Our Lord Jesus Christ the King Year CT H E

C O N N E C T I O NFAITH

With Jesus in ParadiseEvery year, on the last Sunday in

Ordinary Time, the Church celebrates

the Solemnity of Christ the King. This

feast was added to the calendar of feasts

by Pope Pius XI on December 11, 1925.

Today’s text may seem inappropriate

to some for a feast. The image of the

Messiah King is everywhere in the Old

Testament, and Christians today hail

Christ as King of the universe. But

today’s passage depicts a special kind of

king. One who reigned from a cross, an

instrument of torture, which served as

his throne amidst ridicule and laughter.

The text on the plate attached to the

cross, “This is the King of the Jews,”

mocks Jesus and the Jews, but it also

indicates that sedition was the specific

crime with which Jesus was charged.

Crucifixion was the penalty for such

a crime.

Yet, here we find a reminder that

Christ rules even over death when he

promises paradise to the good thief.

The penitent sinner received Salvation

through the forgiveness of the crucified

Jesus. Jesus’ words reveal Luke’s

understanding that the destiny of the

Christian is “to be with Jesus,” and that

his death opened the way to Salvation.

In the often unexpected way of the

Gospel according to Luke, this sinner

becomes the ideal disciple, one who

recognizes his need for conversion and

trusts Jesus completely. This episode

appears only in this Gospel, which

emphasizes Jesus’ special love for the

poor, the sinners, and the outcasts of

his time.

November 21, 2010

Anyone would have difficulty calling a poor criminal hanging on a tree “king.” Yet, that is what we Christians call Jesus, the Word made flesh, who died on a cross: Christ the King!

AdultsWhat have I learned from the way Christ died?

ChildrenDo I ask Jesus to “remember me” when

I need help?

Questions of the Week

The Faith of the Church

Christ is the Lord of the cosmos and of history; he possesses all power in Heaven and on earth, and yet he died on a cross like a common criminal. He is Lord of the living and the dead, for in him were created all things in Heaven and on earth; they were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things are bound together (Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church 668 and Colossians 1:15–17).

Visit us at www.FaithFirst.com (click on “Faith First for Families,” click on “Gospel Reflections”) and share today’s Gospel reading as a family.

The Word of God This WeekSet time aside each day this week with other members of your household, with other members of your parish or alone to listen to and reflect on the living Word of God. Use these passages from the Lectionary that are assigned for Liturgy this week. Reflect on how the Lord is inviting you to a deeper union with him.

Today

2 Samuel 5:1–3Colossians 1:12–20

Luke 23:35–43

monday

Luke 21:1–4“. . . she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

tuesday

Luke 21:5–11“Beware that you

are not led astray.”

Wednesday

Luke 21:12–19“By your endurance you

will gain your souls.”

thursday*

Luke 21:20–28“. . . for these are days

of vengeance . . .”

friday

Luke 21:29–33“. . . you know that the

kingdom of God is near.”

saturday

Luke 21:34–36“Be alert at all times . . .”

*Alternate readings exist for this day.

QUESTIONS

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Most of us have never seen a king in

person. We hear stories of royalty,

watch them on TV, and are usually

fascinated by a world that is so

different from our own.

Today, the readings given to us for

the celebration of Christ the King

seem absurd. The Gospel of Luke

does not talk about glory but about

suffering on a cross. The King of all

creation is the crucified Messiah.

In the “good thief” we find a faith

that goes beyond the hopelessness of

the situation. This passage reveals the

love of God, the nature of true power,

and the meaning of God’s kingdom.

The Feast of Christ the King shows

the tension between a “suffering king”

and a king of glory. The Kingdom of

God has come, but is not yet fully

revealed!

Jesus is crowned not with gold,

but with thorns; he does not sit on a

throne, but hangs on a cross. He gives

new meaning to being a king with his

message not of power over others but

of love and compassion for others in

the Kingdom of God.

Responding to God’s Word . . .

NIHIL OBSTAT Rev. Msgr. Robert M. Coerver, Censor LibrorumIMpRIMATuR † Most Reverend Kevin J. Farrell, DD, Bishop of DallasAugust 9, 2010The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are official declarations that the material reviewed is free of doctrinal or moral error. No implication is contained therein that those granting the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

Author: Adele J. Gonzalez

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Front photo: iStockphotoThe Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the united States of America. used by permission. All rights reserved.

© 2010 RCL publishing LLC. All rights reserved.The Faith Connection® is registered in the u.S. patent and Trademark Office and is published weekly by RCL Benziger, 206 E. Bethany Dr., Allen, TX 75002.

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Your Kingdom Come

The book The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas, contains this dialogue between Justus, an early Christian, and Marcellus, a Roman officer:

Justus: Jesus is alive. . . . Sometimes I feel aware of him, as if he is close by. . . . You have no temptation to cheat. . . . when for all you know Jesus is standing beside you.

Marcellus: I’m afraid I would feel very uncomfortable being watched by some invisible presence.

Justus: Not if that presence helped . . . keep you at your best.

For reflection . . .How does the risen, glorified Jesus help to keep me at my best?

Jesus is a path to the lost. he is a loaf to the spiritually hungry. he is an arm for the weak. he is a companion to the lonely. he is a beacon of hope for all.

From Action by mark Link, SJ

Meditation Moment

11210

Loving God,

You chose to embrace

humanity by becoming one of us;

You freely accepted a humiliating

death hanging from a tree, and thus

you showed us the kind of reign you

were inaugurating. Help us to be like

you: humble, servants to all, simple,

and forgiving. Gift us with a heart

of flesh that will forgive a sinner

who repents at the last minute.

Make us compassionate as

you are compassionate.

Amen.

Saint Albert the Great (d. 1280)

Albert was born near Ulm,

Germany. He was known as the

“teacher of everything there is to

know.” As a Dominican, he taught

theology at the University of

Paris where his most prominent

student was Thomas Aquinas.

Albert was convinced that all

creation, as well as all scientific

knowledge, spoke of God. His

feast day is November 15.

Prof ile in Faith

Carry this thought in your heart as a guide for your faith journey this week.

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’

Luke 23:33–34

S u G G e S t i o n SUse one of these suggestions or one of your own to respond to God’s Word this week.

In the home. Ask each family member to share their feelings or thoughts about Christ as King hanging on a cross.

In the workplace or in school. tell a friend how Jesus Christ died on a cross to give us an example of humility.

In the community. invite a group of friends to your home to discuss why they think the Church chose this particular Gospel to celebrate the Feast of Christ the King.