"Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
This coming Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. This feast is celebrated on the final Sunday of Ordinary Time and, therefore, marks the last week of the Church's liturgical calendar. The next Sunday, December 1, marks the start of the new liturgical year which begins with the season of Advent.
This feast of Christ the King has its origins in relatively recent times when it comes to Church feasts. Pope Pius XI instituted it in 1925 in response to "growing secularism and secular ultra-nationalism." It was meant to serve as a reminder that the kingdoms and nations of this earth pass away and fade, but the Kingdom of God continues to grow into its fullness.
The readings of the feast have an interesting contrast, with the first and second readings speaking of Christ's grandness and of his "coming on the clouds" on the last day. However, the Gospel reading is John's version of Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate immediately before his passion. This juxtaposition is an important one for us to hear and to not forget. The doctrine of the Incarnation teaches us that the God of the Universe chose to enter into his own creation and reveal himself to his creatures in a completely unexpected way: by becoming a human being. The closing line by Jesus in the Gospel spells it out clearly: "For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
Jesus is both the God of the Universe and the man who was brutally executed by the Roman Empire. He came here to testify to the truth and to give his life for us. Whenever we speak and hear the truth we speak of and listen to Him. So, let us be men and women who allow the truth to reside in our hearts and come forth from our mouths. And let us begin to prepare our hearts for celebrating the reality of God's loving us so much that he became one of us as Christmas approaches.
Want to prepare your heart and mind for Sunday's Mass? Click here to find the readings.