Christ the King Sunday
the meaning of Jesus' kingship
Dear Friends,
This weekend, we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.
This is the last Sunday of the liturgical calendar, and it's right that our church year culminates in this feast. Jesus' kingship undergirds every aspect of Christian life and worship.
I'll dig into Christ's kingship below, but I thought you might like a more in-depth look at why we celebrate Christ the King Sunday:
Click for more on the feast of Christ the King.
Jesus is King. (Ask Kanye if you don't believe me.) Let's unpack what that means.
The narrative thrust of the entire New Testament is that God has become king in and as Jesus of Nazareth. This is the substance of the Christian Gospel (the euangelion, Good News).
It seems strange to claim that Jesus is King of the Universe when the world is such a mess. But that's actually part of the point.
The world is a mess because we haven't yet lived up to our calling. Man was made to bring God's loving rule to life in the world, but the same free will we need to animate this mission has been co-opted for our own purposes.
But Jesus, embodying God's perfect rule of love, freely and fully lives out man's original calling. Bringing us to new life by his Spirit, King Jesus empowers us to live by - and be agents of - God's loving rule to the world.
That's the primary way Christ's kingship works: in and through his faithful followers. When we abandon ourselves to God - giving our total, undying, allegiance to Christ the King - we bring God's love to life for everyone we encounter.
¡Viva Cristo Rey! Long Live Christ the King!
In Christ's Love,
Father Daniel
δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ
PS Ever wonder what δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ means? It's Paul's Greek expression for slave of King Jesus!
PPS We'll come back to the following Mass parts, the Missa de Angelis, for the Advent and Christmas Seasons:
Kyrie
Gloria (Christmas only)
Sanctus
Agnus Dei
Preparing for Mass?
Check out this weekend's readings:
The Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ,
King of the Universe
Christ the Bridegroom icon. The King's crown is of thorns and the reed that struck him is Jesus' scepter.