Homily of the Solemnity of Christ the King
Daniel 7:13-14, Apocalypse 1:5-8, John 18:33-37
The Solemnity of Christ the King is centered on Jesus Christ’s authority over heaven and earth as the true King of all creation. This solemnity was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925, this feast reminds us of Christ’s reign of justice, peace, and love, standing above all earthly powers. It is an invitation to all believers for total surrender to Christ’s divine authority, giving him a central focus in their lives.
There is no king without a kingdom. Hence, by honouring Christ the King, we are professing our commitment to his kingdom, through which we find our hope and salvation.
By accepting Christ as our king, we give him total control of our will. His kingdom is not of this world. It is not the type of kingdom that we can observe with our human senses. It is spiritual. He said in the gospel of John, “Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind” John 18:33-37.
In Luke 17:20, the Lord said, “The coming of the kingdom of God does not admit of observation and there will be no one to say, “Look here! Look there!” For, you must know, the kingdom of God is among you.” This kingdom is meant to be established in our hearts. It has no time limit. It remains forever, “His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty which shall never pass away, nor will his empire ever be destroyed.” Daniel 7:14-15. This means that, if we miss him here on earth, we will still meet him in the world to come. Hence, we are saved if we surrender to him now as a Saviour, lest we meet him only when he shall be the judge.
A stitch in time saves nine. We are safe knowing Christ now, lest we find ourselves under the influence of others earthly powers. Everyone living on earth is subject to a higher power, either through willing surrender or through manipulative control. Christ desires only a simple surrender to his kingship for our total life insurance. A blatant refusal or naïve rejection of Christ rule is a subtle subscription to the kingdom of the earth.
We pray that the kingdom of Christ will reign in our hearts that we may enjoy total joy and salvation. Amen.
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