Feast of Christ, the King of the Universe(Year B)
Dan 7.13-14; Ps 92; Apoc 1.5-8; Jn 18.33-37
Today’s Gospel is a fragment of the St John Passion. It almost passes unnoticed on Good Friday, seemingly a minor detail only. But today, on the Solemnity of Christ the King, it has been chosen because it deals with this question: Of what kind of kingdom is Our Lord Jesus Christ the King?
To the Jews, the Kings of old – David and Solomon, for example – were both spiritual and material figures. They defended the nation of Israel as a geographical country and as a spiritual people. Their image of the Messiah incorporated the notion of both religious and worldly power – the Messiah would be a strong figure, of the House of David, ushering in a time of political glory. Under Roman occupation they saw one of the Messiah’s roles as restoring political freedom and the right to govern themselves.
King Herod was but a puppet king, exercising some ceremonial functions at the behest of the Romans; real power lay with them. So Jesus, entering Jerusalem on a donkey, showing no political interest, demonstrating no sense of military power, and challenging established religion, could not possibly qualify as their Messiah.
The Romans, by contrast with powerless and subjugated Israel, ran a European superstate. Caesar ruled as Emperor over the whole continent; Roman laws and taxes were enforced by a well-organised network of administrators backed up by a loyal and, if necessary, ruthless military machine. Pontius Pilate, the Governor of Judaea, lived in a world where “Kingdom” meant power. At first, since Jesus had no power, Pilate could see no way in which He could possibly be a king or lay any claim to a kingdom. Our Lord seemed to Pilate a harmless eccentric.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus has been brought before Pilate by the high priest. In their desire to have Jesus executed by the Romans, the leaders of the religious council suggest to Pilate that Our Lord’s claim to be Messiah amounts to a political challenge. Our Lord’s answers to Pilate’s questions are mysterious. He resists the label “King of the Jews”. He tells Pilate, “Mine is not a kingdom of this world.” Pilate replies, “So you are a king, then?” Jesus responds, “It is you who say it. Yes, I am a King. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.” At first, this all seems rather an anticlimax, rather uncertain and vague. The questions and answers do not seem to fit together. But this is exactly the point Saint John is making. Christ the King cannot be reduced to any human understanding of what it means to rule in a kingdom.
The Kingdom of God knows no geographical borders or political institutions. But we might say it has a single currency: TRUTH! It is this that Our Lord singles out for mention before Pilate where time and opportunity to make His point are so restricted. “I came into this world to bear witness to the truth.” All the other values: life, holiness, grace, justice, love an peace, spring from the truth to be found in God.
God is the source of Truth; indeed He is Truth, eternal Truth, Truth on which is founded the whole universe and everything that exists. In the Paschal Vigil, the Church moves on from contemplating the Passion of Our Lord to the glory of His Resurrection. The Easter Candle is marked with the Cross, with the symbols Α and Ω, and with the date of the year. These words are spoken by the celebrant:
Christ yesterday and today,
the beginning and the end,
Alpha and Omega;
all time belongs to Him, and all the ages;
to Him be glory and power,
through every age for ever.
As we briefly review the liturgical year, which ends this week, we see the eternal Word made flesh in the crib: He through whom the world was created lies helpless in Our Lady’s arms. We see the boundless compassion, the brilliant teaching, the miraculous power of Our Lord. We see His Passion and Resurrection. We see His commissioning of the Church, His gift of the Sacraments and His return to glory with His Father. The extent of His kingdom is boundless. The glory of it is indescribable. We are truly members of it through our Baptism – our Christian Passport.
But none of this is remote, because the signs of the reality of the Kingdom and of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King’s presence with us are to be found all around. Where truth, holiness, grace, justice, love and peace are found, we can be sure that there is the Kingdom of God and that Christ our King is near at hand. And that one day this Kingdom will consume all hatred and jealousy, overturn disease and hunger, end pain and suffering.
The Preface for Mass today sets out beautifully the qualities of the kingdom in which Christ Our Lord rules:
You anointed Jesus Christ, your only Son, with the oil of gladness, as the eternal priest and universal king.
As priest, he offered his life on the altar of the cross and redeemed the human race by this one perfect sacrifice of peace.
As King he claims dominion over all creation, that he may present to you, his almighty Father, an eternal and universal kingdom:
a kingdom of truth and life,
a kingdom of holiness and grace,
a kingdom of justice, love and peace.
This heavenly kingdom will far excel any earthly paradise. So on the Feast of Christ the King our heartfelt prayer can be simply made in the words the King Himself taught us: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Christ reigns from the cross and in our hearts: He is the King of Glory
O merciful Jesus our eternal king, reign in our hearts.
