Solemnity Of Christ The King 09

Last Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Solemnity of Christ the King, Cycle B November 22, 2009 Scripture Readings First : Daniel 7:13-14 Second : Revelation 1:5-8 Gospel: John 18:33b-37 Prepared by: Fr. Stephen Dominic Hayes, OP 1. Subject Matter •

The fundamental message of John's Gospel emphasizes that Jesus' kingdom is not of this world; that is, not all of this universe of time and space, extent and duration, that is, something belonged to a world of limits and changeability. Rather, is kingdom is founded in his Sonship with his Father; something belonging to the life of the eternal Trinity, and therefore is founded on personal relationship, knowledge, and love. Jesus Kingship in its proper not to a physical realm, but to the world of shared life which is that of the uncreated Trinity, and those elect creatures who are admitted to the Kingdom of the Father through the Son.

2. Exegetical Notes •

In the first reading, the prophet Daniel is granted a vision of the end of days and of universal judgment. Chapter 9 describes in bestial figures four empires; in terms of the time of editorship of the cup and of Daniel, this would be interpreted as that of Babylon, Media, Persia, and the Greek Macedonian and Selucid empires, who are judged and destroyed by the justice of God. This vision is succeeded by the advent of the "Son of Man", a figure representing the kingdom of God's holy ones “on the clouds of heaven: (that is, from God.’ His reign, being celestial and divine, is radically different from that of the earthly powers who have been judged. In an original literary form, this human figure is symbolical of the superior form of the heavenly kingdom, contrasted with the bestial kingdoms of the earth. In late Jewish apocalyptic thought thought, however, the notion of kingdom tends to be merged with that of the king himself. This image, interpreted by the Church to Jesus in the second reading, is used repeatedly by the Lord himself in his application of the notion of the Kingdom of God being conjoined to that of Christ's own person and our relationship to him, a pattern we see again and again in both the Synoptics and the Johannine material.

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The second reading shows the early Church applying the prophecy of Daniel directly to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is he who is to receive universal dominion and power, precisely because of the blood he shed upon the cross. In him will be fulfilled all the messianic prophecies of the Scriptures; and the judgment he ushers in puts into condemnation not only

those who condemned them in life (“ those who pierced him”) but also “all the nations” in the sense of those who irredeemably choose a life apart from that of the people of God forming now in personal relationship to God's Son and King, Jesus Christ. The symbolic language of beginning and end (derived from Greek, not Hebrew usage) finds application to Christ as beginning and end, cause and purpose for all that is. ( Interestingly enough, the ancient Hebrew form of the alphabet called Ketav Ivri or Paleo-Hebrew, based on Phoenician

forms, has as its first letter the silent letter Aleph and as its last letter Tav, which in this early form has the shape of a cross. This is the mark made on the foreheads of God is faithful ones in the book of Ezekiel (9:4). •

The Gospel of this Sunday, in Cycle B, focuses on the Lord's conversation with Pilate. In this moment, the earthly representative of Leviathan confronts the messenger of God's grace and the only-begotten and eternal Son of the Father, and engagement which reveals the absolute difference between an earthly understanding of power and dominion, and that desire for communion which flows from the heart of God. The conversation is set in the context of Pilate's acting as the judicial representative of the Roman Empire in hearing the Jewish leadership's complaint that Jesus is setting himself up as King against Caesar;- the only way in which the Roman authority would take seriously the claims against the Lord. In this moment, paradoxically, he who would act as an earthly judge finds himself before a Word of judgment from God Most High.

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In vv.34-35, Jesus asked Pilate how he has come to formulate the charge against him; was it his idea were someone else's that Jesus is "King of the Jews"? This question enables is Pilate the chance to take a personal stance with regard to Jesus and his mission instead of being merely the current conduit for the world's rage against the Son of God made man. Pilot responds by vehemently denying any interest in Jewish religious concerns.

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At verse 36, the Lord is able to state the source of his authority, is lack of interest in the power games that the worldly delight in playing, and shows the absolute lack of political connection of his kingship to the affairs which are the whole life of Pilate and the Emperor whom he serves. When Pilate persists in asking whether or not Jesus is a King, the Lord responds by emphasize that the essence of his kingly and messianic mission is as a witness to the truth, that which is the truth of God Most High, and the kingdom for he will make testimony by his own martyrdom ; a kingdom which will be founded upon his Blood, in a way familiar to Pilate and imperfectly foreshadowed in the city of Rome's own foundation on the blood of Romulus' murdered brother Remus. It is this truth, identical with Jesus own person, which Pilate will treat with contempt in the Gospel’s next Line “What is Truth?” The Lord has already given that answer in John 14:6: Ego sum via et veritas et vita. The kingdom of God breaks in the personal relationship of Jesus Christ with those whom he calls to be his followers. As the Lord has pointed out, these do not fight to establish an earthly kingdom for him, this is a kingdom not of this world, with its limited powers and internecine combats concerning the limits of borders and possession of passing wealth, but has asked its heart the rule of God over souls willing to enter into a relationship with the Son who possesses all dominion in heaven and on earth. Christ’s is a lordship of hearts, not of earthly rule.

3. References to the Catechism of the Catholic Church

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CCC 680: Christ the Lord already reigns through the Church, but all the things of this world are not yet subjected to him. The triumph of Christ's kingdom will not come about without one last assault by the powers of evil.

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CCC 786: Finally, the people of God shares in the royal office of Christ. He exercises his kingship by drawing all men to himself through his death and resurrection. Christ, King and Lord of the universe, made himself the servant of all, for he came "not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." ( Mt. 20:28)

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CCC 2105: The duty of offering God genuine worship concerns man both individually and socially. This is "a traditional Catholic teaching on the moral duty of individuals and societies toward the true religion and the one Church of Christ." … the social duty of Christians is to respect and awaken each man a love of the true and the good. It requires them to make known the worship of the one true religion which subsists in the Catholic and apostolic Church. Christians are called to be the light of the world. Thus, the Church shows forth the kingship of Christ over all creation and in particular over human societies.

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CCC 2819: “The Kingdom of God [is} righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (cf. Galatians 5: 16-25). The anti-in which we live is the age of the outpouring of the Spirit. Ever since Pentecost, a decisive battle has been joined between "the flesh" and the Spirit….

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CCC 2820: By a discernment according to the Spirit, Christians have to distinguish between the growth of the Reign of God and the progress of the culture and society in which they are involved. This distinction is not a separation. Man's vocation to eternal life does not suppress, but actually reinforces, his duty to put into action in this world the energies and means received from the Creator to serve justice and peace.

4. Patristic Commentary •

St. Leo the Great (Sermo 4, 1 [ P.L. 54, 149]): The sign of the cross makes kings of all those reborn in Christ and the anointing of the Holy Spirit consecrates them as priests, so that, apart from the particular service of our ministry, all spiritual and rational Christians are recognized as members of this royal race and sharers in Christ's priestly office. What, indeed, is as royal for a soul as to govern the body in obedience to God? And what is as priestly as to dedicate a pure conscience to the Lord and to offer the spotless offerings of devotion on the altar of the heart?

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St. Augustine of Hippo (Catena Aurea). This is what the good Master wished to teach us. But first it was necessary to show the falsity of the notions of both Jews and Gentiles as to His kingdom, which Pilate had heard of; as if it meant that He aimed at unlawful power; a crime punishable with death, and this kingdom were a subject of jealousy to the ruling power, and to be guarded against as likely to be hostile either to the Romans or Jews. Now if our Lord had answered immediately Pilate's question, He would have seemed to have been answering not the Jews, but the Gentiles only. But after Pilate's answer, what He says is an answer to both Gentiles and Jews: as if He said, Men, i.e. Jews and Gentiles, I hinder not your dominion in this world. What more would you have? Come by faith to the kingdom which is not of this world. For what is His kingdom, but they that believe in Him, of whom He says, you are not of the world: although He wished that they should be in the world. In the same way, here He does not say, My kingdom is not in this world; but, is not of this world. Of the world are all men, who created by God are born of the corrupt race of Adam. All that are born

again in Christ, are made a kingdom not of this world. Thus hath God taken us out of the power of darkness, and translated us to the kingdom of His dear Son. •

St. Augustine of Hippo (Catena Aurea): .He did not fear to confess Himself a King, but so replied as neither to deny that He was, nor yet to confess Himself a King in such sense as that His kingdom should be supposed to be of this w world. He says, you say, meaning, you being carnal say it carnally. He continues, To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that 1 should bear witness to the truth. The pronoun here, in hoc, must not be dwelt long on as if it meant, in hâc re, but shortened, as if it stood, ad hoc, natus sum, as the next words are, ad hoc veni in mundum. Wherein it is evident He alludes to His birth in the flesh not to that divine birth which never had beginning.

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St. John Chrysostom (Catena Aurea): If then He was a King by birth, He has nothing which He has not received from another. For this I came, that I should bear witness to the truth, i.e. that I should make all men believe it. We must observe how He shows His humility here: when they accused Him as a malefactor, He bore it in silence; but when He is asked of His kingdom, then He talks with Pilate, instructs him, and raises his mind to higher things. That I should bear witness to the truth shows that He had no crafty purpose in what He did.

5. Examples from the Saints and Other Exemplars •

From the Christian's royal duty to bring Christ to the world comes the holy example of many Christian kings in the conduct of their rulership. St. King Louis IX of France famously had St. Thomas Aquinas to dinner; the Dominican remained visibly preoccupied during the meal. Towards the end of the festivities, St. Thomas managed to disrupt them noticeably by solving his intellectual problem; leaping up and pounding on the table he cried, "Thus do I refute the Manichees!" He had seemingly forgotten where he was. In spite of the Saint's arguably bad manners, the King graciously called for a scribe and pen to record the Saint’s thoughts instead of taking offense, and in this showed himself to be kingly in a double measure. He not only showed a Christian mastery of his own temper, but made St. Thomas' business the King's own -the communication of Christian faith and truth. This was a benefit to his own kingdom and to the world. Would that all our rulers find themselves so well ruled by Christ!

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Philip II of Spain, at the behest of his confessors and Dominican theological advisors freed the Native Americans of the New World from slavery, despite the opposition of his princes and the merchants of his empire.

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Although not a story about Saints, there is a interesting example of the power of kingship to move and ennoble hearts that is worth remembering. Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, finished his life as an invalid, and on his deathbed in 1329, asked that his heart be removed and carried into battle against the enemies of Christ in crusade, something his grandfather had done but the king himself had never had the freedom to do, being concerned with keeping Scotland free from English control. The duty of bearing Bruce's heart fell to his friend and companion, Sir James Douglas. Since the Holy Land was not available for crusading at that time, Douglas with a band of companions went to Spain to aid the Christians there in the recovery of their land from the grip of the Moors. Douglas bore the King's heart in a casket upon his chest. In battle with the Moslems before the gates of the city of Teba de Ardales, Douglas found himself cut off with three companions from the rest of the Christians, and completely surrounded by the enemy with no hope of escape. According to Sir William Keith of Galston, the only Christian survivor of the melee, Douglas took the

casket from his neck and hurled it into the midst of the enemy, crying: "Forward, brave heart, as ever thou were wont to do, and Douglas will follow thee or die." His body was found surrounded by rings of enemy dead. Thus did the noble example of one royal heart move his friend and companion to similar deeds of glory. Though James Douglas did not survive the fight, his heirs bear upon their arms a winged heart to commemorate the noble sacrifice he made, following the example of his king. Thus should the example of Christ himself move all our hearts to follow nobly the one who for our sake did not refuse the cross, heedless of its shame, so that we might all share his royal glory. As we yield to his kingship, so do we find ourselves masters of our own persons, and sharers in his reign. 6. Quotes •

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Pope Benedict XVI (Co- Workers of the Truth, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1991, p. 377.) : Jesus of Nazareth, of the crucified son of a carpenter, is so intrinsically King that the title "King" has actually begun his men. By calling ourselves Christians, we label ourselves as followers of the King, as people who recognize him as their king. But we can understand properly what the kingship of Jesus Christ means only if we trace its origin in the Old Testament, where we immediately discover a surprising fact. It is obvious that God did not intend Israel to have a kingdom. In the kingdom was, in fact, a result of Israel's rebellion against God and against his prophets, a defection from the original will of God. The law was to be Israel's king, and through the law, God himself.... Surprisingly, got yielded to Israel's obstinacy and so devised a new kind of kingship for them. The son of David, the King, is Jesus; in him God entered humanity and espoused it to himself... This then is God's kingship-space all of that is impregnable and inventiveness and finds man in ways that are always new... Pope Benedict XVI (Seeking God's Face, David Smith and Robert Cunningham, Tr., Chicago: Franciscan Herald press, 1982, pp. 64 to 65.) : What is really remarkable is that God consented to Israel's desire for a King and even provided an opportunity for that kingship to be renewed and fulfilled. Jesus was himself the son of David, the king. God entered mankind in him and espoused the cause of mankind in him. ... and this, then, is God's kingship - the rule of love that seeks and finds man in ways that are always new. For us, this means a trust that cannot be shaken. God rules as king over us still and, what is more, he rules over each one of us. None of us should be afraid and none should capitulate. God can always be found. The pattern of our own lives should also be like this-we should always be available, never write anyone off, and try again and again to find others in the openness of our hearts. Our most important task is not to assert ourselves, but always to be ready to set off on the way to God and to each other. The feast of Christ the King is therefore not a feast of those are subjugated, but a feast of those who know that they are in the hands of the one who writes straight on crooked lines.

7. Other Considerations •

As the liturgical year closes and the new liturgical year begins with Advent, the readings give the preacher an opportunity to consider as subject matter the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. These eschatological realities are well presented within the framework of the readings of this week and those following, which focus on the culmination of

all things in Christ the Lord, Universal King, and the Alpha and Omega of the universe, its Cause and its End. •

We live in an age that is unfamiliar with kingship. One of the characteristics of authentic kingship is its quality of personal relationship to those whom it serves, and the personal relationship of subject to suzerain. For this specific reason, the primary Biblical image of kingship is that of the shepherd and his sheep: this is a relationship that is not connected with the extent of land or physical space in dominion, being rather nomadic in its quality; rather, as in the case of the King and his people, the primary connection between the sheep and the shepherd is one of relationship. The language of kingship is not first something concerned with measurable physical extent or limits of power or influence, but with a personal connection to the subjects. This is preserved in the traditional language of kingship, in which one who, for example inherits an established realm (such as France) is termed,“ King of France,” but one who accedes to kingship by conquest or other means than inheritance would be termed, “King of the French.” Both are kings, while the latter form emphasizes the personal relationship to his people which is at the heart of kingship, while former emphasizes the legitimacy of the sovereignty over the one who has by personal relationship come to be king through connection to his royal father. In the case of the kingship of Christ, our unfamiliarity with kingship can cause us to miss the emphasis on personal relationship which is at the heart of our surrender to Christ's own kingship; a dominion which he has by reason of his personal relationship with the eternal Father. This means that the root of the meaning of Christ's kingship is not to be found in the nature of God and his omnipotence, but rather in the Trinitarian life of Father, Son and Spirit; a life which is now shared with those who by personal relationship with Christ the King begin to participate in his universal reign over all things by reason of their personal acceptance of his kingship over them. Thus the language of Christ's kingship needs to be ruled not by a meditation on power, so much as the personal bonds of fealty, honor, and worship which flow from our personal acceptance of his reign in us.

Recommended Resources Benedict XVI, Pope. Benedictus: Day by Day with Pope Benedict XVI. Yonkers, Ignatius Press/ Magnificat 2006. New York: Magnificat: SAS, 2006.

Copyright

Brown, Raymond E., S.S., Fitzmeyer, Joseph, S.J., and Murphy, Roland E., O. Carm. The Jerome Biblical Commentary. Two Vols. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Harrington, Daniel J, S.J. , Ed. The Gospel of John. Sacra Pagina Series, Vol. 4: Francis J. Moloney, S.D.B. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1998. Jurgens, William A. The Faith of the Early Fathers. 3 Vols. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1979. Thomas Aquinas, St. Catena Aurea: Commentary on the Four Gospels Collected out of the Works of the Fathers. Volume III- Pt. II: St. Luke. Albany, N.Y.: Preserving Christian Publications, Inc., 2001.