Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, 2021

My Dear People, 

Today, the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year, is the Feast of Christ the King. Jesus is going to come again as King. The goal of God’s plan is to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth. This will happen when the Divine Will is established on earth as it is in heaven. 

Divine Will was present on earth at the beginning of humanity. That lasted until human will entered the earth, and with that, sin and death entered also. God’s plan is to have the earth as it originally was created. This includes, of course, all people. This means that all the people on earth will be living the Divine Will. This would only be possible through the power of God. This is what it probably means when the scriptures speak of a new heaven and new earth. The earth will be new, because there will not be the human will of sin, the human will of war. 

Jesus speaks to Pilate and tells him (John 18:36): “My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight that I might not be handed over to the Jews.” 

Jesus did enter Jerusalem in triumph, and he did accept acclamation as King-Messiah. Now, in the passion, he acknowledges before Pilate that he is truly a king, making it clear that his kingship is not an earthly one. Thus, those who expect the Messiah to have visible temporal power were mistaken. “The kingdom of God does not deal with temporal affairs of the earth, but it is a kingdom of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit’ (Rom 14: 17). The divine activity which saves people will reach its culmination when history ends and the Lord comes from the heights of paradise finally to judge the people.  

His Kingship is a “Kingdom of Truth and Life, the kingdom of Holiness and Grace, the kingdom of Justice, love and Peace” (Roman Missal, Preface of the Mass of Christ the King).

Happy Thanksgiving Day to everyone

Yours in Christ, 

Fr. Vincent Clemente

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