Christ the King Year C Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. This solemnity serves as the culmination of our liturgical year and sums up the fact that Christ is the Chosen one, He is the Messiah, and He is the King of the Jews.

There were voices which mocked His kingship saying, “He saved others, let him save himself.” They were unable to see that He had come to save us and not Himself. Through the throne that is the cross we have been redeemed for He has been lifted up upon it.

From this gift that we have received we must choose to allow the Lord to penetrate into our life. The good thief understood this as he cried out, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Likewise, we must turn our sight towards Him and make such a profession of faith.

At this Mass there are those among us who will make a Profession of Faith and be received fully into the life of the Church through confirmation and the Eucharist. As they profess the fulness of faith we must also come to live out what we profess in thought, word, and deed.

It was upon the cross that His blood was spilled for us and through the spilling of His blood we have been made a part of His kingdom. From the Book of Revelation, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.”

Let us come to understand that we have been given a share in His kingship through our baptism. Through our baptism we were incorporated into Christ in order to share in His role as priest, prophet, and king. We exercise Christ’s kingship by governing our life and relationships towards the service of God. In doing so we lead others to God’s Kingdom and do not get caught up in the allure of worldly power.

Such a reality can only be lived in so far as we are willing to live the Gospel without compromise. So many see no need to commit their self to such a state. They might attend church on Sunday, but choose to not live what they have received in the midst of the world. The gospel isn’t a message of suggestions, but is a way of life that cannot be silenced.

It was for this reason that Pope Pius XI established this feast in 1925. He did so in order that the rising secularism, atheism, and communism following World War I would be opposed. In this day and age we must continue to combat such realities for they run rampant in our world. As Christians we must oppose such realities and set our sight towards Christ, in order that we may continue to build up His Kingdom on this earth by living out the gospel, and thus the faith without compromise.

Long live Christ the King!

Christ the King Homily (Extraordinary Form)

Today we observe the Feast of Christ the King.

This past Sunday we were instructed in our Gospel, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” This proclamation exclaims that our faith is not something that can be divided up into various categories and thus not be integrated into who we are as a human person.

The Feast of Christ the King was established in order to proclaim that Christ still holds a place in our modern day society. He cannot be divorced from our interaction with the world as some would like to believe and do. He is the King who reigns victorious from the cross and thus He is the King to whom our world longs for we can find our fulfillment nowhere else.

As Pope Pius XI exclaimed in Quas Primas (In the First), “He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls.”

As the Lord exclaimed in our Gospel, “Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.” It should be no secret that our modern day society has put so much in the way of hearing this voice. We cannot allow the noise of this world in all of its busyness to silence this voice that is being made manifest for us for this is the voice of truth.

Very soon our nation will enter into another election cycle. Some allow themself to take on a political party over the full teaching of the Church. In our discernment for this upcoming election we must do so under a spirit prayer that is done in unison with the entirety of the Church’s teachings kept in mind. Again we cannot live a faith that is not integrated entirely into who we are as a human person.

May this Feast of Christ the King further assist us in coming to realize the importance of Christ in our life and society. Christ is not just one of many ways to truth, but is truth itself. Our heart must remain open to this truth for He is the sovereign power over our bodies, our thoughts, our heart, and our will. In choosing Him we come to exalt Him as King over all of our life.

Long live Christ the King!

Feast of Christ the King Homily (Extraordinary Form)

Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King.

Our Blessed Lord stated, “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.”

Truth is something which is under attack in our modern day society. We have our truth and others have their truth. All that we need to do is respect one another and not push our truth upon another. This is a spirit of relativism which is not compatible with our faith.

From the Gospel of Saint Luke we are told, “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”

The source of this division is truth. We have many different opinions and interests, but at the end of the day Christ is the answer to all that we seek. As His states in Sacred Scripture, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Therefore, we will not find truth if we live a life which keeps Christ far from our midst.

This Feast of Christ the King was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 to remind the world of its continued need for Christ. As the first world war came to its end there grew a desire to establish a society that was free of the influence of religion over the state. It is this feast that reminds us that this is impossible and that we will always be in need of the truth that Christ alone can bring.

This feast reminds us that we need God at the center of society. We cannot continue to move away from Him for He must be the very basis of all that we do. If we continue to move away from God everything that we do has nothing to be based upon. It should be no secret that we are living in an age of atheism where we want a society which is free of the influence of religion. The state makes laws, but should do all things in union with God and His will for us. God cannot be divorced from our society.

It is this truth which is being proclaimed to us through the celebration of this Feast of Christ the King. He is the King that we must invite into our life in order that we may come to be transformed in His midst. Whenever we encounter Him we come to encounter the truth that sets us free from sin and death. Let us desire to encounter this truth at all times as we continue to order our life and society upon Him.

Long live Christ the King!

Christ the King Homily (Extraordinary Form)

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. It is Christ who instructs us, “My Kingdom is not of this world.” So often we attempt to build up an earthly kingdom for ourself. It is this kingdom which will pass away with the passing of time. Christ assures us of something greater which we ought to apply ourself towards. We must desire that Christ the King reign in our midst not only at the end of time, but each and every moment of our life on this earth.

We are instructed at the end of Mass, “Go forth the Mass is ended.” We say “thanks be to God” not because the Mass is over, but because we have been sent forth to live what we have received in Word and in Sacrament. We have received Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords into our heart and thus we are to be sent into the world in order to bring Him with us into all of life’s moments.

Pope Pius XI established this feast in order that we may be reminded that Christ belongs at the very center of public life. There have been many voices that have sprung up throughout the world’s history which have attempted to silence Christ. Each and every one of these voices has failed to silence such a wondrous Name such as that of Christ Jesus. We cannot allow such a mentality to creep into our own life.

How we approach the world around us should be informed by Christ. If this is to be so then we need to make sure that we know Christ. We cannot be sent forth to spread the love of Christ if we fail to enter into this love that has been expressed to us from the throne of the cross. It was here that Christ shows His love for us as He came to lay down His life for us as an outpouring of love that has been extended to us and to the whole world.

One assumption that we cannot make is that everyone already knows Christ. There are some, even here in the south, who know nothing about Him. When we are sent forth from here we have an opportunity to bring Him to these individuals through our words and actions. There is nothing that we can do if we do it exempt from Christ and there is nothing that we cannot do if we do it in Christ’s Name.

We should not look upon the world and see a negative picture. It is true that sin and vice exist. Nevertheless, I look upon the world and know that no matter how bad things may look that Christ has triumphed. I know that He has entered into this world in order that we would be redeemed. I know that the Kingdom that He establishes is a Kingdom which will never pass away.

Let us be people of faith and hope who model their life as a reflection of this Kingdom. Through your interactions in life you are making this reality so. Our families must be based upon this loving God who has come to redeem us. Let us always make time for Him especially within our homes. Our home should be a place where we allow Christ the King to reign victorious.

Long live Christ the King!

Christ the King Homily

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!

Christ the King Year A Homily

As we come to celebrate this Solemnity of Christ the King let us be reminded that there are two kingdoms, that of Heaven and that of earth. It is Christ who is the King of Heaven and Satan who is known as the worldly prince. As we come to the end of this liturgical year it is a fact to state that we have been through a lot, but with the knowledge that Christ is our King everything that we might be called to embrace should not be too much for us to withstand.

Nevertheless, instead of placing our trust in the healing mercy of God and the Kingdom which is to come we so often allow ourself to dwell in the here and the now. We must be reminded that we are not called to follow after this worldly prince, but instead to chase after the Kingdom of Heaven. No matter how much we strive for this world to be a reflection of Heaven it will always fall short, but we are still called to be sent forth as disciples of the Lord to spread the Good News of the faith. In doing so we live in service of the Kingdom of Heaven and not the kingdom of this world.

As disciples of the Lord we must never allow the voice of faith to be silenced. Throughout the world’s history there are those who have tried to silence this voice, but they have always failed. They failed because the faith is truth itself and because Christians were so convinced of this reality that they were willing to lay down their life in defense of this truth. I would hope and pray that we will not have to face the plight of martyrdom, but we do have to head into the world to allow the flame of faith to shine brightly.

When we fail to live for Christ and His Heavenly Kingdom we are allowing the prince of lies to overcome us to believe that we are to live for the here and now. To live for the here and now is to live for the amassment of earthly pleasures without ever having to embrace the cross which leads us to an encounter with Truth. We have just passed through another election year, I for one am happy that we only have to go through this process every four years and not more often. So often it seems that we place the political process over our trust in God. This be true not only in politics, but even with COVID-19 that we have had to deal with for this past year. Instead of worrying about something that is out of our control and stressing over what is on our television screen we should place our trust in God.

With all that seems grim around us let us be a people of hope. It is a fact that our liturgical year comes to a close, but it is also a reality that a new year will begin. The same holds true with everything that is taking place around us. From the cross and resurrection of our Blessed Lord always springs forth a great hope if only we would be open and listen to God. After all we must remember that Christ is the Good Shepherd who tends His flock. In other words He provides for all of our needs. We can see this made manifest through the grace that is constantly being poured upon us and through the gift that is the sacraments especially the Most Holy Eucharist and the sacrament of confession.

With that I invite you to make use of the new confession opportunities during the Advent season. I will hear confessions 30 minutes prior to each Sunday obligation Mass which means I will hear confessions at 4:30pm, 7:30am next week, 9:30am, 11:30am, and 1:30pm next week. I will remain in the confessional until the line is finished or until 5 minutes before the start of Mass, whichever comes first.

As we come to the end of this liturgical year and soon embark upon a new one may we be filled with hope concerning what lies ahead. May we always serve Christ our King and the Kingdom of Heaven for this Kingdom is a kingdom which will never pass away.

Long live Christ the King!

Christ the King Homily

Adapted from homily given for Feast of Christ the King in the Extraordinary Form on October 27, 2019.

This Sunday marks the final Sunday of the liturgical year. When we gather together for the Holy Mass next Sunday we will begin the season of Advent and a new liturgical year. In the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite this final Sunday of the liturgical year is known as the Solemnity of Christ the King.

I have never met a king and this is probably true for just about all of you. If we were to ever meet a king it would be proper for us to genuflect in his presence. Thankfully each and every Sunday we do have this opportunity to encounter a King. This King whom we encounter is Christ our Lord. This is why we normally genuflect when we enter a Church. We genuflect for the one who is present with us within the Tabernacle is Christ our King. If the Tabernacle is not placed in its proper place and is thus hidden in some alternate location one should not genuflect for our Lord is not present.

Hopefully we allow nothing to take our sight away from this reality. It is to here that we should come to find our hope in the midst of any affliction that may befall us. Nevertheless, we are a society which has its news at its fingertips. There is nothing which is seemingly left for us to figure out on our own. So many allow themselves to get caught up with this endless revenue of information to the point that it becomes harmful for their soul. It becomes harmful because they forget about Christ. They take their sight off of Him and begin to worry about things which are out of their control. When we think about it there is nothing which we are ultimately in control of.

This is precisely why this Solemnity of Christ the King is so important for us. We must allow Christ to be the center of our life. We must allow Him to be the One who calms all of our fears. We must allow Him to be the one whom we go to as the source and summit of our life.

This Feast was instituted by Pope Pius XI in order to remind Christians of their allegiance to their spiritual ruler in heaven as opposed to earthly supremacy. As we chase after Christ we must remember that His Kingdom is not of this world and thus we should come to elevate our sight upwards towards Heaven.

It would seem that many have lost sight of this direction as they come to push to the side Christ in order to chase after the world. Again we must be reminded that Christ is our King. We should be willing to submit to this just ruler. We should submit here all of our fears and worries. We should not let them overcome us, but submit them to Him. We should not chase after endless avenues of pleasure, but instead realize that it is Christ for which our heart now longs.

As we come to celebrate this great Solemnity of Christ the King may we allow Christ to become the King and Ruler of our life. Let us submit to His Divine will and always be found willing to humble ourself in His midst.

Christ the King Year B Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King which brings about the conclusion of our liturgical year.

A king has a kingdom entrusted to his care. For Christ our King this is also true, but it does not come in the worldly sense which was expected. To put this into perspective, the words “Kingdom of God” appear a total of 122 times throughout the course of the New Testament, 99 of these times they are found within the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), and 80 out of these 99 times are the words of Jesus Himself. From this we can gather that the “Kingdom of God” is at the front and center of Christ’s message.

If the “Kingdom of God” was so important to Christ’s message we must reason that the Kingdom of God continues to be important for us in this day and age. Despite this importance it easy to get confused on the true meaning of the Kingdom of God or the statement that Christ is our King. Our Gospel presents us with Pilate who much like others was confused on these statements. Pilate who questions Jesus concerning His Kingship. Pilate who was confused on what it meant for Christ to be a King or to have a kingdom. Pilate who was convinced that Christ was a threat to his rule.

Much like Pilate our world seems to be engulfed in a similar attitude. We have become so busy as a culture that we have fooled ourself into believing that we are no longer in need of God. We believe that we are at the height of the enlightenment and thus we reject the reality of there being a finite truth. We have become desensitized to immorality to the point that we no longer feel compelled to chase after virtue. We place the pursuit of money and belongings at the center of our life. We have cut ourself off from the community and attempt to do everything alone. Yes, much like Pilate we fear anything that might infringe upon our way of life.

Nevertheless, it is Christ whom our heart truly longs for. It is Christ and His Kingdom that will set us free from all that holds us hostage. Pilate came into an encounter with the Kingdom of God because he came into an encounter with Christ. Despite this encounter he missed the very thing that His heart longed for. Origen held that the Kingdom of God is made manifest through the presence of Christ. Therefore this statement is not about a location, but is about the Person of Christ Himself and our relation to this Person. In the words of Benedict XVI: “The Kingdom of God is not to be found on any map. It is not a kingdom after the fashion of worldly kingdoms; it is located in man’s inner being. It grows and radiates outward from that inner space.”

Therefore as we celebrate this Solemnity of Christ the King may we allow His Kingdom to grow within our heart. As is petitioned within the Our Father: “thy Kingdom Come.” If we allow His Kingdom to grow within us we and our world will be transformed. We will allow His Kingdom to come and reign in our midst. If this Kingdom is to come and Christ is to be our King we need to place Him at life’s center. We need to be willing to let go of all that keeps us from Him which includes the lure of worldliness and sin. We cannot be like Pilate who had Christ in his midst and yet could not conform his life to the truth which was before him. Instead let us “seek first the kingdom and his righteousness” for Christ will come again and His Kingdom will never pass away.