Hoping to celebrate the lordship of Christ in a world of increasingly violent empires, Pope Pius XI inaugurated the last Sunday of the church year in 1925 as a day dedicated to Christ as King. The scriptures chosen for today particularly resonate with our belief that Christ is King, though they make clear that his reign is unlike that of any king we have ever known and sometimes unlike what we might secretly hope! Christians often interpret the passage from Jeremiah as a description of Jesus Christ, who reigns wisely and executes justice as the Good Shepherd. The reading from Colossians is fitting to celebrate the sovereign Christ: all other thrones or rulers were created through his power and for him alone. The Gospel passage from Luke is particularly appropriate for the celebration of the reign of Christ. As Christ is crucified, the Roman authorities claim that they have executed the purported king of the Jews, and yet the thief asks Jesus for entrance into his kingdom. Christ is an unlikely king for he reigns from the cross, forgiving our sins.
image: Metal carving of three men on crosses. Photo copyright © 2024 Peter Griffin/Alamy Stock Photo. Used by permission.