Solemnity of Christ King of the Universe


Sunday, November 26, 2017
Solemnity of Christ King of the universe
Pope Benedict XVI
Angelus, November 20, 2005

Today, last Sunday of the liturgical year, we celebrate the solemnity of Christ King of the universe. From the announcement of his birth, the only begotten son of his father, born by the virgin Mary, is called "King", in the sense of Messianic, that is, heir to the throne of David, according to the promises of the prophets, for a kingdom that will not end (CF. 1,32-33, the royalty of Christ remained completely hidden until his thirty years in an ordinary existence in Nazareth. Then, during the public life, Jesus inaugurated the new kingdom, which "is not of this world" (GV 18,36), and in the end he did it fully with his death and resurrection. Appearing risen to the apostles said: "I have been given every power in heaven and earth" (Mt 28,18): this power derives from love, which God has manifested in fullness in the sacrifice of his son. The Kingdom of Christ is a gift offered to men of every time, because anyone who believes in the incarnate word "do not die, but have eternal life" (GV 3,16). For This, right in the last book of the Bible, the apocalypse, he proclaims : "I am the alpha and Omega, the principle and the end" (AP 22,13).

"Christ Alpha and omega", so it is called the paragraph concluding the first part of the pastoral constitution gaudium et spes of the second Vatican Council, promulgated 40 years ago. In that beautiful page, which reproduces some words of the servant of God Pope Paul Vi, read: " the Lord is the end of human history, the focal point of the desires of history and civilization, the center of the human race, the joy of every Heart, the fullness of their aspirations ". and so goes on: " in his spirit community and coadunati, we are going pilgrims to the final perfection of human history, which is full of the drawing of his love: " recap all things in Christ , those of the sky like those of the earth " (EF 1,10)" (GS, n. 45) in the light of the centrality of Christ, the et spes interprets the condition of contemporary man, his vocation and dignity, as well as the areas of his life: family, culture, Economics, politics, the community International. This is the mission of the church yesterday, today and always: to announce and to witness Christ, for man, every man can fully fulfill his vocation.

The Virgin Mary, whom God has associated in a singular manner to the royalty of his son, will receive us as our Lord of our lives, to cooperate faithfully with the advent of his kingdom of love, justice and peace.


Fr Kevin, my Parish Priest and Vicar General of Brentwood Diocese, also gave an excellent homily today. You can listen to it here: https://lourdesleigh.org/news/


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