THE SOLEMNITY of Christ The King was created as a reminder to Catholics to embody Jesus’s teachings and allow his reign over their lives.
Fr. Paul Talavera, O.P., parish priest of the UST Santisimo Rosario Parish, said the solemnity does not paint Jesus as a royal but as someone who can bring peace.
“Jesus did not wear a true crown. He did not wear a majestic robe when he was living. In fact, Christ’s only crown was the crown of thorns. And his throne was the cross,” Talavera said during his homily on Sunday, Nov. 24.
“Christ is here not to bring war or chaos, but bring peace. That is why our celebration is a challenge. Not just for kings, probably, but even (for) leaders of countries,” he added.
For Talavera, Catholics can help maintain peace by imitating Christ The King.
“We imitate Christ being the king. In fact, when we are baptized, we have that threefold function, priesthood, (to be) kingly, and (the) prophetic mission as baptized Christians,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English.
The Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, was instituted by Pope Pius XI in his encyclical Quas primas, to urge the faithful in all countries to surrender themselves in Jesus’s reign over the world.
The feast also marks the end of the liturgical year, transitioning to the next liturgical calendar marked by the First Sunday of Advent.
