Solemnity of Christ the King

 

 

Dear Fathers, Friends in Christ,

 

2 Samuel 5:1-3
 Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5
 Colossians 1:12-20
 Luke 23:35-43

 

Solemnity of Christ the King

 This Sunday also celebrates the Solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe. Next week, we will begin the holy season of Advent. How fitting, that this Thursday we will give thanks to God for all His blessings of the past year!

 

 All intelligent life on earth was meant to worship someone or something. If we don't worship God, we will inevitably worship someone or something else, whether it be excessive love for a person, or focusing our whole lives on power, money or riches. Or it might be our career. We may say that we worship God, but we often don't show it because we're just too busy to pray to Christ the King, or worship Him in Church on Sundays. This is a good day for us to make some adjustments, to bring our words and our deeds into conformity. There is, after all, only one real King that deserves our worship.

 

 The first reading today is from Samuel (the last judge of Israel) who ushered in the reign of Kings; first Saul and David, then their successors for another two hundred years. Kings are expensive to maintain. It wasn't until God the Father sent His Son Jesus to live as a humble and poor man, that we had a real King, worthy of our total worship.

 

 The reading today shows Paul's efforts to unite the first generation Christians, using a familiar hymn that is rich in describing Jesus as "the image of the invisible God. He is before all else that is, all things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

 

 In the Gospel, as Jesus hangs on the cross with a sign over his head, "This is the King of the Jews," (Luke 23:38) only a thief worships him. This last Sunday of the Church Year is a good time for us to cry out with the repentant thief: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!"

Father Ed Bakker
Anglican Catholic Church / Original Province
Mission of Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne
Launceston on Tasmania
Australia