Jesus’ Kingship and Our Sharing In It
November 20, 2024
Fr. John Riccardo
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming amid the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. All the peoples of the earth will lament him. Yes. Amen.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega”’ says the Lord God, "the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty"
(Revelation 1:5-8).
The past few weeks we’ve been feasting on the Letter to the Hebrews and reflecting at length on the High Priesthood of Jesus – the focal point of that New Testament Letter. We pondered here last week the wondrous reality that we all, by baptism, participate in Jesus’ priesthood. This reality has many facets, but one of them, to which I continually return, is the astounding and yet often taken for granted truth that because of what Jesus has done for us by His death and resurrection, we have access to God now (cf. Eph 2:8; 3:12; Heb 10:19). This was something unheard of and unimaginable in the Old Testament, since only the high priest, and he only once a year, had access to God’s courts.
This week, as we close out the liturgical year and celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, the Word of God holds before us two more crucial truths. The first is that no matter the appearance of things in the world, Jesus Christ is the “ruler of the kings of the earth.” The risen Lord is right now seated at the Father’s “right hand,” which does not mean He’s somehow far away but rather that He is in charge. A quick look at the headlines, or a moment of reflection on what’s going on in our daily lives and the lives of those we love might make us question that comment. After all, it sure doesn’t look like He’s in charge. If He is, we might be tempted to say He’s not doing a very good job.
Here we need to recall an all-important expression frequently recited by the Church: “already but not yet.” Jesus has already defeated Death, but has not yet destroyed it, as is clear. He has already defeated the enemy of our race, the devil, but not yet fully. He has already started the recreation of this world which God loves, but has not yet returned to make all things new.
This “already but not yet,” however, leads us to the second crucial truth. Not only are you and I participants by virtue of our baptism in Jesus’ Priesthood, we are also participants in His Kingship. “He has made us into a kingdom,” John writes in our 2nd Reading this Sunday. Our being made sharers in His Kingship can help us understand at least one part of what we’re supposed to be doing as His disciples until he returns.
We would do well, first, to remember a king’s responsibilities according to the thoughts of the Jewish people. First, it was his task to lead the army out into battle – not to send them into battle, but to be himself in the lead, defending his people. Second, it was his responsibility to care for widows and orphans who, because of their dire straits in those days, had absolutely no one to whom they could turn for help. Finally, a king was tasked with looking out for the poor who, again, in those days (as in ours), were utterly in need.
These tasks and responsibilities of the king, all gloriously fulfilled in “Jesus Christ, ruler of the kings of the earth,” help to inform our understanding of what it means to participate in His Kingship and how we’re supposed to exercise that participation. In short, we are called to have our eyes and hearts wide open to those around us who are in need – wherever they may be: the streets, nursing homes, the unborn, the elderly, victims of human trafficking and so many more places.
As we prepare for Advent next Sunday, and given the Solemnity we celebrate this week, I’d like to encourage us to read Pope Francis’ recent encyclical letter Dilexit Nos (“He Loved Us”). Published on October 24, this is a wondrous reflection on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is rich with quotes from various saints down through the ages on this devotion, which the Lord seems to be holding out in front of His Church with increasing fervor in recent years, as is evidenced by things like the spread of the Surrender Novena. What I found to be especially rich, however, was the concluding section, where the Holy Father, drawing heavily on St. John Paul II’s writings, reminds us that we console the Sacred Heart of Jesus not only by our devotion to Him in prayer, but by being sent out as missionaries into this broken world. This being sent out is one of the ways we activate our sharing in Jesus’ Kingship. I’ll leave the final word this week to the Pope.
“The Christian message is attractive when experienced and expressed in its totality: not simply as a refuge for pious thoughts or an occasion for impressive ceremonies. What kind of worship would we give to Christ if we were to rest content with an individual relationship with him and show no interest in relieving the sufferings of others or helping them to live a better life? Would it please the heart that so loved us, if we were to bask in a private religious experience while ignoring its implications for the society in which we live? Let us be honest and accept the word of God in its fullness. On the other hand, our work as Christians for the betterment of society should not obscure its religious inspiration, for that, in the end, would be to seek less for our brothers and sisters than what God desires to give them. For this reason…[let us recall] the missionary dimension of our love for the heart of Christ.
“Saint John Paul II spoke of the social dimension of devotion to the heart of Christ, but also about ‘reparation, which is apostolic cooperation in the salvation of the world.’ Consecration to the heart of Christ is thus ‘to be seen in relation to the Church’s missionary activity, since it responds to the desire of Jesus’ heart to spread throughout the world, through the members of his Body, his complete commitment to the Kingdom.’ As a result, ‘through the witness of Christians, love will be poured into human hearts, to build up the body of Christ which is the Church, and to build a society of justice, peace and fraternity’.”
ACTS XXIX Prayer Intentions
November 2024
In thanksgiving to God for the mission with the women of Walking with Purpose in Dallas, TX. May seeds sown bear great fruit in their lives.
For the clergy and lay leaders from across the country who joined on campus for a Leadership Immersive.
For the lovely women with the Seven Sisters Apostolate.
For the pastors working with the Seminary Formation Council who joined us on campus for retreat.
For our mission with clergy, lay leaders and seminarians in the Diocese of Spokane.
For a grace-filled Thanksgiving holiday for our Episcopal Advisory Committee, Board members, benefactors, prayer partners and all those running The Rescue Project in their parishes, homes and college campuses.
For God’s protection upon Fr. John Riccardo and the ACTS XXIX family.