Feast of Christ the King (November 21, 2010)

A story:
Thomas More was a brilliant lawyer and diplomat in 16th century England. His patriotism and loyalty to the throne attracted the attention of King Henry VIII who made him Lord Chancellor of England. When Henry VIII decided to divorce his wife Catherine of Aragon, marry Anne Boleyn, and make himself head of the Church of England, More thought this was not right. Rather than approve what he believed to be against the divine will, he resigned from his prestigious and wealthy position as Lord Chancellor. Because he would not give his support to the king, More was arrested, convicted of treason, imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1534 and beheaded in July of the following year. On his way to public execution, More encouraged the people to remain steadfast in the faith. His last recorded words were: "I die the king's good servant, but God's first." Henry VIII then later did know was that loyal as More was to him, his first loyalty was to Christ, the king of kings.
A Gospel:
Luke 23:35-43 –Jesus was crucified and above Him there was an inscription: “This is the King of the Jews”. The inscription was placed to add insult to an injury. It was not meant to express faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, or the King of kings.
A Reflection:
Today, we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. Just like St. Thomas More, we believe that Jesus is indeed our King. But going back to the Gospel, what sort of a king do we find in Jesus? He was a helpless King! The soldiers jeered at Him calling out, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.” He was not a celebrated kind of a king. His crown was thorn; not a golden crown. He was naked; no royal robe. He was forced to drink some vinegar; not a fine wine for a king. How come we call Him a King then?
Jesus is a King but not the way we usually describe a king is. We have to give up our preconceived ideas of a king so as to understand why Jesus is the King.
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here" (John 18:36). It is Jesus Himself who claimed He is a King. Jesus who can neither deceive nor be deceived declared it. Being a King, He ruled with humility and refused to wear the golden crown, a symbol of pride and power. Being a King, He sacrificed Himself for His people and refused to wear a royal robe, a symbol of comfort. Being a King, He denied Himself of worldly pleasure as He did not drink wine of self-indulgence. Being a King, He opened His arms on the cross to welcome His people and did not sit down on a throne to scare His people. Being a King, His kingdom is not of this world, but in the hearts of men who believe in Him. Being our King, He commands us to love one another, to take up our cross and follow Him. If we choose Him as our King, then we should not entertain other kings. Viva! Cristo Rey!