The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Today's Mass Readings

Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King (next Sunday we begin Advent with the First Sunday of Advent). For me, the definitive statement of Christ’s Kingship is actually found in Mt 28:18, when Jesus approaches the Eleven on the mountaintop in Galilee after the Resurrection and says to them: “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Here Jesus is asserting that he is in charge and that he runs things both in heaven and here on earth in the name of his Father.

Of course, our challenge is really believing this; after all, when we look around at the state of our world, it is hard to believe that there is anyone really in charge. Things seem too much of a mess. It is not disrespectful to recognize this. It is even found in scripture. In the Epistle to the Hebrews 2:8, the writer asserts that the Father has “subjected” all things to Christ. Yet he goes on to say in the same verse: “At present we don’t see all things subjected to him.” The reason for this can also be found in Scripture, this time in 1 Timothy 2:4, “God wills that everyone be saved and come to knowledge of the Truth.” So, we live in the time of Mercy, as Christ gives us space to be converted and to come to a deeper knowledge of the Truth. Of course, he is working by grace within everyone, trying to bring about our conversion to the truth.

However, today’s Gospel reminds us this state of affairs will not be allowed to continue, but that the Day of the Lord will come, the day on which he asserts his authority definitively over all things. And on that day, we will all be called to account for what we have made of ourselves with our lives. What is interesting to note is what we will be judged over. We will be judged for how well we have loved and cared for our fellow human beings in the world, and especially for those who are considered the least in our eyes. Part of the reason for this is a constant theme for St. Catherine of Siena throughout her Dialogue. She writes that, because we cannot do anything for God as such, God counts what we do for our fellow human beings as being done for God and to God.

Jesus says the same in today’s Gospel: “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me.” So that is one motive for loving and caring for our fellow human beings. Another is that God Himself loves them. We often have difficulty in seeing what is loveable in our fellow human beings. We often find it difficult to look beyond the weaknesses and difficulties of our fellows. But we also know that God sees what is loveable in them, and we can try to see and love them with the eyes of God.

Reflection by Fr. Aquinas Keusenkothen, OSB