Christ the King of Catholic Thought

Last updated on: November 30, 2022 at 1:11 am by Mark Wilson

Christ the King of Catholic Thought 2022-11-30T01:11:38-05:00 Mark Wilson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

In Honor of the feast of Christ the King,

Here are some thoughts on Christ the King

From Catholics who have made Christ their King

May be an illustration of 1 person and text that says 'Fr Matthew P. Schneider LC @FrMatthewLC 3h Happy Feast Day is Christ the King. He reigns with the most glorious crown & robe of any king, but not the ones we'd expect. 30 231'

The Feast of Christ the King was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925, almost one hundred years ago; in a time when godless revolutionary movements and godless ideologies were being brutally imposed throughout the world, ideologies that also separated and segregated human beings and ultimately exterminated them. Whether they deny the sovereignty of God or the very existence of God, the rulers of this world are ultimately always conquered by the power of God. Christus vincit, Christus regnat! Christus imperat! Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands. This is the refrain of an ancient hymn known as the Royal Praises (Laudes Regiae). In the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar we encounter Christ our King, Christ Our Eucharistic King and in the union brought about by the reception of the Eucharist, we invite Our Lord to rule over us from within. Solemnity of Christ the King « Catholic Insight

The kingdom of God, and therefore the kingship of Christ, is first and foremost perplexing. Its driving power is metanoia, the force that leads people to let themselves be turned inside out and to believe that service is the highest vocation they could ever fulfill.

In the kingdom of God, people trust the insight of widowed mothers and beggars to explain how the financial system really works. In the kingdom of God, people look to migrants and refugees to understand the true character of nations. They watch those who serve the wounded and outcast to understand what true religion is.

The language of the kingdom of God is universal, but unintelligible to those who do not share the values it expresses.

The reason the church should celebrate the solemnity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe, is to call ourselves to account. Today’s feast calls us to look at Christ the crucified servant and to ask not “Are you a king?”, but “Are you my king, or have I chosen others?”
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe: ‘What have you done?’ | National Catholic Reporter (ncronline.org)

That’s the crux of today’s Gospel. Pilate thinks of “kingship” in traditional political terms. Jesus thinks of it in spiritual terms.

That’s not to say that those spiritual terms don’t threaten the political. People who take their faith seriously will always relativize Caesar’s claims. And Caesar doesn’t like that. Even if he’s elected.

Vatican II speaks of Christians as participating in the “threefold office of Christ.” Christians, by virtue of baptism, are priests, prophets and kings. They are to offer the sacrifice of worship to God. They are to bear witness to Truth, just as Jesus says in today’s Gospel (and which today’s Caesars, like Pilate, treat with similar cynicism). And they are to be kings, who rule themselves by truth and moral rightness. They may not wield political power or influence, but they wield the moral witness of standing for the Truth even when those with power and influence ask, “what is truth?” The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe| National Catholic Register (ncregister.com)

No photo description available.

I compared this solemnity, Christ the King, to the last chapter of a book or the finale of a TV show, and like books and TV shows, the church calendar, the liturgical year, has a story to tell, a drama thousands of years in the making, compressed into the 52 weeks of the year.

There is effective power in the “unfolding of the liturgical year,” from each season and feast to the next, to “nourish the Christian life.” People miss that if they only come to Mass sporadically: Christmas and Easter, Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday, and so forth. Imagine trying to follow a TV show but skipping most of the episodes — but more so, because we’re not just viewers here at Mass. You aren’t an audience. We are all active participants in this act of worship, and every week our presence matters, or our absence.

So this story comes to a finale with Christ the King, but where does it start? Next Sunday, the first Sunday in Advent, the story starts again — where? Not at the beginning, actually. I’m sure you’ve seen TV shows and movies that start off in the middle of things and then fill you in later on. Advent is like that.
Deacon Steven D. Greydanus –Christ the King and the Liturgical Year| National Catholic Register (ncregister.com)

Uncategorized

Previous Post

November 19, 2021

Dare We Have a Conversation About Hope?

Next Post

November 22, 2021 The Power of Grandma's: LWIL November 15 -November 21

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1889 abortion adoption Advent After Life Angles apologetics Art Awards BCCT bible book review books business Carmelite Catechetics Catholic Actors catholic authors Catholic Bard Catholic Faith Catholic List Catholic Rigorous Vortex Christian Authors Christmas church teaching civil conversation coronavirus Current Events death Different Religions Divine Mercy Easter Education encouragment Entertainment Eucharist Evangelization Event faith Family Life famous people feast day food Fun Stuff Global Church God guest post Harry Potter healing Heck of a Ride Around the Sun history holiday Holy Family Holy Orders Holy Spirit Holy Week hope Humor Interview Ireland Jesus kindle unlimited reflections Last Things Lecto Divina with Kristin Lent Lent/Easter liturgy love marriage Mary Meet the Author Mission Month in Advance Movie Review Movies Movies of the Month Music Narrative Older Writings patheos authors personal Philosophy podcasts poetry political Politics pope prayer Private Revelation pro-life public domain Quotes racial relations racism reflection Religious Life Saints science Scriptural Meditation social justice Social Media spirituality suffering supernatural theology Topics Travel Trivia Tweeting to the Choir Uncategorized universal church Vatican virtue war Week in Review women world religions writing Writing Write Now

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the mother of Samuel?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Rebekah Ruth Deborah Hannah

Books by This Author Books by Catholic Bard

See All Titles »