Jesus, the Universal King
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Presence of God – O Lord, Your greatness is unfathomable; enable me to adore and love You in a manner worthy of Your infinite Majesty.

MEDITATION

Since Jesus is all things to us, it is fitting that we honor Him as our King. He Himself proclaimed …“I am a king” (John 18:37). “All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18).

In the [1925] Encyclical Quas Primas, Pius XI teaches that “Jesus is King by right of nature and by conquest.” By right of nature, “He possesses … power over all creatures, not that He seized it by violence, nor received it from another, but He possesses it by His own nature and essence; His power comes from that wonderful union which is called by theologians hypostatic. For this reason Christ is to be adored not only as God by angels and men, but these angels and men owe submission and obedience to Him also as man.” In fact, Christ as man participates fully in the royalty and sovereign majesty of Christ as God; since, as man and as God, Christ is one Person, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity. He is at the summit of all creation: the beginning and the end, the King of all things; He holds “the primacy in all things” (cf. Colossians 1:18).

“What could be more pleasing and agreeable than the thought that Christ is our Ruler, not only by right of nature, but by a right of conquest, which He acquired when He became our Redeemer! O that ungrateful men would remember how much we have cost our Savior! We were not redeemed at the price of gold or silver … but by Christ’s precious Blood. We no longer belong to ourselves, because Christ has paid a precious ransom for us” (Quas Primas). Jesus has every right to rule over us; He must reign; oportet Illum regnare! (1 Corinthians 15:25).

COLLOQUY

“O my Lord and my King! If one could but picture Your Majesty! It is impossible not to see that in Yourself, You are a great Emperor, for to behold Your Majesty strikes terror. But my terror is greater, my Lord, when together with Your Majesty I behold Your humility and the love that You bestow on such a creature as I.

“When I have overcome the first feeling of terror which is aroused at the sight of Your great Majesty, I can converse with You, and speak freely about my interests…. Although You are God, I can talk with You as with a friend, for You are not like those whom we call lords on earth, all of whose power rests upon an authority conferred on them by others. Your Kingdom, O Lord of glory and King of kings, is without end. How little we need any intermediaries to reach You. I have only to see You to realize that You alone deserve the name of Lord; Your Majesty is so great that You need neither guard nor escort to convince us that You are King” (Teresa of Jesus, Life, 37).

O Lord, grant that I may always acknowledge You as the King and sovereign Ruler of my soul. Everything I have I have received from You; how, then, could I fail to understand that You hold all rights over me? Yet You are a King who seems to take no account of His sovereign rights. Why did You have to abase Yourself to the obscurity of Bethlehem, to humiliate Yourself even to dying on the Cross, even to shedding all Your Blood in order to win my heart? My heart, my whole life, and all my being already belonged to You, because You are my Creator and because I was created for Your glory. But You willed to forget all Your rights and You came to me like a beggar, seeking my poor heart.

O Jesus, how can I still resist Your infinite love? Take my heart; take my whole being; and make me a living praise of Your glory.

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Art: Christ Pantocrator Enthroned, Serbian Icon of the Kingship of Christ, J. Vasilievic, 18th century, PD, Restored Traditions, used with permission. Pio 11 (Pope Pius XI), Vat Photo after election in 1922, Giuseppe Felici (1839-1923), 1922, PD-US, Wikipedia.  Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, mirror from open source material.