Homily on the Solemnity of Christ the King

"My Kingdom Is Not Of This World"

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily on the Solemnity of Christ the King

St. Gerard Majella Church, Baton Rouge, LA

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Today is Christ the King Sunday. Today, we celebrate Christ Jesus as our King. Today, we celebrate Jesus, the Shepherd of our souls. We celebrate Jesus, the King of our life. Today, we come to the end of this liturgical year. As usual, we look to the future, the ultimate future when Jesus will return in glory for the final judgement. In today's Gospel reading Pilate asks Jesus if he is a King. And Jesus , as John portrays him, did not answer the question in a straight forward way. He is like the royalty who pretends to be someone else. Although Jesus did not claim to be a King when he was questioned by Pilate, but he did admit that he has a kingdom, but his Kingdom is not of this earth. Pilate was very frustrated with Jesus because he can’t get a direct answer from him, but what he got from Jesus is the truth. In fact, Jesus says the reason he was born into the world was to testify to the truth. Finally Pilate says outrightly: You are a King, then! 

It seems that Jesus wants each of us, on our own, to come to the realization of his Kingship as Pilate did.. And if Jesus is King, and his kingdom is not of this world, then we have to release and loosen our firm and tight grip of this world. We have to keep our eyes away from this world. We have to take lightly the things of this world – all the material things that so interest us, and keep our eyes on the heavenly kingdom. If Jesus is our King and his Kingdom is not of this world, then we have to strive daily to store up our treasures and assets in his Kingdom where they would be safe. Is this not the reason why in Matthew 6:20, Jesus says, "Store up your treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."

Our life on earth is also God's gift, but God's greatest Gift to us is Jesus. Today, God's Greatest Gift to us tells us that though he is a King, but his Kingship is not of this world. To qualify for this Kingdom, we must follow him daily. He is "the Way, the Truth and Life." He is the way to God and the way to the Kingdom; He is the Truth; and he came to bear testimony to the Truth. And he is our Life. The destiny of a child in the womb is the earth; but the earth is not the final destiny. Our final destiny is the Kingdom where Jesus reigns as King. While on this world, we are all students. We are studying and getting ready for exams and graduation. Our hope is to become graduates of heaven. While on earth we are in a market place. We are in a shopping mall, picking up several items and loading our carts to the brim. After shopping, we will approach the cashier, pay for what we bought and then head home. If we shop goodness, we will reap and celebrate goodness.  

Advent season begins next week. Beginning next week we begin to await the arrival of our King. He will come to us not like an authoritarian king, but as a humble babe. Those who receive him as their King, will be rewarded with his Kingdom. As we celebrate the end, we are also aware that Jesus is the beginning, and that beginning comes again for us next week, drawing us back into a cycle of birth and resurrection and returning in glory. Today we are celebrating the Kingship of Jesus, but the Gospel reading is not about the glory of kingship; it is rather about the crucifixion of Jesus. We are reminded of what the Lord has to endure in order to bring the Kingdom for us. Before we begin the next Advent season, let's think of what we can do to bring about the Kingdom of Jesus in our world. How can we bring peace to this world? How can we stop violence? How can we save lives? How can we bring the truth to the world? It starts with each of us. Remember, each of us is a little pencil in the hands of God; therefore, let us allow him to use each of us in the writing of the story of love. God 's plan for this world can only be realized through each of us. God has a dream! His dream is to see every single child of his be saved. And God's dream can be a reality through you and me. Consider this week what we can do to be God’s instrument of enlarging his Kingdom.

God bless you!