Theme: On the Kingdom of God
Today, the Holy Mother Church celebrates the Solemnity
of Christ the King. It is the last Sunday in the ordinary time of the year.
This solemnity was established by Pope Piux XI in his encyclical Quas Primas (On the Feast of Christ the
King) in 1925. The solemnity was established to make Christians more conscious
and convinced of the kingship and supremacy of Christ over all created things
and to allow His will reign in their lives. As we reflect on the kingship of
Christ who is God, we shall focus more on the kingdom of God, the place where
Christ reigns as king.
In
the first reading (Daniel 7:13-14), the prophet Daniel describes his vision of
the enthronement of a king. This king was identified as the “Son of man” a
title Jesus would later ascribe to himself (cf. Mark 14:61). He was conferred
sovereignty, glory and kingship and all peoples, nations and languages became
His servants. His sovereignty was eternal and His kingdom could never be
destroyed.
In
the gospel reading (John 18:33-37), Jesus presents Himself as a king, a
concrete manifestation of the first reading. Here, He makes it clear before
Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world. It is not a physical kingdom
within a distinct geographical area but a spiritual kingdom, a kingdom where He
has come to bear witness to the truth. In other words, it is a kingdom that is built
in the hearts of men.
In
the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus invites us to pray for the coming of his kingdom: “Thy
kingdom come”. It is a prayer of faith and hope in God, a manifestation of the
will of God. This is because the kingdom of God comes into reality when and
where the will of God is done. This means that the kingdom of God is actualized
in us each time we try to do the will of God. Even Christ did not do His own
will but did the will of the Father who sent him (John 4:34). This will is what
He came into the world to do and as the gospel says, “is to bear witness to the
truth”.
Today,
in our modern world, there are so many oppositions to the truth. People always
try to suppress the truth and all those who stand for the truth. As a result,
there is anarchy and oppression witnessed not only in the religious arena but
also in the socio-political sphere. Men have assumed the place of God as
supreme legislators and try to impose their will on others rather than obey God’s
will. While politicians impose their wrong ideology on people through their bad
governance, some religious fundamentalists are terrorising places in the name
of conquering territories for God. Our generation has dethroned God and
enthroned science and technology. We now listen to politicians and celebrities
rather than listen to God. Our morality is a secular morality that that lacks
the consciousness of God. For this reason, as Christians we should fight for
the reign of Christ.
Therefore,
today’s message challenges us to ignore every attempt to dethrone Christ in the
affairs of our lives. As we go busy, let us all be awakened to the
consciousness of Christ’s omnipotence and supremacy over all created things. It
is a call to give Christ primacy in our lives and to be governed by His
teachings and ordinances. We are also invited to work for the realization of
God’s kingdom here on earth. This kingdom is to be an everlasting kingdom
because according to the second reading (Apocalypse 1:5-8) it will be governed
by the alpha and omega, the One who is, who was and who is to come. This
kingdom can be seen in our families, churches, schools, groups and societies.
How do we manifest the will of God in them? As our king, we should be sure that
He would also judge us on the last day. God loves you.
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