Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis
with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk
Thirty-Fourth Sunday of the
Year, C – Nov 24, 2019:
The Solemnity of Our Lord
Jesus Christ, King of the Universe & Last Sunday of the Year
Readings: 2 Sam 5:1-3; Responsorial
Psalm Ps 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5(cf.1);
Col 1:12-20; Gospel Luke 23:35-43.
Theme: The King of Kings
& the Lord of Lords!
Introduction
Friends in
Christ, the celebration of Christ the King dates back to 1925 when Pope Pius XI
instituted it. By 1970, the celebration was moved to the last Sunday in
Ordinary. The celebration
of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ as King of the Universe reminds Christians of
the indefectible place of Christ’s reign over the earth and the call to live
accordingly as heirs of the Kingdom. We shall highlight the salient points of
the readings so as to derive appropriate spiritual lessons.
Background and Summary of the Readings
The first
reading (2 Sam 5:1-3) recounts
how David was anointed by God as shepherd, prince and king over Israel. It is
no mistake that Christ comes from the Davidic dynasty to reign as King.
Although the Jewish leaders would mockingly compare Jesus with David, the
anointed one, little did they know that they were stating the obvious as later,
that identity would be revealed by the good-thief on the cross as the gospel (Luke 23:35-43) relates.
In the
second reading, (Col.
1:12-20) Saint Paul reveals that we have been qualified to
share in the inheritance of the saints in light – meaning that we are
legitimate heirs of God’s kingdom. He adds that we have been delivered from the
kingdom of darkness and catapulted to the kingdom of his Beloved Son, Our Lord
Jesus Christ. In this kingdom, he says, we are forgiven. He sums his catechesis
by insisting that God’s kingdom is everlasting because all things were created
through him and for him noting that he is the beginning and the end. By
implication, we cannot do anything outside of his sovereignty or rulership
since it is in him that we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).
The gospel
discloses the drama that happened between Jesus and the two thieves. By saying,
“Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingly power,” the good-thief reveals
the true identity of Jesus as King. God’s kingdom was inaugurated at the
incarnation. By that inauguration, Jesus established a dynasty while reminding
his followers that the real kingdom lays in heaven. Not only did Christ come to
announce the second coming of God’s kingdom but also to prepare the elect for
their spiritual responsibilities. That he would come again to judge the living
and the dead calls for a sober reflection on a day like this. We must access ourselves
whether we have been faithful heirs of the kingdom.
Practical Lessons
Pope Pius XI
who instituted the celebration in 1925 and moved it to the last Sunday of the
year in 1970 wanted the solemnity to impact on the faithful in the following
ways:
1. Live Ideal Christian Lives: Our
celebration invites us to live ideal Christian lives by meditating on truths of
the gospel having being empowered with strength and courage.
2. Be Subjects of God’s Dominion: We are
urged to facilitate being subjects of
God’s dominion without exempting any of our faculties bearing in mind that his
power embraces all peoples.
3. Let God Reign in Your Mind: We are
encouraged to let God reign in our
minds, which must assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed
truths and to the doctrines of Christ.
4. Let God Reign
in Your Will: Christians are charged
to let Christ reign in their wills, which should obey the laws and precepts
of God.
