Christ the King on the Cross

We Americans have very happily lived for over two centuries without a King. We don’t kneel to any person. We have no majesties, highnesses, lords or nobles. When the president of our country enters the room, we don’t kneel. We stand! Few positions here are inherited. People are not elite or special because of their parentage. We happily dumped those elements of rule, and our successful changes were so appealing that most of the world followed our example. Now, most humans are no longer subjects, but citizens. We, in these United States, still celebrate that we are free.


Among our freedoms is our ability to find a path that answers our human longings for meaning, to have a purpose, to live a worthy and good life. Our answer to those goals, is the life and death of Jesus and the content of his teaching.


We don’t choose him because he acted like human rulers. In fact, he lived a life very contrary to theirs. He didn’t lead armies, although military leaders have chosen his cross over the centuries to cover their banners. He didn’t form political parties, although zealots, even in his own day were sure he supported their positions. He didn’t seek the overthrow of the Romans, even though revolutionary efforts throughout history since have tried to coopt his message. When thousands attended to his words, he didn’t speak about his achievements, but challenged them to avoid judgment, to be faithful, and to love (see Sermon on the Mount, Matt 5:1-7:29). He spent little time with the powerful, rather traveling among the peasants of Galilee and Judea. He never lived in a mansion, let alone a palace.


And yet, we freedom loving, American flag waving Catholics call Jesus “King.” It’s precisely because he wasn’t anything like prior human rulers that we dare to do so. He doesn’t subjugate; he leads by example. He doesn’t claim privileges or prerogatives; he lived in simplicity. He was honest about who he was, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the eternal Word, the just Judge, but didn’t express entitlement. The moment of his greatest glory was, in fact, his act of utter self-giving on the cross – hence today’s Gospel.


And we love him for this ... for toppling our misunderstanding of God. The Father is not like the fickle, self-absorbed, fragile and jealous gods of the Greeks and Romans, not like the child immolating gods of the Phoenicians or the human-heart devouring gods of the Aztecs, but building on the Jewish understanding of a God who broke into history, over-and-over, to save them, a God who is love.


Un-subjugated, we choose to follow Jesus. Un-dominated, we model our life after his because we recognize the rightness of his example. Without coercion we study his teachings because they answer our hearts’ deepest desires. At times failing in our efforts and acknowledging his rights to judge, we yet confidently rely on his mercy.

I join with the Catholic people of Mexico, who when suffering from their own government, cried out, “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” or “Long live Christ the King!” Long may we live in his Kingdom.



¡Siempre adelante!


Fr. Patrick
​Pastor 

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