Posted on November 28, 2022 View all Gospel Reflection
Today on Christ the King we recall that the essential character of kingship means personal allegiance to one person. To say Christ is King implies that we are subjects.
He “reigns in the minds of men,” in the wills of men, and He is King of our hearts.
St. Bernard prayed, “Come, Lord Jesus, take away scandals from your Kingdom, which is my soul, and reign there, You who alone have the right.
For greediness comes to claim a throne within me; haughtiness and self-assertion would rule over me; pride would be my king; lust says “I will reign”; ambition, detraction, envy and anger struggle within me for the mastery.
I resist as far as I am able; I struggle according as help is given me; I call on my Lord, Jesus; for His sake I defend myself, since I acknowledge myself as wholly His possession. He is my God, Him I proclaim my Lord; I have no other king than my Lord Jesus Christ. Come then, O Lord, and disperse these enemies by Your power, and You shall reign in me, for You are my king and my God. Amen.
As that prayer brings out, not one of our faculties is exempt from his empire.
An example of what happens when Jesus is not the King of our hearts is seen in the Berlin Art Gallery where there is a painting by the famous artist Mengel that is only partially finished. It is supposed to be a painting of King Frederick of Germany talking to his generals. Mengel painstakingly painted the generals first, placing them around the outside of the painting as a background and leaving a bare patch in the middle of the painting for the King. But Mengel died before he could finish the painting. So there is a painting full of generals, but no king.
Each one of us is painting the story of our lives with the simple words and deeds of everyday life.
Many times we allow our life story to become full of lesser authorities. But, as Christians, the painting of our lives is never complete until we place at its center Christ the King.
When is Christ is King of our hearts, there is peace.
PAX Christi in regnum Christi: the peace of Christ in the
Reign of Christ.
“Viva Cristo Rey” !
