The
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King
November 22, 2015
Gospel: Jn 18:33b-37
Pilate said to Jesus, "Are you the King of the
Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own or have others
told you about me?" Pilate (1) answered, "I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests (2) handed you over to me. What have
you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom (3) does not belong to this world. If my
kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me
from being handed
over (4) to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here." So
Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You
say I am a king. 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."
The difficult words
(1) Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor in
Jerusalem at the time of Jesus.
(2) The chief priests were leaders of the Jewish
people.
(3) Jesus is not like an earthly
king, ruling over a single people and place. The kingdom of Jesus is made up of justice,
love, and peace.
(4) To be handed over means to be placed under
another's power and judged.
This week’s spotlight
The Feast of Christ the King
We are celebrating the feast of Christ the King. It is
through him that the world was created and saved. He has freed us from evil and
death through his unlimited love, even going so far as to die on a cross. By
celebrating the feast of Christ the King, we are honoring the one who gives life to the world. But Jesus Christ is
not like other kings. He carries out his reign with the power of love. Christ
reigns over us. He promises eternal life, and we hope that he will welcome us
into his kingdom.
"Thy kingdom come"
"Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as
it is in heaven." We pray these words when we say the Our Father. We are
asking that all of us on earth will love and obey God as perfectly as the
angels and saints love and obey him in heaven. This will happen fully when
Christ returns at the end of time to reign as our King. At that time, all
people will be freed from evil and share in God's happiness. Meanwhile, we can
help to build up the kingdom of God by loving each other as Jesus loves us.
Reflection
An extraordinary king
Do you remember Palm Sunday? On that day, Jesus
entered Jerusalem mounted on a donkey and was cheered by the crowd like a king.
Jesus is indeed a king, but he’s no ordinary one! He is not like earthly kings
who need guards to defend them, who have kingdoms limited by borders, or who
rule a people of the same race and language. What sort of king is he, then? He
is king of the entire universe, because his Father is God, the king of heaven.
He is not the king of just one country, but rather he reigns over all people,
across space and time, who search for the truth. Before he died, he stood
before Pontius Pilate, wearing a crown of thorns.
He gave his life for everyone, dying on the cross and
rising from the dead as our victorious king.
His reign has no end. His kingdom is a kingdom of
justice and peace, and its gates are open to everyone. All we have to do is
enter!
Discussion questions
1.Where is Jesus’ kingdom?
2. What does Jesus say about his kingdom?
3. What do you think is the difference between King Jesus and any King
that you know in our world?
4. What should we belong to if we are followers of Jesus?
Praying after Communion
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart.
Thank you, Father, for sending
your Son to rescue us from evil and death. In this communion with his body and
blood, I choose Jesus to be King of my heart. May his kingdom come!
Word shape Puzzle
