This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.
On this feast of Christ the King, we see a rich array of what Jesus’ kingship means:
In the first reading and the psalm, we see Him as merciful shepherd–a King who gathers and leads His people.
In the second reading, we see Him as destroyer and subjugator of competing powers–a King who knows no equal.
In the Gospel, we see Him as a judge who welcomes or condemns us for eternity based on our acts of charity and kindness toward others–a King who administers justice.
If there is one overall impression one can draw from these readings, it is that He is tender and kind to those who have taken up the offer of salvation He has made at the price of His own blood. As we see in the first reading, this includes those who are lost or who stray.
But He does not hesitate to cast from His sight those arrogant enough to rebuff Him with the strength of their own freedom, or who ignore His demands of kindness and mercy toward others–“the sleek and the strong” sheep of the first reading, the goats of the Gospel, “every authority and power” in the second reading.
Jesus is no milquetoast King. This should fill us with exuberant joy, hope, and confidence on the one hand, but deep concern and determination on the other: Joy in the knowledge that if we ask Him too, He will assist us in our efforts to fulfill His will and protect our eternal destiny; concern and determination to pray and sacrifice constantly that as many will be saved as possible.
Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Close your eyes and imagine final judgement as described by Jesus today, where He, crowned King, discerns who is to be saved, and who is to be condemned. What can you do to feed those who are hungry precisely for the salvation that He metes out in judgement? How is He asking you to participate in His merciful act of salvation? Ask Him how you can assist Him in His grand mission of bringing as many as possible to Heaven.
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