He reigns among us!

“Today the Church celebrates with great joy the Solemnity of Christ the King. It is the last Sunday of the liturgical year and, in many ways, the culmination of everything we have marked up until now — the goal of Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter, Pentecost and Corpus Christi and of all the Sundays and feasts throughout the year. They have all pointed toward this reality, that Christ is the King of the Universe, the Lord of all, the judge of the living and the dead. All of time, all of history, is heading toward this climax when Christ will be revealed as the universal King of Kings. (Taken from a sermon by Father Roger Landry. To read his entire homily click on
http://www.catholicpreaching.com/index.php?content=homilies&homilies=20051120 )

What does it mean to have Christ as our King? I think that is a good question to meditate on today. What is a king? That title often conjures up an image of someone who is bigger than life, stern, demanding, aloof, beyond our reach, unforgiving, pompous. But that image is far, far removed from the reality of Christ Our King. Study the picture on this post. Focus on Jesus’ heart, on fire with love – love for us – love for the world.

In the liturgy today our King is presented to us as a shepherd (Ezek 34:11-12, Mt25:31-46) who goes in search of his sheep, who carries us on His shoulders and brings us back when we have strayed. Jesus Christ our King has defeated His enemies by mounting his throne – the throne of the Cross. Do you doubt our King’s love for you? Look at the cross and know that it was the very weapon that set us free – free from bondage to our sinfulness.

Our King is not pompous but our model of humility. He emptied himself of His Divinity and took on our humanity, born as a tiny, helpless baby in a cold, dirty, smelly stable. He was not beyond our reach but walked among us, washing the feet of his disciples, touching the leper, curing the man born blind, forgiving the woman caught in adultery.

As followers of our King let us bow down in worship and adoration before Him, he who is not aloof but who is present to us and within us each day through the Eucharist. St. Teresa of Avila spoke of Jesus with great devotion as "His Majesty". At the end of this age He will come again in great glory and majesty and every knee will bend before Him for He is God - He is our King.