Solemnity of Christ the King – Year C

Collect

Almighty ever-living God, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of the universe, grant, we pray, that the whole creation, set free from slavery, may render your majesty service and ceaselessly proclaim your praise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reflection

Imagine you were one of those crucified alongside Jesus and tell me how you could possibly conceive, even in the furthest corner of your imagination, to turn to the person next to you who is in the same unfortunate situation you are in—or actually worse, because you are a fool and He is a famous Rabbi, sought after for His powerful words and deeds—and yet you have the audacity and courage to ask this person crucified beside you, whom you also declare to be God: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

It is difficult to imagine such things, because we know how we feel when tested by sickness, overwhelmed by family issues that arise on a daily basis and that somehow must be resolved. We find it difficult in a world on the brink of another world war. We struggle within a Church humiliated by its own children—a Church that, like Christ and those crucified with Him, sometimes leaves us without a place to take refuge, not even in the solid crevices of truth, which, although uncomfortable at times, were still standing and could still be struggled with or clung to.

It is not easy living in a society where politics is simply a manipulative game rather than a contest grounded on the foundation of solid ideals, which, although sometimes in conflict with each other, still offered a clear sense of direction to those who held to those same ideals. It is disheartening living in a society that has nothing to offer in the way of adult role models to children and youth to inspire them to reach their maximum potential. Instead, we are allowing them to be persuaded by influencers on social media who, in their ignorance, have become their ‘gods’.

How is it possible, when faced with these harsh realities, to persist in making an act of faith and believe as the criminal did, who, after the crimes he had committed—probably due to the harsh treatment experienced in life, finding safety in violence—made a final attempt to steal a ticket into heaven at the exact moment he was experiencing hell in its most extreme forms of suffering and humiliation?

I cannot fathom how he arrived at this leap of faith when all those around him were ridiculing and mocking the crucified King. What I do know is that, as Christians, an act of faith is expected of us: to continue to call upon the Name of the Lord when all seems lost before the wickedness of this world, or even when the Lord chooses to cover His face as if He is not there; to continue to praise Him even when we have reached the end of our tether; to still believe that He is King and that a Kingdom exists that is not of this world, even when in the ranks of our society reign deception and corruption; when our eyes are filled with tears and our voice feels choked by the burdens of this hectic life we live, which is filled with anxiety, and still be able to turn to Him and pray, “Jesus, remember me”—with these words being your final hope and the last ones you have the strength to utter.

The consoling thought is that the Person to whom you utter this prayer was once crucified like yourself. Although He is no longer on Golgotha, He still bears the marks of the nails in His hands and feet, and the mark of the lance in His side, even though He now has a glorified body. We can be consoled by the thought that every day, around the world, the Holy Sacrifice of Calvary is still renewed. It is not only we who remember Him; Jesus also demonstrates that He has not forgotten us and will never abandon us.

Prayer

Jesus, remember me from where You reign triumphant. As long as I continue to utter this plea, the hell in which I live will not overcome me but will become for me a way of salvation, because it is the place where You descended to redeem us. You paid the price and still gave more than we could deserve. Therefore, I beg You to give me the grace that, while I am crucified, I may allow my life to take on Your image, in the same way that You opened Your arms wide to take on ours. Amen.