VIVA CRISTO REY

SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING

Dn 7: 13 -14 / Ps 93 / Rv 1: 5 – 8 / Jn 18: 33 – 37

What comes to your mind when you hear the word, “king?” For sure, many of you would associate the word “king” with greatness, honor, fame, and glory. No wonder the word “king” has been used in many of our products in order to connote greatness and superiority from the others like Tapa King, Burger King, Chow King, King Roll, and Aringking King! To be a king means to be great, honorable, powerful, and famous.

Today, holy Mother Church ends her liturgical calendar with the celebration of the solemnity of Christ the King. However, if you notice in our Gospel today, we meet a Jesus who is not kingly. Instead, we meet a Jesus chained, interrogated, and put to a trial. We meet an innocent Jesus accused falsely by the Pharisees and scribes of the law. Simply said, our Gospel today presents to us a suffering Cristo Rey!

Thus, we ask ourselves, what makes Christ the King of heaven and earth? Where does his greatness, power, and fame lie? In our Gospel, Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He was asking on the identity of Jesus. Nevertheless, Jesus responded by saying, “if my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting…But my kingdom is not here… I came into this world to testify to the truth.” Jesus’ kingship lies not here on earth but in heaven. Jesus’ power is not on the number of tanks and armies but on the power of love. Jesus’ greatness lies not on his strength to fight but on his endurance at the cross. My dear friends, if you want to have a graphic picture of Christ the King just look at the Christ crucified on the cross.

Today, we cry out to the whole world that Christ is King, Viva Cristo Rey! However, as we claim his kingship, we are also reminded of our identity – that we are his followers. However, we are not simply blind followers because Christ himself has called us as his friends. Let us therefore be true followers of Christ the King by being “imitators of him.”

Just as Jesus fought evil through his sacrifice on the cross then let us fight our present day evil by learning how to sacrifice. Let us sacrifice our pride by being humble and forgiving to others. Let us sacrifice our greed by being generous and kind. Let us sacrifice our indifference by being loving and lovable.

Last Friday the Thirteenth, November 2015, Paris was under terrorist attack. We heard of many people who were brutally murdered inside the Bataclan Concert Hall. A few days after, Antoine Leiris, whose wife was among those who were killed at the concert hall, posted on his Facebook account a message to the terrorists. “I will not grant you the gift of my hatred. You're asking for it, but responding to hatred with anger is falling victim to the same ignorance that has made you what you are…We are just two, my son and me, but we are stronger than all the armies in the world…and for his whole life this little boy will threaten you by being happy and free.”

Antoine Leiris fought hatred by not hating. He is strong not because of many armies but because of his little boy. He threatened terrorism not by revenge but by living free and happy. For me, Antoine Leiris is a man who truly follows Christ his King. He is a man who amidst terror and anger opted to imitate the life of Christ the King.

How about us? Is Christ really our King? Does he truly rule in our lives? Amen!

Photo taken from www.catholicworldreport.com