By Msgr. Joseph Prior • Posted November 22, 2024

(See the readings for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe)

Soldiers live their allegiance to the country every day, every hour, every minute. We recently observed Veteran’s Day. The celebration reminds us of the dedicated and committed service to the country and her citizens.

This week I received an email from one of our parishioners who is currently on deployment. We’ve spoken regularly about his service over the past few years. He sees his service as an act of love. This love is one that is willing to put his life on the line. His current deployment is in a danger zone. The troops there are valiantly and courageously serving. Their service is a living reflection of their allegiance.

This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The feast celebrates the kingship of Christ Jesus. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Perhaps today, we might reflect on our allegiance for he is our king, we are his people.

The celebration of “Christ the King” as a feast day is relatively recent. Pope Pius XI established the feast through the encyclical Quas primas, published in 1925. At that time atheism was on the rise, not only as an intellectual movement but also as part of the political philosophy of communism. Authoritarian states, under communism and propelled by their atheistic ideology, oppressed the Church and her faithful. These systems sought to make the state their “king,” and thereby stripped the individual of his or her human dignity.

We proclaim Christ our King. In the Scriptures, Jesus’ kingship is referenced or indicated in a variety of ways. In the infancy narratives the magi come to visit the newborn King of the Jews. Jesus is grafted to the line of David, through his adoption by Joseph, and becomes the heir to the throne of David. During the public ministry Jesus proclaims the Kingdom of God. On the cross, Pilate decrees a sign should be placed on the cross: “Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews” (John 19:19). The sign was written in three languages. Although Pilate does this as a mockery, he proclaims the truth.

Jesus is not a king of this world as he tells Pilate in Sunday’s Gospel passage: “My kingdom does not belong to this world.” His kingship is rooted in the truth; in fact, he is “Truth.” Worldly kings are many times distant from their people. They are seen as separated, above. In certain periods the trappings of monarchy emphasize this distance, even to remarkable extremes. In contrast, Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe, does not distance himself from us, he embraces us, walks among us, loves us, talks to us, knows us (by name), suffers with us and even suffers and dies for us. Our king is not far, he is near and he is here.

The celebration of Christ the King invites us to renew our humble submission to the king. We bow before him in grateful love and homage. His law is the law of love. He teaches the law both in word and also in deed. He is the “Way” to live and the “Way” to our Father. It is to him that we give our ultimate allegiance.

Many of us regularly “pledge our allegiance” to the United States of America. That’s a good practice. America is our home and we share a common responsibility to our country and fellow citizens. Practically speaking we give our allegiance to other things as well. Sometimes they are good things, sometimes they are not.

Today, we can be renewed in our allegiance to Christ, our King. Perhaps this excerpt from Pius X’s Quas Primas can help us reflect on our allegiance as we celebrate this solemnity:

“He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls, or to use the words of the Apostle Paul, ‘as instruments of justice unto God’” (Quas primas, 33).

The soldier I mentioned above is anxiously awaiting the birth of his firstborn child. Due to his deployment, he may not be able to be home for the birth. While this is a sorrow for him, it does not diminish his allegiance, dedication or service.

As we celebrate Christ the King, let us be renewed in our allegiance, our dedication and our service of Christ our King. And please, pray for all the men and women who serve our country.

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Msgr. Joseph Prior is pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish, Penndel, and a former professor of Sacred Scripture and rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.