Solemnity of Christ the King • Year B

Many of us of a certain age might recall a television show from many year ago titled “Queen for a Day.” Hopeful contestants would tell their life stories, many of which were quite sad, in hopes of being crowned “queen,” if only for a day. The winner was not a true queen, and she had no kingdom. She didn’t wield any power, but there was a crown, and there was a title – not to mention some great prizes!

 In today’s world there are a number of Kings and Queens, some of them made so by virtue of their heritage, some of them because of their own making. Some of those who are self-made seem to become “kingly” by virtue of their wealth and the power they do wield. Those kings and their kingdoms are often fun while they last, but also fleeting as they fail. What a different scenario we confront in the gospel of John for today’s solemnity. You can sense the palpable tension in the room as Pilate asks Jesus: “Who are you? What have you done? Are you a king ?”

Jesus does not seem to reject the title, but he certainly does reject the conventional understanding of what such a title usually means. Exuding confidence, Jesus says in effect, “Yes, I have a kingdom, but it is not of this world. I am a king, but not the kind of king you would expect or need to fear. I have been anointed by a higher power, and I have divine authority. I rule so as to be the bearer of divine revelation. I rule in order to guide people to the truth. I rule to guide people to God, the Father.” The rule of Christ’s kingdom was derived from a greater power, seeking to build a kingdom based on love.

Pope Francis recently said: “We will be judged on love. The judgment will be on love, not on feelings. No, we will be judged on works, on compassion that becomes nearness and kind help! Have I drawn near to Jesus present in the persons of the sick, the poor, the suffering, the imprisoned, of those who are hungry and thirsty for justice? Do I draw near to Jesus present there? This is the question for today.”

Then, building on the image of the Good Shepherd , Pope Francis concludes: “Therefore, at the end of the world, the Lord will ask us: ‘Were you a little bit like a shepherd – as myself ? Were you a shepherd to me who was present in those people who were in need, or were you indifferent?’”

Our first reading today from the Book of Daniel presents a vision of that which is to be, i.e. the final establishment of Christ’s kingly rule. It clearly speaks to the “already” but, in truth, also to the “not yet.”

In our reading from the Book of Revelation, we are reminded of the one who loves us, the one who liberates and saves us, the one who invites us and gathers us to himself, the one who was, and who is, and who is to come.

With these reminders, in this present moment, we are invited to once again evoke the past – because it has everything to do with our future. The Kingdom of Christ, while not of the world, is certainly in the world. Rather than being like a “lion,” it is much more like a “lamb.” The leader of this Kingdom does not muster armies or amass territories; rather, he is one who is extremely vulnerable and not self-seeking. He will not kill for the truth, for he is the one who will die for the truth. The blood of others will not be spilled in this kingdom, but our King will pour out his own blood for us. Rather than a King of death and destruction, he is the Lord of life, and of liberation and salvation. Rather than subjecting us to himself, he is one who invites us into himself. Who am I and what is my response to his invitation to share in such a Kingdom? In his reflection to the response of Jesus in the gospel of John, St. Augustine states: “Everyone who is reborn in Christ becomes the kingdom, which is no longer of the world. What, in fact, is Christ’s kingdom? It is simply those who believe in him.”

In the musical, 1776, there is a scene in which John Adams is standing all alone in the darkness of night in Independence Hall. Adams is greatly worried about the outcome of the deliberations that are taking place. In the musical, John Adams begins to sing a song, asking, “Is anyone out there? Does anyone care? Does anyone see what I see?”

Isn’t this what Jesus is asking us today, in this time and in this place? Will you join me in my cause? Will you join me in my mission and my work of changing a very broken world into a place of faith and hope and love in the hearts of people everywhere?

What will love look like? How and where will love to be shown, and by whom? Once again, we turn to the words of St. Augustine who beautifully tells us: “What does love look like ? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of all. That is what love looks like.”

Let us, in the power of God’s grace and love, envision and build now what we so often pray for: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”