34 Sunday of the Year: Solemnity of Christ the King: Year C 2016

May God grant you the grace that will enable you live your Christian life in such a way as to be worthy to hear at your death from Jesus Christ, the King of kings, these consoling words: Today you will be with me in Paradise. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye

                                                               DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(2 Sam 5, 1-3; Col 1, 12-20; Luke 23, 35-43: 34 Sunday of the Year: Solemnity of Christ the King: Year C 2016)

The last Sunday of every liturgical year is dedicated to the celebration of the kingship of Christ, that is, his sovereign power and authority not only over those who believe in him therefore, part of his kingdom on earth, but also over the universe, because he is the principle, the centre and the end of creation and human history. The first reading from 2 Samuel narrates the enthronement and consecration of David as king by all Israel (both northern and southern kingdoms). As king David had to be shepherd and leader (nagid) of his people. His duty was not limited to political and economic guidance of his people. He but also in spiritual and cultic matters (2 Sam 6,17-18). David’s kingship, though imperfect, can be considered as a prefiguration or anticipation of the kingship of Christ. Some aspects of Christ‘s kingship can be seen in the grandiose and solemn Christological hymn which we read as second reading in today’s Eucharistic celebration. Paul uses some metaphors to indicate some aspects of Christ’s kingship. The expression, image of the invisible God, acclaims the divine origin of Christ and by extension, the rule he exercises over all. The dominion of Christ includes everything over which God reigns. By first born of all creation, Paul places Christ over the entire created world. The Christ kingly rule is over the created world is not characterised through exercise of sheer power but through tenderness with which the shepherd-king tends the flock that is placed under his care. The expression, source of all created things acknowledges both Christ sovereignty and his importance as the model after which all things were fashioned. In other words, creation mirrors the image of Christ the King. Chris is also the head of the body the Church.This expression underscores the intimacy and interrelationship between Christ and all those who are joined to him through faith and baptism. This means that Christ is very close to those whom he rules, guides and protects. He is not a disinterested guide or leader who operates from a distance. Christ is also firstborn of the dead. This expression not only acclaims Christ’s resurrection but also guarantees the resurrection of those who follow him into death. Christ is the kind of king who shares his privileges with others.

If the first and second readings speak positively of the kingship of Christ, the Gospel reading that narrates the crucifixion of Jesus, at first instance, seems to contradict them. At Calvary, instead of Christ being revered as king, he was rather being abused and jeered at by the Jewish elders, Roman soldiers, even one of the criminals crucified side by side with him. If Christ was proclaimed king in the manner of the world the crucifixion and the death on the cross would have dealt a deadly blow to the idea of his kingship. But after conceding the fact, before Pilate, that he was king, he added: My kingdom is not of this world … my kingdom is not from here (John 18,36). The kingship of Christ has nothing in common with the earthly kingdom; its nature is totally different. It is spiritual and supernatural; even if it is inaugurated and develops itself in this present world, its full realisation is in the next world.

It is indeed on the cross that Jesus received his solemn regal enthronement. On the cross, he acquired the full title as king for through self-sacrifice he expiated the sins of the whole world and became the head of multitude of brothers and sisters (Mark 3,35; Heb 2,11). On the cross, Christ defeated death for himself and for all who believe in him, thereby becoming the first fruit of that entire rise from the dead. Through his immolation on the cross, Christ showed clearly His type of kingship. He said that kings and rulers of people show their powers of dominion over the people, but he (as king) was in the midst of people as one who serves(Luke 22,25-27). He was more explicit when he declared: I did not come to be served but to serve and give my life for the salvation of a multitude (Matt 20,28). The kingship of Christ, therefore, is neither dominion, nor  imposition of power, but service in the very expression of the word. It is the donation of oneself to ransom people from the slavery of sin and the recovery of their liberty as sons and daughters of God. All through his life Jesus’exercise of his kingship was the donation of himself, as expression of his love for people but at calvary this service and this donation reached their highest point and extreme limit. In Calvary, the kingship of Christ was manifested and reached its fulness in the love he showed till the shedding of the last drop of his blood; in the love through which he forgave even those who crucified him; in the love by which he saved someone who lived his life in sin because he had confidence in Him; in the love that refrained from the use of regal power to save himself. He used the power of his kingship to show love and manifest his mercy.

We are, through the gratuitous gift of God, sharers in the kingship of Christ: We were ransomed from the reign of darkness and brought into the reign of light, that is, the reign of truth, grace and of love; we have recovered our dignity as sons and daughters of God. From the day of our baptism, Christ is the king and master of our lives, and souls. But the sovereignty of Christ over us is not yet perfect for Christ is not uncontested master in our thoughts and minds, hearts  daily lives. This is because we often habour in our minds and hearts thoughts and sentiments that contrast those of Christ. It is to be noted that to the extent we are able to distance ourselves from sin and live in the grace and friendship of God, to that measure we participate in the kingship of Christ. The more we overcome, with the help of God, the temptation of pride, selfishness and transform our lives in humble service of our neighbours, and generous donation of ourselves, to that extent we are sharers in the reign of Christ, we belong and are his true subjects and he is our true king. Today’s world is full of all forms of selfishness, violence, and thirst for the acquisition of wealth and ambition for power. We believers are called, rather, to construct the Reign of Christ which is the kingdom of love, truth, justice, and peace. It is a homework that is difficult but sublime at the same time, and which requires courage and some measure of sacrifice and also the disposition to give up one’s life in love bearing in mind that the kingship of Christ is kingship of the cross. This is why, if the church and the disciple of Christ really want to celebrate (that is to establish in the world) the kingship of Christ, they have to first of all recover the life of the cross. This in effect means following Jesus right into Calvary where he is ignominiously crucified. There the crucified Christ outstretches his hands to embrace humanity .The nailed Jesus to the cross opens the gate of his kingdom to the repentant sinner: Today you will be with me in Paradise. These are the words we Christians like to hear, words that are empty when coming from one who has no authority, but charged with power when spoken by one who is King over all. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye

GRAPHICS BY CHUKWUBIKE