Sunday, 24th November, Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Luke 23:35–43

And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed
at Jesus, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the
Messiah of God, his chosen one!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming up
and offering him sour wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews,
save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the
King of the Jews." One of the criminals who were hanged there kept
deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and
us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since
you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been
condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this
man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when
you come into your kingdom." He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you
will be with me in Paradise."

Commentary

All four Evangelists tell us that when Jesus was crucified
on Calvary there was an inscription written on the upper arm of the cross which
said that he was “King of the Jews”. In doing this Pilate was proclaiming to
the world that the vengeful leaders of the Jewish people had condemned the
messianic King for whom they had been waiting for centuries, to the shameful
death of the cross. Pilate was doing even more. He was proclaiming that the
innocent one who hung on that cross was the and “King of Kings” the King of
this world and of the next.

Down through our history thousands and millions of subjects
have died for their kings. This was their duty when the needs or the defence of
their realm demanded such a sacrifice. They neither expected not received much
praise for it. But we Christians are serving a King who died for us. Their
ruler and head of our kingdom is Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, who accepted
crucifixion as the climax of the perfect obedience to his Father. He became man
in accordance with God’s eternal plan. He, as man, was the representative of
all humanity. He gave perfect obedience to God and thus made atonement for all
the disobedience, of the human race. All acts of penance and atonement of the
whole of humanity put together could not reconcile us sinners with God. Christ,
being God as well as man, was able to make and did bring about this
reconciliation.

Today we are honouring this King, a King who humbled himself
in order to raise us up to the status of sons and daughters of God, a King who
suffered the cruelest of deaths as that we could have an unending life of
happiness when we leave this earth.

Do we really honour our King as we should? Do we really
meditate often enough on all he has done for us? Do we really appreciate the
supernatural privilege conferred on us by the Incarnation, death and
resurrection of Christ? We are no longer mere mortals, we are sons and
daughters of God. We are no longer enemies of our Creator and Lord, we have
been reconciled to God and can call him “Our Father”. We have still to die our
earthly death but it is now the door to heaven. Unfortunately, we still can sin
but we have the means of atonement within our reach, in the sacraments which
Christ left to us. Any Christian who fails to get possession of the eternal heritage
which Christ has made available to him will fail because he willingly and
knowingly wished to do so.

Please God there will be few such people because Christ our
King is always with us, helping us on our journey to heaven. What we say of
Christians is true also of all who are non-Christians, through no fault of
their own. Many of us will get some pleasant surprises when we meet the elect
of God on our arrival in heaven. To get there is our present principal
preoccupation. But it is not so hard. Keeping the laws of one’s country and
carrying out their legal obligations is not difficult for the vast majority of
sane people. Keeping the laws of God’s Kingdom and being loyal to him is not
difficult either. Serving God is a privilege not a duty for the Christian who
realizes what God has done for him/her and who appreciates what a future reward
God has in store for him.

Today let us renew our loyalty to Christ the King. We are
privileged and proud to be his subjects. As members of his Church on earth we
are as yet in the preparatory stage of that Kingdom. If we do the little that
he asks of us, during this period of preparation, we are assured of being full
citizens in his eternal Kingdom of happiness and peace. Amen.