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Dear Sisters and Brothers:
Pope Pius XI instituted The Feast of Christ the King in
1925 in his encyclical Quas Primas. Pope Pius connected the denial of
Christ as king to the rise of secularism. At the time of Quas Primas,
secularism was on the rise, and many Christians, even Catholics, were
doubting Christ's authority, as well as the Church's, and even doubting
Christ's existence. At the time, Pius XI witnessed the rise
of dictatorships in Europe, and saw even Catholics being taken in by
these earthly leaders. Just as the Feast of Corpus Christi was
instituted when devotion to the Eucharist was at a low point, the Feast
of Christ the King was instituted during a time when respect for Christ
and the Church was waning, when the feast was most needed. In fact, it
is still needed today, as these problems have not vanished, but instead
have worsened.
Pius hoped the institution of the feast would have
various effects. They were:
· That nations would see that
the Church has the right to freedom, and immunity from the state (Quas
Primas, 32).
· That leaders and nations
would see that they are bound to give respect to Christ (Quas Primas,
31).
· That the faithful would
gain strength and courage from the celebration of the feast, as we are
reminded that Christ must reign in our hearts, will, minds, and bodies (Quas
Primas, 33).
Today, the same distrust of authority exists, although
the problem has gotten worse. Individualism has been embraced to such an
extreme, that for many, the only authority is the self. The idea of
Christ as ruler is rejected in such a strongly individualistic system.
Also, many balk at the idea of kings and queens, believing them to be
oppressive. Some even reject the titles of "lord" and "king" for Christ
because they believe that such titles are borrowed from oppressive
systems of government. However true these statements might be (some
kings have been oppressive), these individuals miss the point. Christ's
kingship is one of humility and service. Jesus said:
You know that those who are recognized as rulers over
the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their
authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather,
whoever wishes to become great among you will be your servant; whoever
wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of
Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many (Mark 10:42-45, NAB). Pilate said to Jesus, "Are
you the King of the Jews?"... Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not
belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my
attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the
Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here." So Pilate said to him,
"Then you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. For this I
was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth
(John 18:33b, 36-37).
Thus, Jesus knew the oppressive nature of secular kings,
and in contrast to them, he connected his role as king to humble
service, and commanded his followers to be servants as well. In other
passages of Scripture, his kingdom is tied to his suffering and death.
While Christ is coming to judge the nations, his teachings spell out a
kingdom of justice and judgment balanced with radical love, mercy,
peace, and forgiveness. When we celebrate Christ as King, we are not
celebrating an oppressive ruler, but one who was willing to die for
humanity and whose "loving-kindness endures forever." Christ is the king
that gives us true freedom, freedom in Him. Thus we must never forget
that Christ radically redefined and transformed the concept of kingship.
Christ the King Sunday used to be celebrated on the last
Sunday of October, but since the calendar reforms of 1969, the feast
falls on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time, which is the Sunday before
Advent. It is fitting that the feast celebrating Christ's kingship is
celebrated before Advent, when we celebrate those waiting for the coming
king.
Let’s give our minds and hearts to the Lord!
Father Joe |
