On the last Sunday of each liturgical year, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King.
Pope Pius XI instituted this feast in 1925 with his encyclical Quas Primas (“In the first”) to respond to growing nationalism and secularism. He recognized that these related societal ills would breed increasing hostility against the Church. His encyclical reminds the faithful that while governments and philosophies come and go, Christ reigns as king forever.
The Kingdom Demands Discipleship
Jesus is the center of creation; and so the attitude demanded of us as true believers is that of recognizing and accepting in our lives the centrality of Jesus Christ, in our thoughts, in our words and in our works.
– Homily of Pope Francis, Solemnity of Christ the King, November 24, 2013
We must work every day, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to draw closer to Jesus. In our own increasingly “post-Christian” society, we cannot be complacent in our spiritual lives. To acknowledge the kingship of Christ means that we should dedicate ourselves to prayer, to building up our families and our parish communities, and to bringing healing to a broken world.
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