First Reading: 2 Samuel 5:1-3
Second Reading: Colossians 1:12-20
Gospel: Luke 23:35-43
Christ is our King and the fulfillment of our hope.
In his homily for the Solemnity of Christ the King in 2020, Pope Francis beautifully said:
“The kingship of Jesus is the kingship of love: He draws near to us, becomes our brother, and with His humility and gentleness He draws us to Himself.”
Each year, this feast reminds us of the paradox of divine power.
Christ does not reign from a golden throne but from the wood of the Cross.
His crown is made of thorns, His scepter a wooden beam, and His royal decree is mercy.
From this wooden throne, He draws us to Himself and invites us into His Kingdom.
The first reading presents David, chosen by God as king.
Small and without outward signs of power, he reveals a central truth: God does not choose as humans do, but according to the heart.
David became king not because of military might or political influence but because of his fidelity to God.
In the second reading, Saint Paul leads us into the mystery of Christ’s kingship.
His reign is not earthly power but self-giving love, salvation, and reconciling grace.
He leads us from darkness into light, from the slavery of sin into the freedom of God’s children.
His Kingdom is founded on mercy, hope, life, and peace.
The Gospel reveals a King unlike any earthly ruler:
Christ reigns by giving Himself, rising on the Cross as His throne.
The sign above Him—“Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”—written in mockery, becomes a divine proclamation of truth.
Jesus did not come down from the Cross to show power; He remained to show love.
Amid ridicule, hope appears in the good thief:
He recognizes Jesus as Savior and says, “Remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
Jesus responds, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”
This is the heart of His Kingdom: a Kingdom of mercy, forgiveness, consolation, and hope.
Christ conquers not by force but by love.
He reigns not through domination but through self-giving.
Celebrating Christ the King means inviting Him to reign in our hearts and daily lives.
The Jubilee Year of Hope reminds us that Christian hope is not vague optimism but a theological virtue rooted in God.
It is nourished by faith in His promises and by the longing for His Kingdom to be fully revealed.
Christ the King teaches us that the fullness of hope lies not in worldly success but in the victory of love.
To acknowledge Christ as King is to recognize that true authority comes from service and true glory from humility.
Sr. Lương Thị Minh Phú OP
Provincia san Raimundo de Peñafort
