we have the most authoritative proclamation of the Kingship of Christ, since it comes from His very lips and in a most solemn moment, in the trial that precedes His Passion. Pilate interrogates Him precisely on this subject: “Are You the king of the Jews?” To this first question Jesus does not answer directly. He is in fact not king of a determined people and His kingdom has nothing to do with the kingdoms of the earth. But to the second question more exact than the first: “Are you then a king?”, He answers without hesitation: “You say that I am a king.” Jesus declares His kingship in the most formal manner, before the highest civil authority of Palestine and declares it not in the midst of an applauding people, not in the triumph of His miracles, but bound in chains, before him who is about to condemn Him to death, in front of a people avid for His blood, a few moments before being dragged to Calvary, where, from the height of the cross, above His head crowned with thorns, will appear for the first time the title of His kingship: “Jesus the Nazarene King of the Jews” (Jn. 19, 19). He, who fled when the enthusiastic crowds wanted to make Him their king, proclaims Himself king in the midst of the unheard-of humiliations of the Passion, thus affirming in the clearest way that His kingdom is not of this world, that His kingship is so sublime that no vituperation, no outrage can obscure it. But with this gesture Jesus also tells us that He loves to make His kingship shine much more under the aspect of conquest realized at the price of His Blood, than under the aspect of a title that belongs to Him by force of His divine nature.

To this divine King who presents Himself to us in an aspect so human, so loving, so welcoming, to this divine King who stretches out His arms on the cross to invite us all to Him, who shows us the wound of His side as a symbol of His love, we must go forth with all the impetus of our soul. Not only do we not wish to escape His dominion, but we invoke it, we solicit it, that He may have the primacy in our mind, in our heart, may have full dominion over our will; we with all our things wish to submit ourselves “to His most sweet empire” (Collect).

Colloquy

“You are King, O my God, eternal and immense King and of a kingdom certainly not had on loan. When I recite in the Credo that Your kingdom shall have no end, I thrill with joy. Yes, Your kingdom will be eternal and I praise You and bless You” (T.G. Way 22, 1).

“O divine King, most lovable Jesus, my Redeemer, my Savior, my Spouse, my Master and model, I renew to You today the total consecration of my being, beseeching You to take absolute dominion over myself. Be You my sovereign, my ruler, my guide and direct and govern me entirely, so that everything may be turned to Your greater glory. Be You the sovereign of my memory, of my intellect, of my will, of my sensibility which I wish to subject completely to You, inviting You to reign in me.

“Your kingdom is a kingdom of truth, of love, of justice and of peace.

“Grant that Your kingdom of truth may be established in my intellect destroying every error, deception or illusion; enlighten me with Your divine wisdom.

“Grant that Your kingdom of love may be established totally in my will and spur it, direct it always, so that I may no longer be moved by self-love, or by creatures, but solely by Your Spirit; make this weak, petty and rebellious will of mine strong, generous, constant, fix it in good and cause it to be strengthened in the persevering exercise of the virtues, corroborating it with the gifts of Your Spirit.

“Grant that Your kingdom of justice may be established in all my operations so that all my actions may bear this characteristic and be holy works, performed with purity of intention and with the greatest fidelity to please You, in the line of Your holy will.

“Grant that Your kingdom of peace may be established, not only in my soul, but also in my sensibility, so that, harmonized with the superior part, it too may concur to give You glory and not retard or hinder my union with You” (Sr. Carmela of the Holy Spirit, o.c.d.).