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20th November 2022

Christ the Universal King

READ: (2 Sam 5: 1-3; Col 1: 12-20; Lk 23: 35-43)

REFLECT:  Jesus – the King shepherds, redeems and saves others (us)

Dear friends, today we as a Church celebrate the Solemnity of Jesus Christ the Universal King. The solemnity honors Jesus Chris as Lord and King all over the creation. The feast too marks as the last Sunday of the liturgical year. The feast was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 due to emerging secularism and atheism. Originally it was commemorated on the last Sunday in October, but in the revised liturgical calendar promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969 moved to the last Sunday in ordinary time.

The last Sunday in ordinary time follows the advent, where the theme of Christ’s dominion and power makes it an appropriate end to the liturgical year. The commemoration of solemnity of Christ the King is an acknowledgment of the entire church that Jesus is the Lord of the church and the entire universe. The expression of Jesus as Lord and king of the universe is to be made known not only by personal life but also in social life that we are in today.

Very interestingly, nowadays the concept of kings or queens and their kingdoms is not as familiar as it used to be before in ancient times. Down through the history, there have been many kings who have influenced the history of humankind by their power and valor, spirit and sense of responsibility, inspiration and motivation.  However, they had their own fall, because their kingdoms were not a lasting kingdom but only temporary. All the more, very handfuls of kingdoms are existing today. The one kingdom that would exist for all eternity is Jesus’ kingdom. Because, Jesus was a born king and he was king even before his birth or the world was brought forth into existence. So Jesus as a king of the universe reigns all over the world and rules forever.

Many kings ruled the world majestically and gloriously on horses, but Jesus is the only king who ruled the world in humility and simplicity on a donkey, embracing the people with love and touching the hearts of many people with the words of kindness and works of compassion. Many kings have ruled the world with trained and qualified armies, weapons of different sort, but Jesus is the only King who ruled the world with the army of twelve apostles and many followers, with the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of God’s love and grace.

Many kings have ruled the world sitting on a throne and commanding the armies and servants for wars and works, but Jesus is the only king who walked with people, served people, helped and healed people and even washed the feet of his apostles and called them not as servants but friends. Many were the kings who sought for self-security from adversaries and even went hiding or have given up his entire army or have overthrown the throne for security of one’s own life, but Jesus is the only king, who went on doing good and just things without hiding, able to confront the adversaries, correct them and even to the extent of giving his life on the cross for us, his people he loved so dear.

So on this solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe, the entire reading invites each one of us to reflect on the kingship of Jesus with love and compassion. So based on the liturgy of the word, I would like to share with you three points of reflection.

1. Jesus- the king shepherds us:

The nature of a king or his responsibility is to safe-guard his people and his kingdom. A king’s responsibility is not just authority and use power for subjugation and domination rather to shepherd the entire territory entrusted under his care. We know who is a shepherd and what his responsibilities are. In the Old Testament, the shepherd Psalm 23 gives a glimpse of who is a true shepherd, what his roles and responsibilities are; the shepherd takes the sheep to green pastures, he guides them on right path, he is always besides the sheep with a staff or rod in his hand. In the New Testament, Jn 10: 1-19, Jesus speaks of himself as a good shepherd. The shepherd enters the sheepfold by the gate and does not climb or jump over; the shepherd knows the sheep by name, leads them in the front and a shepherd even lays down his life for the sheep.

Yes, this is how a king needs to be in service and responsibility to people entrusted to his care, loving them, leading them and living a life of total-dedication and commitment. Something similar of this sort we find in the first reading from the book of 2 Samuel that Israelites remind King David that he was the one who led out and brought in Israel when Saul was king. They too make known the message that the Lord gave to David that David would be the shepherd and prince of the people of Israel and made a covenant with him. Today it is a reminder for all of us who are leaders in different departments or institutes. Every leader in a society or country or the world need a reminder to love, lead and live with people in compassion and kindness. Making others as slaves of our own whims and fancies only makes others as victims and passive people in the passing world. The sense of arrogance and pride of leaders fail to see the inner beauty of life that each one possesses. Today, let us pray that we may make use of the power within us as leaders to safe-guard people.

2. Jesus - the king redeems us:

A king’s responsibility does not cease with just shepherding rather redeeming them from the loss of life, hurtful and painful experiences and reconciling them to renew the relationship that was lost. During the life-time of Jesus on earth as we find enormous episodes in the New Testament, where Jesus not only sees people who experienced loss of life by way of sickness, impairment, possessed by demons but rather helps them out to come out of destructive forces of life to find new life in God. So much so, his life of redemptive act itself was a life of redemption for us all.

 That’s what we see in the second reading from St. Paul’s letter to Colossians, where Paul reminds people that God has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son in whom we have redemption and forgiveness of sins. Yes, the redemption and forgiveness that God has given us in and through Jesus Christ is great value that we need to treasure among all the gifts that we have received in life. The redemption of life and the forgiveness of sins is the prerogative of God and priority too. He without reserving to himself, without even counting the score of wrongs that we do, without even seeing  what our human limitations and weakness, has offered us this most precious and treasured gift freely and gratuitously i.e., redemption and forgiveness of sins.

Today, many of us have or see the poor, helpless, disabled persons, mentally retarded, elderly and sickly people at home or on the street. Do we just see them and feel pity about their situations and conditions of life or do we take a step further in helping them to see brighter sides of life?  There are many good-hearted people among us who are so kind and compassionate, reaching out to them financially or materially or verbally by words of consolation and comfort. But there are many among us, who abuse them, reproach them, ignore and avoid them. We all of us in one way or the other a leader in one entity or other, if we could not only see or hear the cry of the poor but if we could make attempts to stop them from crying with right measures of love and care, the world would be a better place. Therefore, as leaders we not only need to have sympathy but also empathy; as leaders not only we see thing but foresee things and save the people entrusted to our care.  

Jesus, our Lord and Master had such leadership qualities and stands as a model for us for all eternity. Jesus saw the people, sorted out their problems and sickness and saved them from all that was disturbing and disorienting, gave them life in fullness. Today, we shall try to give life to people instead of destroying the dreams, desires and wishes of others. May God bless us in this endeavour.

3. Jesus – the king saves us first:

A king’s responsibility is not just shepherding or redeeming but moreover, he has to give his life even to save others at his own risk too. That’s what we see in the Gospel reading from Luke, where the rulers mocked him “he saved others, let him save himself.” The soldiers mocked him saying, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” Even one of the criminals who were crucified along with Jesus said, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.” Among the many in the Gospel who questioned or doubted the kingship and authority of Jesus about saving himself, the only one who believed in the eternal kingship and the power of Jesus to save was, the another criminal who was crucified along with Jesus . He realizes that Jesus is faultless, he does not deserve such a crucial and shameful punishment that Jesus undergoes in comparison with the punishment received by the criminal himself. Therefore, he says, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom and Jesus says to him, “today you will be with me in paradise.”

Yes, when the rulers, soldiers and one of the criminals did not believe in the eternal kingship, authority and power of Jesus, only the other criminal realized and was promise to obtain the paradise that Jesus has promised. So believing in the kingship of Jesus that rules our hearts and entire selves, we need to partake in his kingdom ardently and faithfully. Jesus knew for sure about his kingship and that’s why he was not carried away by the mockeries and questions of the people that Jesus could not save himself. But Jesus realized all through his life that the primary purpose of his kingship or power given from above is to save others (us). In the case of human kingdoms and kingships or power and authority, it is people who shepherd, save and give priority to king himself but in the case of God, it is God who shepherds his people, saves his people, without even hesitating to give his own life for his people. Yes, Jesus is a King, who gives first priority to save others.

That’s perhaps Pope Francis would say, “Jesus’ kingship is completely different than that of worldly rulers. His kingship is beyond human parameters. He is not like other kings, but he is a king for others. Jesus as king liberated his followers. His kingdom his liberating, there is nothing oppressive about it. He treats every disciple as a friend, not as a subject. Even while being above all sovereigns, he draws no dividing line between himself and others. Instead, he wants to have brothers and sisters with whom to share his joy.”

Today, the power is exercised by leaders in different areas of life. All of us need to obtain grace from God to exercise the power we hold, not as an instrument of dominance or destruction but rather a deliverance and service. Jesus’ kingship is one such with love and service, compassion and kindness, grace and strength that empowered and enhanced the life of many during his earthly ministry. But today the power-play of the world is quite different and power is used to the extent of bringing down one’s reputation, one’s growth, one’s standard of living and even ruining one’s life and others life too. The power invested in us or within us is not to expose ourselves how powerful we can be but in what way we can empower oneself and make a qualitative difference in the lives of the other, by empowering and enriching others. So let us use the power within us or given to us not to destroy others but primarily to save others. 

RESPOND:

Do we use the power given to us to empower oneself or others?

Do we save life or destroy life by the exercise of power that we have or given?  

Do we realize that our earthly powers are temporary and the power that we have is from above?

Let us use the power to shepherd others, to redeem others, moreover save others than the self. May God bless our leaders and lead us to exercise the power responsibly and with dignity. Amen.

“Hankering after positions of honor and esteem is an obstacle to communion with God, since He finds delight only in one’s acknowledgement of one’s lowliness.” (AE VI 427, SC II, p. 164 – taken from the book Spoonful of Honey - III, By Fr. Suresh Babu, p. 122)

God bless us all…

Live Jesus