The Solemnity of Christ the King
Who needs a king, especially in America, the land of the free and the home of the brave? After all, didn’t you fight the Revolutionary War to get away from the King of England and all that he represented?
So, who needs a king anyway? We certainly do not need a king who walks around in royal trappings, handing out favors at his whim. And to associate kings like that with Christ the King is to underestimate both God and ourselves.
We have only one King – Jesus Christ. And we all need Him as a King! So, to call Him our king is simply to recognize that all power, all authority, and all glory belong to Him. To call Christ our king is to give up our claim to power, authority, and glory. We take credit for nothing, except for our sins. To call Christ king is a call of praise and trust and a pledge of obedience to Him. It has absolutely nothing to do with politics and crowns. It has absolutely everything to do with faith, humility, and worship. And, because Jesus reigns, evil does not reign. Because Christ is king, no other petty power, including Satan and his hordes, can rule us eternally unless we want Satan to be our king. Because Christ is king, all of us will be safe forever. Because Christ is king, all of us will be free forever safe and free from everything and everyone that has ever bothered us. Long live the King, Christ the King!
Happy Thanksgiving
A few years ago, when I was still at St. Clare of Montefalco parish in Grosse Pointe Park, at the school Mass for Thanksgiving, the students brought to the church a beautiful poster. On this poster, they drew a basket full of different fruits. On the fruits, there were different things written: I’m thankful for my family, my brother, sister, for my friends, for my pets, for good health, for my first communion, for our new house, for food on our table, for our loving and merciful God …and for everything.
In a few days, we will celebrate with our family members and friends another Thanksgiving!
Where does this celebration take me this year?
What matters about this holiday?
What strikes me as being really important?
A beautiful sunrise or sunset? The love of your spouse? Another year without health problems? Or, for the health problems because it opened your eyes to something more important in life? For children who are doing well at school? For the people with great faith, even if their life situation is very complicated? What are you grateful for!? Are you grateful for everything? Why should I be grateful for everything? Because everything is God’s Grace, as St. Therese of Lisieux used to say! Because everything can lead me to be thankful.
As Christians, we’re called to recognize that God the Father not only gave us His Only Son but also that He gave us His Son as one of us. Christ is that great gift who is the perfect image of the Father and the perfect image of what it means to be human. Because Jesus is “one of us”, He teaches us by His example of grateful sacrifice on the Cross, as well as by the grace flowing from His Cross. May His example help us to be thankful for everything in our life, not only on Thanksgiving Day.
Let’s follow the example of Bl. Solanus Casey and Thank God
ahead of time!