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Who is your King?

Julian Paparella

Friday, November 22, 2019

Detail of stained glass image of Christ the King from St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, New York.
Who is your King? (Click here to listen!)
Sunday, November 24, 2019 - Solemnity of Christ the King, Year C
Who’s your King? This Sunday the Church celebrates Jesus as King of everything. Kings aren’t so common in our days, but they still evoke a sense of power, dignity, and authority. Jesus is not a king in an earthly way: rich, wealthy, opulent. He is king in a heavenly way: bringing us a reign of peace, mercy, compassion, and justice for all. He is not king to oppress us but to bring us to reign with him. He does not simply want to reign over us but to reign in us to spread his peace, joy, tenderness, kindness, and forgiveness.
If Jesus does not reign in us, who is our king? If God is not our king, surely someone or something else will be. Something else will take the number one spot in our life and direct our energy and attention. Technology, celebrities, TV series, work, social media – are these the things that reign in our lives?
When God reigns in us, love reigns in us. We are first of all better able to love and care for the people around us, our family, our friends, our neighbours, classmates, and coworkers. We are then able to care for those in need, the hungry, the lonely, the sick. Finally, we are able to love even those who do us wrong, our “enemies” so to speak, and forgive them as God forgives us. Who reigns in us and how can we let God reign in us to love in us this week?

Julian Paparella has contributed to Salt + Light Media since 2012. He served as an intern for many summers and currently studies theology at the Institut Catholique de Paris.


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Tag: Solemnity of Christ the King

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