Christ the King - Year A

Christ the King – Year A

Story

A story was told about a Religious Sister who also happens to be a nurse. She and some of her Sisters from the same religious order founded a hospital in Hawaii to treat patients that contrated leprosy. 

One day, a group of reporters met with the Religious Sisters for an interview. They were given a tour of the hospital. After the tour, one of the reporters said to her: “Even if someone gave me a million dollars, I just couldn't do what you do for the people.” The religious nun responded: “I couldn't do it either. But because of Christ, I would do this for nothing.” 

Today is the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year. Next week, we begin a new liturgical year with Advent. On this last Sunday, the Church throughout the world gather together to renew their commitment and service to Christ as King. 

There are three stories of kingship in the Bible. 

The first story is found in the book of the Prophet Samuel. As you may know, the concept of kingship is developed and understood much later for the chosen people in the Old Testament. In the beginning, they had tribal leaders, then patriarchs like Abraham, and then judges. But when the chosen people of God saw their neighboring countries all have a king, they also wanted a king. And they requested (actually demanded) the prophet Samuel to give them a King.

In 1 Samuel 8

Then the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him: “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” This news disturbed Samuel greatly. Nevertheless, Samuel prays about their request. He receives an answer from Almighty God.

“And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day; with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods; so they are doing to you also.” 

Essentially, God says to Samuel: “Samuel, don't take it personally. They are not rejecting you. They are rejecting me.” 

Almighty God was, is and always will be their king. But for them, God is invisible. The chosen people wanted a visible king. Someone that is human, someone that they could see. They wanted to see their king anointed by the prophet, sitting on a throne, and wearing a crown on his head. 

Prophet Samuel warns the people what will happen if they have a king. “This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equiptment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to work. He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.” 

In other words, your king will take...take...take...take...and take some more, and you will be his servants. So, do you still want a king? The people refuse to listen to logic. Because of their envy of other nations, they replied: “No, but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles. The people rejected Almighty God as their king. But in the fullness of time, God will send them his beloved Son, born of the blessed virgin, the word made flesh, a visible King.

The second story about kingship is around the time of the birth of Christ, the Christmas Story. During that time, Caesar Augustus was probably the most powerful person in the entire world. Also known as Octavian, he was the nephew of the great Julius Caesar. Before Octavian became emperor, Rome's civil war incur strife, poverty, and moral depravity. Octavian changed all of this when he became emperor. Octavian is regarded as a Messiah, but in a political sense.

Peace, security, wealth, justice and morality all came with a price. The price was to allow Octavian to become Emperor of Rome. But then Rome would no longer be a Republic. It would become an Empire. The senate was worried that all power will be given to one person, and that is why they took the life of his uncle, Julius Caesar. No individual citizen of Rome is to be greater than the Republic. So when Octavian became Caesar Augustus, a Roman Emperor, the citizens saw the death of the Republic and the birth of the Roman Empire.

Caesar Augustus did not believe in the prophecy about the coming Messiah. But he also prepared the way for the Messiah. To fund his regime, he taxed the people heavily. He ordered for a census to take place. For this to happen, the people had to return to their place of birth.

Joseph was from Bethlehem, the city of King David. He and the Blessed Mother with child in womb, traveled from Galilee to Bethlehem. The prophecy is that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem, the city of King David. 

The child to be born will be more powerful than Octavian (Caesar Augustus). His reign will be forever through the generations. He will secure peace and salvation for the people. His kingdom will have no end.

The third and final story of kingship has to do with a key biblical figure named Pontius Pilate. Pontius Pilate was put in charge of Judea when Christ was handed over to be crucified. Pontius Pilate did not personally want Christ to be crucified. Even his wife forbid him to do so, because she had a dream that Christ was innocent. So Pontius Pilate ordered for the scourging at the pillar, hoping that the people would feel sorry for Christ, and spare his life. The soldiers who were place in charge, however, took it too far. They went over-the-top in scourging Christ. Furthermore, to ridicule him, they quickly put together a bunch of branches with thorns, and place them on his head (the crown of thorns). EvenPo Pontius Pilate was shocked when he saw the aftermath. 

Pilate met individually with Christ and asked him: “So you are a king.” Christ replies: “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If it belong to this world, my attendants would fight to keep me from being handed over. But my kingdom is not of this world.”

When Pilate presented Christ to the people, hoping that they will change their minds, the people shouted out louder: “Crucify him.” Pilate ask the people: “Shall I crucify your king?” The people respond: “We have no king but Caesar.” The people repeat history, like during the time of Samuel, rejecting God as their King.

When we renew our commitment and service to Christ as our King, it is a bold and courageous act. We are not making the same mistakes as our ancestors. We are not repeating history. The King of Kings is a good king, one who loves and cares for his people. A king who is willing to lay down his life. An Eternal King who keeps his promises. “I will be with you always until the end of time.” 

Glory be...     

Christ the King

Dearly Beloved,

The crowd sneered at Christ and said: “This man save others, but he cannot save himself.” It is not that Christ is powerless to save himself. He chose to freely lay down his life because of sacrificial love.  It is love for humanity that kept him on the cross, not the nails.

Although one thief joined the crowd and mocked Christ, the Repentant Thief was different. He is different in these ways.  First, he respected God by saying to the other thief: “Do you not fear God!” Second, he acknowledged his own sin by saying: “The sentence we receive corresponds to our crimes.” Thirdly, he knew that Christ was innocent: “This Man has done nothing wrong.” Fourth, he called out to Jesus. Fifth, he believed that Christ was king: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Sixth, he believed that Jesus is the one that will open the gates of paradise.

When the Lord said: “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” In other words, heaven is not just a place, but a place in the presence of Christ (With Me).”

Now, it doesn't seem fair if someone like the repentant thief, who had a deathbed conversion would be in heaven like the righteous. For humanity, it doesn't seem fair because God's grace overwhelms human merits. However, humanity can only take in so much the glory of God, the joy and heavenly rewards. For instance, it would be like if I was trying to draw water from the well. Now, I can only draw as much water as my container could hold. My human merits will only enlargen my capacity to take in the heavenly glory.

Now, breath would've been invaluable on the cross. So when Christ said the words: “Today, you will be with me in paradise” it would've cost him dearly. It would've been difficult and excruciating. Just as he paid the price to assure the repentant thief, he also paid the price for human redemption on the cross.

Christ is Priest, Prophet and King. He is Priest in the sense that he prays for the Father's mercy on the cross: Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. He was Prophet because he spoke about his impending death and resurrection. He is King because He assured the Repentant Thief, salvation and entrance into his Kingdom.

Solemnity of Christ the King 2011

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Brethren, if you recall that when our Lord was crucified on the cross, not only did he suffer physical pain, but the Gospels captured the mockery and insults that were hurled at him from the crowd. 

It is as if it wasn’t enough just to have him scourged, and have him carry the cross through the streets of Jerusalem, while wearing a crown made out of thorns, and have him crucified.  Those things did not satisfy the crowd.  When Pontius Pilate had a sign hanging on the cross, it said: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews written in three languages: Hebrew, Greek and Latin,” the crowd did not agree and said: “Write that this man CLAIMS that he is the King of the Jews.”  But Pontius Pilate said: “What I have written, I have written.” 

After the soldiers had stripped Jesus of his clothing, and wrapped him in a scarlet military cloak, they made a crown of thorns and placed it on his head, then took a reed and struck his right hand.  They mocked him and said: “All hail, King of the Jews!”  In addition, they spat on him.  They refer to him as king, but didn’t really mean it.         

When Jesus was on the cross, the crowd continued to insult him with statements such as: “This man says that if we destroy the temple, he can rebuild it in three days.”  “Come down off that cross if you are God’s son.”  Others from the crows continued the mockery: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself.”  Then the chief priests and elders also joined in and said: “So he is the King of Israel!  Let’s see him come down from that cross and then we will believe in him.”  Still others said: “He relied on God, let God rescue him now if he wants to; after all, he claimed: “I am God’s son.”  They still kept taunting him all the more. 

Although Pontius Pilate, and the crowds were referring to Jesus as the King, they didn’t really mean it.  But today, when we proclaim Christus Rex (Christ the King), we do mean it.    

Today, the Church throughout the world celebrates the moveable Feast Christus Rex, Jesus Christ the King.  It is the Last Sunday of the Liturgical Year before we enter into the Holy Season of Advent.  The conclusion of the Liturgical Year with Christ the King allows us to renew our commitment to Jesus and welcome him as the King who reigns in our hearts.  This king does not rule with domination like Alexander the Great subduing countries to increase his power and gain.  This king does not turn his people into slaves the Pharaoah of Egypt.  This King does not displace people from their homeland like the Babylonian King.  This King does not force people to worship other god than the true God, the Father in Heaven.  This King is different because he came to bring salvation.  His cross is his throne, and his crown is made up of thorns.  He is not only fully human, but fully divine.  He is the beloved Son of God.  Jesus is Christ the King.