INTRODUCTION
History will always remember the 20th century as the deadliest century that saw the manifestation of the beastly nature of man. It was characterized by wars, genocides and revolutions; and the bloodiest of all is the famous World War II. Many of us reading this piece are either victims of or bearers of the aftermath effect of the following horrible moments:
1899–1902 Boer War
1904–1905 Russo-Japanese War
1910–1920 Mexican Revolution
1912–1913 First and Second Balkan Wars, 1914–1918 World War I
1915–1918 Armenian Genocide
1918–1921 Russian Civil War
1919–1921 Irish War of Independence
1927–1937 Chinese Civil War
1933–1945 Holocaust
1935–1936 Second Italo-Abyssinian War
1936–1939 Spanish Civil War
1939–1945 World War II
1945–1990 Cold War
1946–1954 First Indochina War
1950–1953 Korean War
1954–1962 French-Algerian War
1955–1972 First Sudanese Civil War
1959 Cuban Revolution
1959–1975 Vietnam War
1979–1989 Soviet-Afghan War
1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War
1990–1991 Persian Gulf War
1991–1995 Third Balkan War
1994 Rwandan Genocide
Nigerian-Biafran war of 1967-1970.
This long list of wars is purposely meant for us to see the height of horror that transpired in our history. But we must know that at the background of all these horrible historical moments is the anthropocentric philosophies and ideologies that were antagonistic to religion and to God. This generated a lot of dictatorship and domineering tendency of man against man, people against people and nation against nation. Thus, it was after the World War 1 that Pope Piux XI felt the need to address the Church and the world through the Encyclical Letter “Quas Primas” (1925) in which he noted that the cause of the crises that has eaten deep into the fabric of man is as a result of the loss of God in history through the wave of secularism (par. 22-28). He however reaffirmed the centrality of Christ in the life and history of men and called on the world especially those in political posts to embrace him as the only way to ensure a lasting peace. For this reason, he instituted the feast of Christ the King to be celebrated in the universal Church on the last sunday of October preceding the feast of All Saints (Nov.1). By this link with the feast of All Saints, the Holy father affirmed that sanctity is the only way in which the Kingdom of God can be promoted on earth. However, in 1969 through the “Mysterii Paschalis” of Pope Paul VI, the feast was moved to the last Sunday of the Liturgical year before the First Sunday of Advent in order to give it the eschatological meaning it posses till date; Christ who is the beginning is also the end and fulfilment of history.
FIRST READING: 2 Samuel 5:1-3
The birth of kingship in Israel was an express choice of the people who pressed on Samuel to give them king like other nations (1 Sam. 8:5). This brought about the choice of Saul as first king of Israel (1 Sam 9); but owing to his unfaithfulness God rejected him (1Sam 15-17).
In our first reading today (2 Sam 5:1-3), we see that even the elders of the people had lost confidence in Saul. Hence, they came to David at Hebron and begged him to be their king. Earlier on, David was pre-anointed in the presence of his brothers at Bethlehem as the chosen one of God (1 Sam 16:1-13). At his anointing, the Spirit of God departed from Saul (v.14) and seized him (1 Sam 16:13).
The question we should ask is this: why is the figure of David presented to us on the feast of Christ the King?
Point of convergence:
King David is celebrated till date as the greatest king in Israel’s monarchical history, because it was under him that the 12 tribes of Israel were united under one kingdom. He was a man after God’s own heart. On the other hand, Jesus who was prefigured in David is the King of the universe who united God’s people scattered all over the earth under one kingdom of God. The Scripture called him “My beloved in whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17; Mt 17:5).
Point of divergence:
At Hebron, the elders came to anoint David, and why did the elders not anoint Jesus as their king?
This is because the kingship of David was earthly and finite, and his unction was done by men. But the kingship of Christ is eternal, divine and his unction was done by God Himself with Holy Spirit and Power (Acts 10:38).
At the evening of his life, David was succeeded by Solomon his son, but Christ has no successor, no heir apparent to his throne. He reigns forever.
SECOND READING: Colossians 1:12-20
The scene of our second reading today is in the prison. While Paul was in prison, he was visited by Epaphras, one of the leading men in the community of Colossi. He reported to Paul about the widespread belief among the Christians who were misled by a false doctrine that the heavens contain superior powers and spirits who are capable of moving the entire universe and to influence the lives of people and their destinies. Gripped by fear, many believed that these forces are more powerful than Christ. Thus Paul did not waste time in addressing them with this beautiful exhortation today. The first part (1:12-14) contains Paul’s prayer of Thanksgiving to the Father for his generous love manifested in delivering his people from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. The second part (15-20) is a hymn that celebrates the supremacy of Christ over the whole of creation. He first affirmed him as God (v.15); and for this everything in heaven and earth are under his authority. Thrones, dominion, principalities and powers mentioned by Paul (v.16) were the names of the forces the Colossians were dreadful of. He exalted the eternity of Christ to correct any form of reductionist conception of his nature (v.17). He went ahead to remind the Colossians that the Church they belong to has Christ as Head (v.18); a way to label any other doctrine coming outside this Church as false. Finally, as an apostle who celebrates the Cross, Paul affirmed that Christ’s redemptive work of uniting creation with God was only made possible through the sacrifice of the Cross (v.19-20).
GOSPEL: Luke 23:35-43
We may wonder why the message of the Gospel is centred around the Cross on this day of Christ the King. Yes, the Church wishes to reaffirm the centrality of the Cross of Christ in our salvation, and to remind all Christians about the type of kingship of Christ; a humble king who made the wood of the cross his throne, contrary to the type of king expected by the Jews. Thus, the Cross is a Gospel of its own, whole and entire; and the title of this Gospel is Pilate’s inscription known as the “Titulus Crucis”:
Matthew- “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews” (27:37).
Mark- “The king of the Jews” (15:26).
Luke- “This is the king of the Jews (23:38).
John- “Jesus the Nazarene, king of the Jews (19:19).
Among the four evangelists, it is only John who gave a complete inscription that gave rise to the acronym INRI (Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum) that we always find above the Crucifix. It is only in his account that we read that this was written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew (v.20), as well as the refusal of the sanhedrin to accept the inscription (v.21).
What is this title all about, and how is it important for us today?
It was a common practice among the Romans to attach a small sign on the crosses of criminals who had been sentenced to crucifixion, stating the victim’s crime.This sign was usually carried at the front of the procession. And during the execution of the criminal, it is either hung around his neck or nailed to the cross above his head. This was the case of the INRI of Jesus. It was his own sentence of condemnation. But something stunning happened around this sign. The Jews were fast enough to discover that Pilate had affirmed Jesus as the King of the Jews instead of saying that Jesus claimed to be the king of the Jews. The question is: was it a mistake from Pilate or an intentional act? And why did Pilate refuse to change it when they complained?
This brings us to the message of the feast we celebrate today; and that is, “Jesus is King and will always be King” even though out of the hatred of men, they refused him and condemned him to death as a way of wiping him away from their history. They placed a note of judgement over his head, but the divine power at work affirmed him as King which Pilate was not even able to alter again. At Hebron the elders gathered to anoint David King, but at Calvary the elders gathered to mock Jesus; the soldiers mocked him; the passersby mocked him; even his companion on the cross mocked him. But it is interesting to see that their language of mockery was transformed by God into praise. He manifested his kingship in his suffering and persecution. This was the very first time that his enemies openly called him king. Luke recorded it five times (Lk 23:2.3.37.38.42) as well as John (Jn 18: 33.37; 19: 14.19.21).
LIFE MESSAGE:
1. The feast of Christ the King teaches us that the life of each one of us is the Kingdom of Christ, and Christ is our king.
Therefore, if Christ is really the King of our lives, he must be King of every part of our lives, and we must let him reign in all parts of our lives. No part of us should be hidden away from his rulership.
2. The exaltation of the kingship of Christ and his eternal kingdom reminds us that no kingdom of this world or the underworld should have dominion and authority over our lives because they are meant to submit to the kingship of Christ. And no power, no authority, no principality will have the direct and final say and rule over our lives because we have a king whose power and authority supersedes all. St. Paul captures the grandeur of his authority when he says; “…at the mention of his name, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:10-11).
3. The feast of Christ asks us to review our image of Christ.
The type of Christ’s kingship was not pleasing to the Jews. Yes because he was not born with a golden stool. He had neither soldiers nor arsenal. Hence, he was not qualified to be a king. Some of us have this image of Jesus. We need Jesus who will help us eliminate all our enemies. And sometimes we are disappointed to see Jesus hang on the Cross. This is why many of us find it difficult to accept the crosses that come our way.
4. The feast of Christ the King challenges all kings, rulers, presidents, decision makers, and leaders to learn from Christ who teaches that a leader should be an agent of peace. He loves, cares and lives in peace with his people. He is a good Shepherd, a just judge and a non-violent and compassionate king who kept forgiving even to the foot of the Cross.
PRAYER:
Through this solemnity of Christ the king, may Jesus rule in our broken world, in our turmotous countries, in our divided families, in our sinful lives, in our falling businesses, in our “promotionless” working places, in our unsuccessful places of studies and in every ramification of our lives. Amen.
PAX VOBIS!
