Sunday 24 November 2013

Feast of Christ the Universal King


This weekend, The Catholic Church closes its doors on another Liturgical Year (C), on the Year of Faith established by then Pope Benedict XVI last October and we celebrate a special feast, Christ the Universal King.
This special feast day in the Catholic Calendar was coined by Pope Pius XI in 1925 where he saw secularism (the decreasing of appreciation for God and for the Faith) becoming alive. This day was to reinforce the notion to All Catholics and even non-Catholics that Jesus IS Lord and Master of our lives and that he reigns as the eternal King.
Taking today for granted and treating it like an Ordinary Sunday makes us think that Jesus is very 'Ordinary' but having the mentality that he is the King of Lives makes us appreciate him even more.
This weekend's Gospel story refers to Jesus' passion but one of the reasons why, on a Glorious day like today, we hear about Jesus' cruel death, is to remind us that even in death, Jesus still reigns as King.
Luke 23:35-43 invites us to visualize how repentance is being carried out even on the cusp of death. One of criminals hanging there abused him, 'Are you not the Christ?' he said, 'Save yourself and us as well'. But the other spoke up and rebuked him. 'Have you no fear of God at all?' he said. 'You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong. 'Jesus.' he said, 'remember me when you come into your kingdom.' 'Indeed, I promise you,' he replied 'today you will be with me in paradise'. Not even death can stop Jesus from fulfilling his Glory and we all know that Jesus was capable of freeing himself from all that agony, but in order to accomplish the will of the father, he endured it for us and in the words of the soldiers that jeered at him, 'Behold, the King of the Jews' but to modify what they said, 'Behold our King!'. There is no one, no earthly force that can do what ONLY Jesus is capable of doing. He cured the leper, the healed the dumb and blind, he delivered spirits, he fasted for 40 days and nights in the desert, he endured temptations from the Prince of evil, he suffered the most inhumane death and in the end, what happened? He reigns! Not even death can keep our Lord down! That is why every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he IS Lord and even demons will flee his sight because he reigns supreme.
As such, on a significant day like today, we are reminded that even on the last few moments of Jesus' earthly life he was still able to save a soul and free us ALL from that same suffering that the same thief was heading towards. No other can do greater but Jesus!
Jesus is King!
Jesus is Lord!
Jesus is Master!
Blessed be the name of the Lord!

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