The solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Sunday 22 November 2020

Good solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe! This is the last Sunday of the Church year, which means we focus on the final and glorious things to come! It also means that next Sunday is already the first Sunday of Advent.

When we say that Jesus is a king, we mean a few things. First, he is our pastor. As our shepherd, He desires to lead us personally as a loving father would. He wants to enter our life personally, intimately and carefully, never imposing himself but always offering himself as our guide. The difficulty with this is that it is very easy for us to reject this kind of royalty. As King, Jesus desires to guide every aspect of our life and guide us in everything. He wishes to become the absolute ruler and the monarch of our souls. He wants us to go to Him for everything and always become dependent on Him. But He won't impose this kind of royalty on us. We must accept it freely and without reservation. Jesus will rule our lives only if we surrender freely. When that happens, however, His Kingdom begins to establish itself within us!

Furthermore, Jesus wants His Kingdom to begin to be established in our world. This is first and foremost when we become His sheep and then we become His tools to help convert the world. However, as King, He also calls us to establish His kingship by ensuring that His truth and law are respected within civil society. It is the authority of Christ as King that gives us the authority and duty as Christians to do everything possible to combat civil injustices and create respect for every human person. All civil law ultimately obtains its authority from Christ only because he is the one and only universal King.

But many don't recognize Him as King, so what about them? Should we "impose" God's law on those who do not believe? The answer is both yes and no. First, there are some things we cannot impose. For example, we cannot force people to go to mass every Sunday. This would hinder one's freedom to enter this precious gift. We know that Jesus requires it of us for the sake of our soul, but it has yet to be embraced freely. However, there are some things we must "impose" on others. The protection of the unborn, poor and vulnerable must be "imposed". Freedom of conscience must be written in our laws. The freedom to openly practice our faith (religious freedom) within any institution must also be "enforced". And there are many other things we could list here. What is important to emphasize is that, in the end, Jesus will return to Earth in all His glory and then establish His permanent and endless Kingdom. At that time, all people will see God as He is. And his law will become one with the "civil" law. Every knee will bend before the great King and everyone will know the truth. At that moment, true justice will reign and all evil will be corrected. What a glorious day that will be!

Reflect today on your embrace of Christ as King. Does he really govern your life in every way? Do you allow him to have complete control over your life? When this is done freely and completely, God's Kingdom is established in your life. Let him reign so that you can convert and, through you, others can know him as Lord of all!

Lord, you are the sovereign king of the Universe. You are the Lord of all. Come to reign in my life and make my soul your holy abode. Lord, come and transform our world and make it a place of true peace and justice. May your kingdom come! Jesus I believe in you.