Catechism Links[1]
CCC 440, 446-451, 668-672, 783, 786, 908, 2105, 2628: Christ as Lord and King
CCC 678-679, 1001, 1038-1041: Christ as Judge
CCC 2816-2821: “Thy Kingdom Come”
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| “Christ Wearing the Crown of Thorns, Supported by Angels” by Annibale Carracci, 1585-87 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Daniel 7:13-14
Commentary on Dn 7:13-14
An important element of this reading is the use of the title “Son of Man.” Jesus later used it and it was the most common way he referred to himself. This vision by Daniel was the scriptural link used by Jesus to explain his role in salvation; “the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.” (in addition to John 1:51, see also Mark 14:62, Luke 22:69 and Matthew 26:64 all of which reference the attendance of heavenly powers.)
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 93:1, 1-2, 5
R. (1a) The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.
Commentary on Ps 93:1, 1-2, 5
Psalm 93 is a hymn of praise commemorating Yahweh as king. The external revelation of God mentioned in Sirach 1:1-10 is celebrated in this song of praise. The image of God’s throne on high, repeated here, reinforces God’s omnipotence.
“The Lord is king”: literally, "the Lord reigns." This psalm, and Psalms 47; 96-99, are sometimes called enthronement psalms. They may have been used in a special liturgy during which God's ascent to the throne was ritually reenacted. They have also been interpreted eschatologically, pointing to the coming of God as king at the end-time.”[5]
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Reading II: Revelation 1:5-8
Commentary on Rv 1:5-8
This vision of St. John of the return of Jesus as King is very straight forward. One of the more significant verses is: "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.'" The Alpha and Omega are first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These words are used again later in Revelation (Revelation 22:13) and were predicted by Isaiah (Isaiah 41:4), a clear reference to Christ’s Kingship.
CCC: Rv 1:6 1546, 2855; Rv 1:8 2854
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Gospel: John 18:33b-37
Commentary on Jn 18:33b-37
In St. John’s description of the interrogation of Jesus by Pontius Pilate, we hear Jesus’ reluctant admission of his kinship. He clarifies that he is not a threat to civil authority, something about which Pilate would have been most worried. If Jesus was attempting to usurp authority from Caesar the act was treason. His statement: “My kingdom does not belong to this world,” changes the character of the Lord’s kingdom from a physical monarchy to one of spiritual rule.
CCC: Jn 18:36 549, 600; Jn 18:37 217, 559, 2471
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Reflection:
A Tale of Two Natures
As we come together to celebrate in solemn worship the Feast of Christ the King we hear the words of the Savior as he spoke to Pilate "My kingdom does not belong to this world.” What must Pontius Pilate have thought? Jesus did not say “My kingdom is not of this region or geography.” When we were children and the notion of Heaven as a physical place was more easily understood, we might have assumed that Jesus was speaking of the Heavenly Kingdom
The kingdom Jesus speaks about is not of this world. As Origen says, it is not even for us to see and say there it is; or here it is. This Kingdom of God
In each of us there is this “Kingdom of God.” It is the place where the Lord rules and has being. It exists, however, in a constant state of tension. At its borders is another region. This one is dominated by our natural selves; it is where love is not found – not real love, not the love that gives and grows like the love we find in Christ. Although it is called “love” it is not really love at all but selfishness redefined. It is in this dark region that the death of sin finds roots and, like a weed, tries to crowd out the Kingdom of God.
Today we reinforce the Kingdom of God and attempt, through our prayers, to expand her borders to contain all we are. Today we feed ourselves with Christ’s very essence so that the Kingdom within us may reign completely in our lives and bring light and life to all we meet.
Pax
In other years on this date: the Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr
[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014
[3] The picture is “Christ Wearing the Crown of Thorns, Supported by Angels” by Annibale Carracci, 1585-87
[5] See NAB footnote on Ps 93
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