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“Christ the King”
Artist and Date are unknown |
Readings for the
Solemnity of Christ the King [2]
Readings from the
Jerusalem Bible [3]
Readings and Commentary: [4]
Reading 1: 2
Samuel 5:1-3
In those days, all the tribes of
Israel came to David in Hebron and said:
"Here we are, your bone and
your flesh.
In days past, when Saul was our
king,
it was you who led the Israelites
out and brought them back.
And the Lord said to you,
'You shall shepherd my people
Israel
and shall be commander of
Israel.'"
When all the elders of Israel
came to David in Hebron,
King David made an agreement with
them there before the Lord,
and they anointed him king of
Israel.
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Commentary on 2
Sm 5:1-3
Within
the historical books of 1 and 2 Samuel, this is one of the most important
events. David is crowned King of Israel. From this anointing comes the later
promise of a lasting dynasty (2 Samuel 7) from which royal messianism is developed. Within the
context of the Solemnity of Christ the King, the theme of kingship reminds us
of where the concept of the royal messiah, the king, had its roots in human
understanding.
"But what did it mean for
the Lord to be acclaimed the King of Israel? What did it mean to the King of
all ages to be recognized as the king of men? Christ did not become the King of
Israel in order to demand tributes or to raise armies and make war against the
enemies [of Israel]; he became the King of Israel to reign over souls, to give
counsel that leads to eternal life, to bring those who were filled with faith,
hope and Love to the Kingdom of heaven" (St Augustine, "In loannis
Evangelium", 51, 4).
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5
R. (cf. 1) Let us go
rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to
me,
"We will go up to the house
of the Lord."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for
Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the
Lord.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps
122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5
Psalm 122 is a song of thanksgiving centered upon returning to the
temple in Jerusalem. (Mosaic Law required such a trip three times in an
individual's life.) The song rejoices in the visit to the holy place, the seat
of King David. The original singers would have been rejoicing at returning to
the one temple. For Christians, the new Jerusalem is the one and only house of
God in his heavenly kingdom. There the Lord sits in judgment.
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Reading II: Colossians
1:12-20
Brothers and sisters:
Let us give thanks to the Father,
who has made you fit to share
in the inheritance of the holy
ones in light.
He delivered us from the power of
darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom
of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the
forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible
God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all
things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or
principalities or powers;
all things were created through
him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold
together.
He is the head of the body, the
church.
He is the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself
might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was
pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all
things for him,
making peace by the blood of his
cross
through him, whether those on
earth or those in heaven.
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Commentary on Col
1:12-20
In the first part of this selection St. Paul reminds the
Colossians that it is in Christ that we have redemption through the forgiveness
of sins. We are given a place in the light, through him who is light itself,
and delivered from power of darkness. “The struggle between light and the power
of darkness is referred to in many passages of Sacred Scripture (cf. Jn 1:5, 9-11). Darkness means
both evil and the power of the Evil One. Before the redemption took place, all
men -- as a consequence of original sin and their personal sins -- were slaves
to sin; this slavery darkened their minds and made it difficult for them to know
God, who is the true light.” [5]
The second part of the reading is a hymn fragment, probably
familiar to the members of that faith community, that reminds them of the
Lord’s preeminence (i.e., first-born of all creation, first-born from the dead,
all things are reconciled in him). As his eternal status is reiterated, his
kingship over all creation is recalled. “He is the head: Points to the
union of the Church with Christ, who as head directs and oversees the
activities of his members. Paul’s analogy can likewise stress that the head and
body share the same life (Rom 12:5) and that each member of the body is
assigned a particular task for the good of the whole (1 Cor 12 12-26)
(CCC 753,
792).[6]
CCC: Col 1:12-14 1250; Col
1:13-14 517; Col
1:14 2839; Col
1:15-20 2641; Col
1:15 241, 299, 381, 1701; Col
1:16-17 291; Col
1:16 331; Col
1:18-20 624; Col
1:18 504, 658, 753, 343, 792; Col
1:20-22 2305
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Gospel: Luke
23:35-43
The rulers sneered at Jesus and
said,
"He saved others, let him
save himself
if he is the chosen one, the
Christ of God."
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him
wine they called out,
"If you are King of the
Jews, save yourself."
Above him there was an
inscription that read,
"This is the King of the
Jews."
Now one of the criminals hanging
there reviled Jesus, saying,
"Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us."
The other, however, rebuking him,
said in reply,
"Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same
condemnation?
And indeed, we have been
condemned justly,
for the sentence we received
corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing
criminal."
Then he said,
"Jesus, remember me when you
come into your kingdom."
He replied to him,
"Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in
Paradise."
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Lk
23:35-43
This first part of the Gospel refers to the most grievous charge
leveled against Jesus before Pilate. The Sanhedrin told the proconsul that
Jesus had claimed kingship over the Jews in opposition to the rule of Caesar.
We recall that, at the head of the Cross, was a sign that read: “Jesus of
Nazareth, King of the Jews.” (Matthew 27:37)
In this part of the Passion from St. Luke’s Gospel, we hear the
jeering of those in leadership because of what they perceived to be the
Christ’s ironic fate. Even one of the two criminals begins to take up the insult
but is silenced by the other who seems to understand that the kingdom over
which Jesus rules is not of this world, but rather it is the Kingdom of God.
CCC: Lk 23:39-43 440, 2616; Lk
23:40-43 2266; Lk
23:43 1021
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Reflection:
Today we celebrate the Solemnity
of Christ the King. It is the last Sunday of the liturgical year. The authors
of the Roman Missal who prayerfully assembled the liturgy and readings for our
common worship ended the year’s Sunday celebrations on this particular note
suggesting that we have been building toward it for a full year. We have
recalled the Lord’s nativity in our Advent and Christmas celebrations. We have
remembered Christ’s struggle as our own in our Lenten observances. We have
rejoiced in the Easter of our year, celebrating as Christ’s own resurrection
brought us hope and joy. And in these past months we have looked at the life
and teaching of Jesus, building our interior faith in him to this point.
Now we are ready. We proclaim
Christ as king. He is king in the line of David, as we are reminded in the
reading from the Second Book of Samuel. He is the promise God made to his
people that the Messiah would come and rule forever in his kingdom. He was king
before all time, first-born of all creation, one with the Father; in him all
things are made, as St. Paul reminds his letter to the Colossians.
Finally, we are reminded of the
cost of kingship as we visit Christ on the Cross. His human life is ebbing away
while the people whom he came to save curse and jeer him. He recalls his
Heavenly Kingdom and invites the repentant thief, who represents all of us, to
join him in paradise.
The question we must ask
ourselves today is: “Are we there yet?” Have we been able to internalize all
these lessons to the point where Christ is our king? It will show in all of our
attitudes. It will show in our attitudes toward others. Surely a servant of
Christ the king of the universe would love each person they met as their king
commanded. It would show in our attitudes towards “things.” The attitudes of
the king’s followers would be less concerned with things than building the
spirit within them.
Throughout time, great kings have
had loyal subjects who have followed the example of their king. They have worn the
king’s livery in battle, and they have laid down their lives for him. Are we
there yet?
Pax
[1]
Catechism links are taken from the
Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for
Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014.
[2]
The picture used today is “Christ the King” Artist and Date are unknown.
[3]
S.S.
Commemoratio[4]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the
psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is
for private use only.
[5]
The Navarre Bible Letters of St. Paul (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, ©
2003), 467.
[6]
Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Old and New Testament (Ignatius Press, © 2024,
San Francisco, CA.), 2104.
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