Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. Traditionally this feast is celebrated on the final Sunday of October while in the new calendar it is celebrated on the final Sunday of the liturgical year. This feast was established by Pope Pius XI is his encyclical Quas Primas, In the First. This encyclical reminded Christians that the sovereignty of Christ encompasses all the aspects of our life: personal, political, temporal, and eternal.
Here Pope Pius XI had stated, that many people had “thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law our of their lives.” Sadly, we can see how this reality is currently manifest in our modern day society. Instead of us looking outward towards God we so often look inward towards ourself. The laws of our land as well as the way in which we live and order our life should be modeled after Christ our King.
We must remember that none of us are citizens of the here and now, but rather we are called to be citizens of the eternal and perfect Kingdom of Heaven. We cannot align ourself with a political idealogoy which contradicts God and His commands for us. There is not a law, political party, or a nation which can be placed before God. Sadly, there are those who push God to the side when making laws, when electing officials, and when practicing national patriotism.
We must realize that each of us are called upon to be witnesses to a higher Kingdom then what many orient their life towards in the here and now. In the words of Pope Pius XI, “When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessing of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony.”
This is a reality that we are called to make manifest. This reality must be begun within our homes for it is the start. If we cannot order our life towards Christ the King within the home it will be difficult to do so within society. It is true that many hearts have wondered away from God, but we cannot lose the virtue of hope. We instead must reform our life in order that we may become true witnesses of Christ’s coming Kingdom.
When we begin to lose the virtue of hope when it pertains to all that is going on around us we must come to be reminded of this coming Kingdom. If we can come to proclaim Christ as King there will always be a glimmer of hope for us. May we come to place out trust in Christ the King by ordering our life and our families around Him. It is Christ alone who can bring solace to the word for the Kingdom that He brings is a Kingdom which will never pass away.
Long live Christ the King!
