CHRIST THE KING
If we take Christ’s kingship seriously, we cannot delude
ourselves into understanding it in terms of worldly status. Jesus said, if any
of us want to be first, we have to be least, and the servant of all. I admire
the lifetime of privileged service our queen has rendered and her obvious and
sincere Christian faith, but Christ does not anoint any social or
ecclesiastical system of privilege and wealth that is extravagant or disordered
in its social relationships.
The
most moving moment when Jesus speaks of his kingship is from the Cross, when
the good thief simply asks: “Remember me.” Jesus replies that being remembered
by God is paradise. The power of Christ the King is seen in his memory, in
holding every person in this world close; in calling each one of us by name and
challenging us to live lives of sacrificial love. It is seen where simplicity
is valued, where there is a right relationship with the Earth, where the poor
are recognised as special points of God’s revelation to the world.
The
test of those who live out the reign of Christ is not whether we are
successful, or have made it to Who’s Who. Christ our king calls us to follow
him in remembering all people, regardless of who they are, and being prepared
to pay the price in fighting for the dignity of each person. And what is our
reward for bringing Christ’s reign to bear in our world? That Christ will
remember us when we come into his kingdom.
(Fr. Richard Leonard, S.J. England)
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