Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Brothers and sisters, today we gather to celebrate a King unlike any other. Most kings rule from thrones of gold; ours rules from a cross of wood. Most kings wear crowns of jewels; ours wears a crown of thorns. Most kings demand service: ours kneels to wash feet. If earthly kings arrive with trumpets, Jesus arrives with mercy. His throne is not elevated in marble but lifted on Calvary. His royal decree is simple: “love one another as I have loved you.”

In the Gospel, Jesus hangs between two criminals, His throne lifted not in triumph but in vulnerability. And yet, it is exactly there that His kingship shines most brightly. One criminal found a voice to mock Jesus, “Save yourself!”, the old temptation to power. But Jesus is not that kind of king. He does not save Himself because He has come to save us. But the other, whom tradition calls the “Good Thief,” sees what the crowds cannot see. He sees a King whose authority is love, whose power is forgiveness, whose kingdom is built not by force but by hearts transformed.

He also found a voice to pray, “Jesus, remember me…”. And with royal generosity, the King responds not with judgment but with astonishing speed: “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” There was no long application form, no screening process, not even a background check, no paperwork, no probation period. Just pure grace. Heaven opened for a man with nothing to offer but a repentant heart. If that does not reveal what sort of King we serve, nothing will.

St. Paul reminds us in the second reading that Jesus is “the image of the invisible God, the One through whom all things were made”. Yet this King chooses to reign with tenderness. Jesus’ kingdom is not geographical but spiritual: it is wherever mercy is shown, wherever the poor are lifted, wherever peace is planted, Christ the King reigns.

And here is the humor of grace: Jesus chooses us, ordinary, imperfect people, with all our flaws and holy clumsiness, to help build His kingdom. He does not need perfect people, just willing hearts. We just have to turn toward Jesus.

So today, let us allow Christ to reign in us: in our homes, in our choices, in our compassion. Let us be citizens of a Kingdom where love is stronger than hate, where forgiveness triumphs over grudges, and where every cross, lifted to Jesus, becomes a throne of hope.

~Long Live Christ our King, Who Reigns Forever in Love~

Your Priest,

Fr. Charles Enyinnia