HOMILY FOR THE 34TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR C) – SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING

HOMILY FOR THE 34TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR C) – SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING

BY: Fr Cyril Unachukwu

HOMILY THEME: CHRIST THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE

How grace filled it has been walking through this year! And added to this is the superabundant mercy of God which has flooded the souls of many; washing away sins, breaking the many barriers that have kept us afar from each other and from God and bringing us closest and nearest to Him, who is our Creator and our Lord!

Today, as we end the Liturgical Year with the celebration of the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe; the Holy Mother Church also concludes with renewed graces and favours the Holy Jubilee Year of Mercy!

I am certain that you experienced the mercy of God in this Year of Mercy! May Christ the King of the Universe and the Source of mercy reign in your life now and always; Amen.

One thing that the world is in dare need of in our time is leadership. Just like we see on the First Reading of this day (2 Sam 5:1-3), God’s children are in need of leaders who have the mind of God and who work under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

This was the type of person both God and the Israelites saw in King David; the man after God’s own heart. In King David, the scripture gives us a shadow of what is to come. Through his stock shall come forth the King whose “royal throne will be secure forever” (2 Sam 7:13).

This King is whom we celebrate today. Our Lord Jesus Christ the King of the Universe.

Jesus Christ is the King of the Universe not because of the inscription on his Cross bearing “This is the King of the Jews” but because He is the promised Davidic King and “God raised him high and gave him the name which is above all other names; so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and that every tongue should acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord” (Phil 2:5-11).

Inability to confess the Kingship of Jesus Christ is not just a spiritual but also moral, intellectual and psychological impediment. Jesus is the Prototypical King! He is the paradigm for every claim to power, kingship and leadership.

One distinguishing mark of Jesus’ Kingship which every human king and leader must emulate is mercy. Jesus Christ is a merciful King. This he manifested on the Cross in the Gospel reading of this morning (Luke 23:35-43).

ALSO RECOMMENDED: HOMILY FOR THE 34TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR C) – SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING.

 

The mercy of God is that act of God which can lead us above and beyond our condemnation by justice; “for in goodness you created man and, in justice you condemned him, and in mercy you redeemed him, through Christ our Lord.”

This is exactly the experience of this thief who gained salvation at the eleventh hour on the Cross! A king who lack this essential mark of Divine Kingship must make a radical examination of conscience.

By virtue of our baptism, we all share in the Kingship of Christ. You are a king and I am also a king and in various ways we exercise our kingship both in the Church and the various spheres of our lives.

In unique ways also, our civil leaders exercise this ministry! The Solemnity of today call our attention to that essential quality of Jesus Christ the King of kings.

The quality of Mercy! Through this quality God “has taken us out of the power of darkness and created a place for us in the kingdom of the Son that he loves, and in him, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins.”

I have no doubt that the many atrocities that becloud our time can be greatly checked if world leaders can share the ambition to “be merciful like the Father” (Luke 6:36).
May the King of Mercy reign in your life and transform your heart to be merciful like His; Amen.

Happy Sunday

FOR A SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE>>>>>

Discover more from Catholic For Life

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading