Reflection for the Solemnity of Christ the King (Cycle C)
Our King “is the image of the unseen God.” In him, “all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible: thrones, rulers, authorities, powers. All was made through him and for him. He is before all and all things hold together, in him …. Through him, God willed to reconcile all things to himself, and … through his blood shed on the cross, God establishes peace, on earth as in heaven.”
Behold the King who seeks not to be served upon, but to serve! Is it not time we become servants of this great servant King? May we say to the Christ, “We are your bone and flesh. … You shall be the shepherd … you shall be commander” “the head of the body, that is the Church.”
Thus, reconciled and at peace, filled with the love and mercy of God:
- We can become totally trusting of his will, ever certain that whatever he lovingly desires and allows to happen for us, will be for our common good.
- We will always yearn for the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ whom we love and adore, ever mindful of never losing him in the midst of worldly concerns.
- We will be committed to follow our Master unconditionally in a life of selfless sacrifice, dedicated to the service of others, in spite of our own personal sufferings.
- We are ever hopeful that sharing in the sufferings of the world for our Lord will culminate in a sharing in his inheritance – eternal glory under the reign of God.
- We, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, will be continuously strengthened to be devoted to follow our Savior’s teachings about the way to love.
- We willingly accept Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ also as our own Blessed Mother, sharing in her joys, sorrows and ultimate glory.
- We will remain devoted to the saints of the Church, disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ who through the dynamic turbulence of history, kept alive his timeless and universal message of love for all humanity.
- Therefore, these are my resolutions for the new liturgical year:
- I resolve to read the Bible daily, preferably the Gospels or the Scriptural readings for the day’s Mass; allowing myself to be nourished by the sacred Word, meditating on what our Lord is wishing to teach me on that day.
- I resolve to pray with the Church by joining in its daily liturgy, through the recitation of the Divine Office (at least the Morning and Evening Prayers), listening intently to the voice of God.
- I resolve to be devoted to the Paschal mystery of our Lord Jesus Christ, through a regular recitation of the Holy Rosary, reminiscing with love the sacrifices he endured for our sake.
- I resolve to start and sustain a little “ministry”: my own program and regular routine of serving others, teaching and witnessing the way of our Lord in my family, place of work, parish, community or social club, school, the nearest hospital, nearby orphanages, homes for the aged, prisons or depressed areas.
- I resolve amidst the challenges of living a Christian life, to regularly visit a church or an adoration chapel, spending time with our Lord alone, the Beloved who waits for us to speak about our joys and sorrows, our petitions and our gratitude, our compunction and our resolutions, our aspirations and hopes.
- I resolve if and whenever I am able, to attend daily Mass and to make an annual retreat, so that I may contemplate in solitude, remember and fully renew my response to the call to love God.
- I resolve to make a brief examination of conscience before going to sleep at night, in order to recall the shortcomings and failures of the day; and if and whenever I am able, to go to monthly Confession, to abstain or refrain from inordinate and excessive luxury and pleasures, and to observe a monthly fasting ritual as penance.
May we pray to the King: I may be blinded by my own pride in my numerous achievements; envy for what I still do not have; avarice for a social stature that would make me untouchable; hatred for all those who dare oppose me; lust for getting what I want from those I can exploit; gluttony for all the pleasures I can indulge in before I die; and sloth in searching for the true meaning of life.
I am in total darkness, confused on where life should lead me, afraid of where death will find me. Let your holy face shine upon me and may your light shine through me to those just as confused and afraid, especially to those whom I have sinned against. Hold me now in your tight embrace and lead me to you, where I truly belong!
“Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.” Amen.
Brother Jess Matias is a professed brother of the Secular Franciscan Order. He serves as minister of the St. Pio of Pietrelcina Fraternity at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Mandaluyong City, coordinator of the Padre Pio Prayer Groups of the Capuchins in the Philippines and prison counselor and catechist for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of LiCAS.news.
