Today we celebrate the last Sunday in this liturgical year. We call it the feast of Christ the King. This celebration was instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. He said that when humanity recognizes “that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace, and harmony.” The unity of society, the pope said almost 90 years ago, depends on a shared faith in the reign of Christ.
The Sacred Scriptures today use royal images for Christ. Dominion, power, glory, and kingship belong to Christ. He is to be sovereign in our lives. This means that Christ “must reign in our hearts, minds, wills, and bodies,” said Pope Pius. We serve the Kingdom of God and the mission of Christ.
This transition between one liturgical year and another is a good time for reflection. During this past year, how did you allow Christ and the teachings of Christ to reign in your heart, mind, will, and body? As we approach a new liturgical year, how is God inviting you to experience the sovereignty of Christ in a clearer way?