Christ The King Sunday Nov 19

Christ the King Sunday  Christ the King is the last Sunday of the Season of Pentecost and also the last Sunday of the church year. This day completes the Christian journey through the life of Jesus Christ on earth and in heaven and begins the cycle anew with the preparation for the birth of Jesus in Advent the following Sunday. Kings are absolute rulers: they attain power by raising and leading armies into war against other countries. Jesus' war was not against people or against a country, but against sin, death, and the power of the Devil. By his death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus won the war against evil. All that Christians are asked to do is to accept that Jesus fought and won the war for their sakes and to recognize him as King of Kings. On Christ the King Sunday, Christians recognize and worship Christ as king of heaven and earth for all time without challenge and without end. 

The following is an excerpt from www.churchyear.net and written by David Bennett.

History The earliest Christians identified Jesus with the predicted Messiah of the Jews. The Jewish word "messiah," and the Greek word "Christ," both mean "anointed one," and came to refer to the expected king who would deliver Israel from the hands of the Romans. Christians believe that Jesus is this expected Messiah. Unlike the messiah most Jews expected, Jesus came to free all people, Jew and Gentile, and he did not come to free them from the Romans, but from sin and death. Thus the king of the Jews, and of the cosmos, does not rule over a kingdom of this world. Christians have long celebrated Jesus as Christ, and his reign as King is celebrated to some degree in Advent (when Christians wait for his second coming in glory), Christmas (when "born this day is the King of the Jews"), Holy Week (when Christ is the Crucified King), Easter (when Jesus is resurrected in power and glory), and the Ascension (when Jesus returns to the glory he had with the Father before the world was created). However, Pius XI wanted to specifically commemorate Christ as king, and instituted the feast in the Western calendar in 1925.

In the 21st century, many Western Christians celebrate Christ the King Sunday, including Anglicans, Roman Catholics and Lutherans. Unfortunately, in some mainline Protestant churches, "king" language is not popular, and the feast is downplayed. However, in a chaotic and unjust world that seems to scorn any kind of authority, many Christians proudly celebrate Christ the King Sunday, where the loving and merciful - and just - king of the universe is praised and glorified.

Frequently Asked Questions 1. Isn't calling Christ "King" antiquated and oppressive? I would say "no" on both counts. First, "Christ the King Sunday" has a much better ring to it than "Christ our Democratically Elected Leader Sunday." Joking aside, despite the success and value of a democratic form and government for secular affairs, the Kingdom of Heaven is not a democracy. God does not take opinion polls, nor can he be recalled or voted out of office. This is actually a good thing. We are not dealing with an unjust and petty dictator, but a loving and just king, who is both God and man. While democracy is the best form of government we have at the current time on earth, sometimes following the will of the people is not a good thing: think Nazi Germany and the Russian Revolution! Better a perfect God ruling the kingdom of heaven than imperfect man subject to whims and fads. Throughout history, oppressive kings have also been petty and evil, and this is why a mistrust of "king" language has developed. However we must recall that Jesus radically redefined the nature of kingship when he said "Rather, whoever wishes to become great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:42-45, NAB). While the Church has done things in the name of God that are wrong, and Christians of all churches have as well, we can rest assured that the King of the Cosmos is just and merciful, and will be with us until the end of the age. The love, justice, and mercy of Christ liberate us from sin and death, and give us the grace to act with love, justice, and mercy ourselves. Thus the reality of Christ as king is neither antiquated nor oppressive, but timeless and liberating. See Christ the Crucified King: Reflections on Christ the King Sunday by Jonathan Bennett for more on these themes. 2. Is Christ the King Sunday the Last Day of Ordinary Time? No. Christ the King Sunday is the last Sunday of Ordinary Time. The weekdays that follow are also a part of Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time ends on Saturday afternoon of that week, since the evening Masses of that Saturday signal the beginning of Advent. Other resources include www.sundayschoollessons.com/chrking