Christ the King Sunday

This Sunday marks the celebration of The Solemnity of Christ the King and this feast day signifies the end of the liturgical year. Usually at Christmas Eve we hear Luke’s rendition of the Birth of Jesus (Lk 2:1-20), where Emperor Augustus issued a census of the world and all had to return to their place of birth to be counted…and so Joseph returned to the town of Nazareth in the region of Judea. And we know the story, how Jesus is born in a manger, and how the angels appear to the shepherds and the shepherds greet Jesus.

This child was destined not to be a king in a worldly sense but King of the heavenly realm (Jn 18:36).

You see, Emperor Augustus was the ruler of all the world. He had the biggest army in the known world. As for Jesus, his army is a host of angels. At his birth, we see the shepherds greet the infant Jesus, and shepherds were your everyday run-of-the-mill people; reflecting Jesus coming on Earth for all people and at no cost.

This is contrasted with Augustus and his surrounds of rich and powerful people, at the cost of taxes and what you could do for him in return. And finally, who was the most lavish and best fed person in the world? You guessed it, Emperor Caesar Augustus in his palace and ruler of 45 million citizens in the Roman Empire. In comparison, Jesus is born in a manger a lowly place to be born as it is a food trough for animals.

The real king is one who cannot food himself, but instead becomes food for the world.

The Roman Empire, aka the Roman Kingdom, is long gone. Caesar and his descendants and all the other Kings and Emperors remain ancient history.

But Christ the King lives on. He still has followers 2000 years later and his successors, beginning with the apostle Peter – the rock upon which he built his Church – all the way to Pope Francis, is still going strong.

As we can see Christ continues triumphs as the one true king, a king who came not to be served but to serve others.

How can I allow Christ the King to rule my heart today so that I may serve others?