Readings: 2 Samuel 5:1-3; Psalm 122; Colossians 1:12-20; Luke 23:35-43
Today is the last Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, and Holy Mother Church celebrates the feast of Christ the Universal King.
By way of history, this feast was instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI in the encyclical Quas Primas. It was written shortly after World War One to respond to the crisis of a wounded world.
After the war, many people began to lose faith in God. They questioned the existence and Lordship of God in the face of suffering, hunger, destruction, violence and death. It was an age marked by secularism, anti clericalism and radical nationalism.
It was also the time when authoritarian leaders began to rise. These leaders claimed absolute power, presenting themselves as saviours of their nations. They were often hostile to the faith. Among them were Adolf Hitler of the Nazi party, Benito Mussolini the Italian fascist dictator, and Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union.
Pope Pius XI instituted this feast to remind the world of three essential truths:
I. All power and authority belong to Christ. He is the King of kings. All leaders are subject to Him and will be judged by Him. He alone is the true Lord of history.
II. There can be no lasting peace unless individuals, families and nations submit to the reign of Christ. The opening paragraph of the encyclical says:
The evils in the world were due to the fact that many people had thrust Jesus Christ and his law out of their lives. As long as individuals and states refuse to submit to the rule of our Saviour, there will be no hopeful prospect of lasting peace.
III. The last Sunday of the liturgical year was chosen because the Kingship of Christ is the crown of all the mysteries of the life of Jesus that we have celebrated throughout the year.
THREE POINTS FOR US TODAY
I. THE USE OF POWER
The feast of Christ the King invites us to reflect on power and how it should be exercised. Christ is the King of the universe. His reign is eternal and His authority knows no limit. Yet in today’s Gospel we see a king who bears insults with patience and forgives the thief at His right hand.
That is the King we celebrate.
A king who forgives.
A king who welcomes the lost.
A king whose throne is mercy.
A king who dies to open paradise.
He is the Servant King as seen in Matthew 20:27 to 28.
This is a lesson for all who exercise authority. Let us use whatever position we hold with kindness, gentleness, patience, humility and mercy, just as our King does. Leadership, whether in the home, the parish, the workplace or the nation, must reflect the heart of Christ.
II. ALLOWING CHRIST TO REIGN
In the First Reading, Israel finally accepts the reign of David and unites under one king. He brings an end to division between the northern tribes associated with the family of Saul and Judah, which supported David.
Like Israel, we must allow Christ to reign in our homes, families, relationships, parishes and personal lives. We are invited to surrender our hearts, our choices and our conduct to Him. Let Him end our divisions, heal our bitterness and rule our decisions.
Unless Christ reigns in us, we cannot reign with Him. Unless Christ reigns in us, we cannot have true peace. Christ Himself said, in John 14:27, that His peace is not the peace the world gives.
Pope Pius XI wrote in paragraph 20 of Quas Primas:
“Oh, what happiness would be ours if individuals and families would allow themselves to be governed by Christ. Then many evils would be cured and true peace with its blessings would be restored.”
III. OUR IDENTITY
If Christ is our King, then spiritually we belong to a royal household. The Second Reading says that God has taken us out of the power of darkness and placed us in the kingdom of His beloved Son. We are princes and princesses of the kingdom of Christ.
This identity implies two things:
A. We must live as people of the kingdom.
We must think, speak and act like members of a royal household. As 1 Peter 2:9 teaches, we are a chosen race and a royal priesthood. We must not live as slaves to sin. We are ambassadors of Christ. Every day we must ask ourselves: how well am I representing the kingdom?
B. We must remember that our kingdom is not of this world.
Jesus said in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Therefore, we must desire less consolation from this earth and set our hearts on our true homeland.
Philippians 3:20 tells us clearly:
Our citizenship is in heaven and we await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Colossians 3:1-2, St Paul reminds us to seek the things that are above.
The author of the letter to the Hebrews in 13:14 says “Remember that here we have no lasting city.” St. Peter adds in 1 Peter 2:11:
“Beloved, I urge you as strangers and pilgrims to abstain from the passions of the flesh which wage war against the soul.”
Our King taught us to pray every day, adveniat regnum tuum- your kingdom come.
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, King of the universe, reign in our hearts, our homes, our parish and our community. Remove every darkness within us and fill us with the light of your truth, mercy and peace. Make us faithful citizens of your kingdom and lead us one day into your eternal glory where you live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.
Sermon preached by Fr Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on November 23, 2025