Deacon Tom Anthony

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Lectionary: 162

Reading 1 2 Sm 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.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 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.

Reading 2 Col 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.

Alleluia Mk 11:9, 10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 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."

 MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Jesus Christ the King of the Universe. He is not only King of us and the world but also all of God’s creation. With that understanding comes a challenge to us in the form of us not limiting Jesus to our relationship with Him and to our own experiences. There is so much more to Jesus Christ than that. He can do all things and when we recognize our birthright through Him we are unlimited in what we can say, do, and experience. As we begin to close out the Church’s Calendar this week we find ourselves celebrating the last Sunday in Ordinary Time. Next week marks the beginning of the Season of Advent in which we will begin an intense examination of conscious and an examination of our faith. Before we turn inward we are encouraged to turn outward to proclaim that which is central to our faith: Jesus Christ is our king and also king of everything from the smallest of the small to the greatest of the greatest things. Coupled with this proclamation is an encouragement to act appropriately and use this statement to invigorate ourselves in our faith-life. We will never truly be content and joyful unless we open ourselves completely to Jesus and experience every moment in our lives with Him as our master.

The Apostle Paul in his Letter to the Colossians was reminding them of some of the basic tenants of the Christian Faith. He was stating some facts about who Jesus Christ was and what He was in relation to God and all of creation. This was necessary because the Colossians as a community were not placing Jesus Christ at the pinnacle of their faith but were fitting Him into a broader prospectus in relation to their spirituality. There was a focus on other spiritual beings such as Angels and the overall relationship of the community to the spiritual realm. Jesus Christ was being somewhat minimized instead of being placed in a position of ultimate authority. This letter serves as a reminder to us that we are constantly in danger of minimizing Jesus not only in our spirituality but also in our everyday life. There is a constant danger of distraction and limiting Jesus regarding what He can do and what type of influence He can have over us. If we are to truly conduct ourselves as Christians than we must make Jesus the single most important fact in our entire life. Our spirituality and relationship with Him must come first in everything not only when we deem it necessary or important. When we strive towards this goal then the troubles of this world tend to lessen and the realization of God becomes greater.

Our faith can be wonderful and enriching. There is so much to learn and so much to witnesses. It is impossible to learn everything in our lifetime but it is not necessary to do so. All of the books in Sacred Scripture, all of the writings from the Holy Men of the Church, and all of the things that have been passed down from generation to generation lead us to one destination: Jesus Christ. These are designed to help us on our way. Just like everyone on this planet is unique and special so is everyone’s journey to Jesus. No journey is the same. No relationship with Jesus is the same. He is here for everyone and benefits all who are open to receiving Him. He is the king and we are His subjects. He is here is guide us, protect, us, and to love us. We are truly the flock that He shepherds.

At different times in our lives we might find ourselves chasing different things for different reasons. Keeping our attention transfixed on Jesus brings us into the moment where we can experience a wonderful relationship and a wonderful life with Him. This will then lead us to an understanding that with Him at our side no one can be against us. There is no need to worry or fuss about anything because, in the end, Jesus is everything. Our king is here for us and for all of creation. It cannot be minimized what impact Jesus Christ can have on our lives if we just let go and let Him do His work.

Deacon Tom