Deep Calls to Deep Christ the King – And the End of the World as We Know It…
Christ the KING? A problem here? Yes, we do not have a king or queen in the United States. It’s especially true since the deaths of Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin. We have no king. If we did, he would wear only “new clothes.”
Pope Pius XI instituted the feast of Christ the King in 1925 to stand against secularism and nationalism. (!) It celebrated the End Times in order to give people the picture that 1) Christ is the ONLY King, 2) secular and national pursuits cannot stand against the inevitability of the coming Reign of Christ, and 3) Christ Jesus will return on the Last Day to judge the nations.
Our feast celebrates the presence NOW of that Ruler who witnesses to Truth and who reigns from the Cross. To whom do I offer allegiance this Cyber Monday?
Yikes.
Deep Calls to Deep 
2 Comments
I always have trouble liturgically celebrating this feast. Got exposed to a great homily on this topic this weekend from Fr George. But In the Gospel, Christ never acknowledged to Pilate his being a king, although he did say his kingdom “was not of this world”. “You say I am a King”- presumably because the High Priests / politicians of the time characterized his coming that way to Pilate.
1925 politics not withstanding, visioning Christ as a King today betrays the reality of his life. Kings hold court, rule, and demand things from their subjects, and protect and wage war.
Christ is and was none of that. And neither is the Spirit. The Son is not greater than the Creator/Father. He is simply different. And spoon feeding us a Eurocentric Pope’s early 20th century characterization detracts rather than affirms the universality of the Church in the America’s – where there are absolutely no Kings except in fairy tales.
Christ the King is NOT central to my faith.
Roy
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EXACTLY!!! You nailed it, Roy! Thanks. And, may I quote you in my next video? –roc,sj
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