Luke 23:42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Even in our world today, many people are still fascinated by the royal family. And when a member of the royal family gets married, has a new child, commits some public scandal or dies, it generally gets lots of news coverage. Perhaps it's because as children, we dream about becoming a king or the queen and having all the wealth and power that comes along with it. In the gospel on this final Sunday of the year, the Solemnity of Christ the King, we read about Jesus being crucified between two criminals, and he's mocked by the rulers and the soldiers. Not exactly the fairytale setting in which you would expect to find a king. However Jesus is a different kind of king. His crown is not made of gold and jewels but of thorns. He doesn't wear a fancy robe, but instead they threw dice to see who would get his garment. His throne is not grand but rather is a cross made of wood. His power has not been granted him by his bloodline or order of succession, but rather is given to him by his father in Heaven. He came to serve and not to be served. And his subjects listened to him because he speaks the truth. If we truly seek to follow Jesus Christ who is our king, our lives will necessarily take a different path. Following Jesus Christ the king demands that at times we will stand apart from those who refuse to recognize his authority. Following Jesus Christ our king forces us to make decisions that are determined by the law of God, not by popular opinion of the day. Following Jesus Christ will mean at times we'll be rejected or persecuted because of our beliefs. However because of our loyalty to our king, Jesus Christ, we will be truly free for he is the way, the truth and the life. Each time we come to Mass it's an opportunity to encounter the love and mercy of Jesus Christ our King and to give him thanks and praise for what he's done for us.
