November 26, 2023
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112623.cfm

Matthew 25:31-46: The Son of Man will sit upon his glorious throne and he will separate them one from another.

 

"Though already present in his Church, Christ's reign is nevertheless yet to be fulfilled "with power and great glory" by the King's return to earth. This reign is still under attack by the evil powers, even though they have been defeated definitively by Christ's Passover. Until everything is subject to him, 'until there be realized new heavens and a new earth in which justice dwells, the pilgrim Church, in her sacraments and institutions, which belong to this present age, carries the mark of this world which will pass, and she herself takes her place among the creatures which groan and travail yet and await the revelation of the sons of God.' That is why Christians pray, above all in the Eucharist, to hasten Christ's return by saying to him: Marana tha! 'Our Lord, come!'" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 671)

 

On this feast of Christ our King, let us renew our pledge of loyalty to him, and so that this pledge will not be an empty formula, let each one of us resolve to study once more the spiritual and corporal works of mercy and see how well we put them into practice. If we have failed in the past, let us resolve to begin again today. Let us help one another.

 

Christ asks of us to love our neighbor as ourselves. This is the most basic and fundamental commandment. If we truly love our neighbor, we will do what is best for them, even if it means sacrificing our own desires. We will also be grateful for what our neighbor has done for us, and we will show our gratitude by doing something nice for them in return. When we meet Christ on our last day, He will judge us based on how we have treated our neighbor. If we have loved them and done what was best for them, we will be rewarded with eternal life. If we have not loved our neighbor, we will be punished with eternal death.

 

Christ is our king in this world. Let us make sure that he will be our king for all eternity by doing our best to be his loyal subjects here on earth.