THE KINGSHIP of Jesus Christ is portrayed in solidarity, life-giving and mercy, which Catholics should emulate to partake in his kingdom, said Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula in a Mass on the Solemnity of Christ the King at Manila Cathedral on Sunday, Nov. 23.
Advincula said “a true king” is not one who is grandiose and detached from his people.
“He is not locked up in a palace, living in distance, privilege and comfort. Instead, he immerses himself in the lives of his people, celebrating with them in times of joy, and accompanying them in experiences of hardships,” the cardinal said in his homily.
He challenged Catholics to reach out and open their hearts to those who feel alone, abandoned, or alienated by society.
“Let there be no solo Christian among us, for we are always in communion. Let no one think that they are struggling with difficulties by themselves,” he said.
Advincula also likened Jesus to a life-giver, who gives people hope in their lives’ trying times.
“When we are feeling hopeless and depressed, his salvation vivifies us. When we are filled with grief or anxiety, his love encourages us. When we feel worn out or weary, his power enlivens us,” the cardinal said.
Reflecting on mercy, the archbishop said Jesus’s compassion and faith in the Father are what made him king, apart from his wisdom, power, and strength.
“On the cross, his kingship is shown in how he prayed for his tormentors, how he offered paradise to a repentant sinner, how he breathed his spirit to his family and friends, and how he surrendered his spirit to his father, who seems to have abandoned him,” he said.
In a Mass at the Santisimo Rosario Parish Church, Fr. Clarence Victor Marquez, O.P., rector of the UST Central Seminary, urged the laity to participate in Christ’s kingship by sheer reliance on him.
“Sa panahon at taong ito, 2025, maraming sugat ang tinamo natin, lalong-lalo na dito sa Pilipinas. Kaliwa’t kanan ang paghihirap at pasakit [ng] mga sugat mula sa mga sakuna, disaster, kalamidad, korupsyon,” Marquez said in his homily.
The Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 in his encyclical Quas primasas a response to growing secularism and atheism.
The feast marks the end of the liturgical year and the transition to the next liturgical calendar marked by the First Sunday of Advent on Nov. 30.
