Christ the King of the Universe
The Solemnity of Christ the King of the universe brings our liturgical year to a close. We have for months celebrated the mysteries of our Lord Jesus Christ, his birth, life, passion, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven, today we celebrate Him in His glorified state as King of the universe. All our readings today emphasize the love of Christ for us in establishing His Father’s kingdom on earth and our call to nurture and grow God’s kingdom in the world. Today’s solemnity also points to the second coming of Christ in power and majesty to fill our hearts with joy and wipe away our tears. So each one of us has to collaborate in, participate in establishing this kingdom and assist in expanding the kingdom of God through our various ministries and apostolates. So what kingdom are we called to establish here on earth or what are the characteristics of God’s kingdom that we are called to establish on earth? These are the characteristics of God’s kingdom that we are called to establish, nurture and grow in our world today:
The kingdom of God is a kingdom of Truth and Life. Truth here means sincerity, honesty in our dealings, in our thoughts, words and actions. Life here means to have an existence centered on respect for the sacredness and sanctity of human life and taking care of life in general. The kingdom of God is a kingdom of Holiness and Grace. Holiness here entails seeking to be better disciples of Christ, living holy and pious lives and doing good deeds with the grace of God given us, because without God’s grace we can do nothing.
The kingdom of God is a kingdom of Justice, Love and Peace. Justice here emphasizes paying attention to what is just and right and caring for the rights of others. Love here means stopping and saying “no” to hatred, division, discrimination and racism in our world today through forgiveness of one another and conflict resolution. Peace here means living in harmony, unity and love with all. Now we know what God’s kingdom is all about but how do we establish this kingdom of God on earth? We can establish the kingdom of God in our today by truly believing in the gospel of Christ and by witnessing to the truth of the gospel always. Do you really believe in God? Do you truly believe in the gospel of Christ? If you say you believe in God and the gospel of Christ, do you witness to God and the gospel of Christ you believe in? How are you proclaiming, living out and teaching others about Christ in our world today?
My brothers and sisters in Christ, let us establish God’s kingdom in our world today, a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace by truly believing in the gospel of Christ and by witnessing to God’s truths in our daily lives. Amen!
