What Kind of a King Is Jesus?
Dear Parishioners,
Today we celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King, demonstrating the universal power that Jesus has and the scope of his mission. The title king may not invoke as many emotions in us as it once did centuries ago. Our modern political and democratic system diminishes once revered title and system of governance by kings and queens that it represents. In fact, America as a nation rejected a monarchy system of governance. President Abraham Lincoln would further articulate this belief in his famous statement of the government of the people for the people and by the people.
What kind of a king is Jesus? And what kind of kingdom has come to establish? Jesus the Only Begotten Son of God, who took flesh in the womb of Virgin, was born to give us eternal life and inaugurate a new kingdom. He offered himself on the altar of the Cross as a spotless sacrifice to bring us peace. His kingdom was that of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace. His kingship is different from that of any other.
Remember the charges leveled against Jesus during his trial was that he made himself a king. His death sentence reads: “Jesus King of the Jews.” Jesus of Nazareth is so truly a king that the title ‘King” has become his name. Pope Benedict XVI reflecting on this said “by calling ourselves Christians, we label ourselves as followers of the king… God did not intend Israel to have a kingdom. The kingdom was a result of Israel’s rebellion against God… The law was to be Israel’s king, and, through the law, God himself… God yielded to Israel’s obstinacy and so devised a new kind of kingship for them. The King is Jesus; in him God entered humanity and espoused it to himself… the feast of Christ the King is therefore not a feast of those who are subjugated, but a feast of those who know that they are in the hands of the one who writes straight on crooked lines.”
This week, our nation pauses to celebrate “Thanksgiving Day,” as we recall God’s immense goodness to our country, a nation forged on the sacrifices of so many people. We take a moment to celebrate our diversity and the generosity of those who welcomed the first pilgrims. We ask God’s forgiveness for our failures, flaws and injustices. We pray for his renewed blessings upon our nation, bringing peace, healing and progress in every corner of this beautiful country.
In our prayers of gratitude, we thank God for the gift of freedom, and for those who have supported us and given us a helping hand over the course of the year. It is good to stop for a moment and thank everyone in your family, friends, colleagues and parish community. It is good to renew and dedicate ourselves to God and our common destiny: One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Long live Christ the King.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Fr. Vitalis Anyanike, Pastor
