Divine glory radiates from Jesus

Solemnity of Christ the King (C)

This Sunday, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, the final Sunday of our liturgical year. Pope Pius XI presciently instituted the feast of Christ the King in 1925 to combat the progressive secularization of Western civilization. The Holy Father was dismayed by the increasing influence of anti-Christian values in the mainstream of society, culture, and government; his point was that despite attempts to find fulfillment in all the wrong places, only when all people “realize that Christ is King, will society at last receive the blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace, and harmony.” His hope was that increased attention to Christ the King would “hasten the return of society to our loving Savior” (Pope Pius XI, Quas Primas, 1925), not because God needed to be further served, but because our love of God is meant to be poured out in seeking the genuine and lasting good of all our brothers and sisters. Pope Francis addressed a very similar message to Catholics of the current era — calling us to remember that “True joy does not come from things or from possessing, . . . it is born from the encounter, from the relationship with others, it is born from feeling accepted, understood and loved, and from accepting, from understanding and from loving . . . it is hearing someone say, but not necessarily with words: “You are important to me”. (Pope Francis, Address at Meeting with Seminarians and Novices,7/6/13). Our readings this day attempt to rekindle our religious ardor by portraying Jesus’ kingship as a matter of loving service poured out for the sake of all of humanity, even at those moments when this is most difficult. 

This Sunday’s Gospel reading begins with Jesus looking far from regal. Hoisted up on the shameful cross, mocked and betrayed by those he had come to save, and largely abandoned by those he loved, Jesus was forced to endure the further cruelty of being ridiculed by one of the criminals dying next to him, “Are you really the Messiah? Then save yourself and us too!” (Lk 23:39). In response to this taunting, another of the condemned criminals rebuked Jesus’ tormentor, “Have you no fear of God . . . We are only paying the price for what we have done, but this man has done nothing wrong” (Lk 23:40-41). Then, turning to the Lord, the repentant thief pleaded, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom” (Lk 23:42). At that moment, the true majesty of Jesus shone forth — bereft of every earthly pretense of grandeur, Jesus serenely promised what only God himself could promise; he answered his petitioner, “I solemnly assure you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Lk 23:43). Despite all the cruelty inflicted upon him, Jesus was still able to respond mercifully to the repentant sinner. Jesus’ promise was not some vague offer of future consideration, but a stalwart commitment that the merciful love of God would break down any barriers and welcome the contrite criminal into salvation that very day.

St. Luke uses this powerful moment during the passion narrative to emphasize that human salvation is intimately tied to Jesus’ death on the cross. Through his suffering and death, Jesus, the Universal King and Judge of all the World has pronounced repentant sinners as fit for eternal life. The cross represents Almighty God’s most profound offer of salvation to all those who will simply receive it in faith. The dialogue between Jesus and the two criminals is, in a sense, a summary of all that had gone before. Jesus’ offer of salvation was humbly accepted by some and scornfully rejected by others. The resounding assurance, though, is that Jesus mercifully bestows eternal life on all those whose hearts are open to receiving it; as St. Paul explains, “Through [Christ] we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins” (Col 1:14).

Lest we forget Christ’s true grandeur, the Church balances this scene of Jesus on the cross with the words of St. Paul’s exalted Christological hymn. In the opening chapter of his Letter to the Colossians, Paul includes this anthem celebrating Christ’s role above all creation. The text begins with the assurance of Christ’s share in Divine Majesty, “He is the image of the invisible God . . .” (Col 1:15). Paul continues, revealing Christ as the Agent of all creation, “In him everything in heaven and on earth was created . . . all things were created through him and for him” (Col 1:16a,c). Paul then goes on to commemorate the primacy of being and honor that belongs to Jesus, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col 1:17). Next, he speaks of Jesus’ role with regard to humanity, “He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent” (Col 1:18).

Finally, Paul speaks of the Divine Glory that radiated from Jesus even on the cross, “It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in him, and through him to reconcile everything in heaven and on earth, making peace through the blood of his cross” (Col 1:19-20). 

May we come to more perfectly worship this Christ as our King, magnified in glory above all creation and yet mercifully present to every sinner. This is a message that should fill us with a greater sense of the urgency of our mission to re-evangelize our material and often cold, uncaring world with abundant proofs of God’s devoted concern for all his people.

Msgr. Fell is a Scripture scholar and director, diocesan Office for Priest Personnel