Dear Saints,

This weekend we celebrate the final Sunday of the liturgical year, the Solemnity of Christ the King. From the first word of the Bible to the last, the whole crux of the story, as it were, is the coming of God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. This happens through and with and in King Jesus.

The concept of kingship can be somewhat foreign to our modern mindset, but it signifies total sovereignty and a duty of complete allegiance. In that sense, Jesus’s lordship over our lives is a binary choice: he either rules our hearts entirely, or not at all; we either belong to him altogether, or not at all.

So how does Jesus establish his reign? Not through typical power-mongering measures, that’s for sure. As C.S. Lewis said: “[e]nemy-occupied territory - that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.” This king governs through service and self-gift; threats are vanquished through sacrifice. His rule is one of light and love, and we are called to be part of it in the same fashion. We would do well to heed his invitation, for his kingdom is the only one that will have no end.

Christ’s Peace,

Father Daniel

δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ