Solemnity of Christ the King
Dan 7:13-14; Rev 1:5-8; John 25: 33b-37
Christ is a king. He comes to save all. St Ignatius Loyola in the Spiritual Exercises in the meditation called “The Call of the King,” asks us to ponder first, charismatic earthly leaders and then, the eternal King who wants to draw persons to join him: to right all wrongs, overturn all evil, heal every illness. He asks us to join him in his cause of mercy. How could anyone refuse such a request, Ignatius asks?
In the gospel today, Christ tells Pilate that his mission as King is “to testify to the truth.” That is, he comes to reveal the face of God to mean and women. He makes God visible.
The King’s mission is one of mercy. He does acts of mercy. He heals the sick and gives sight to the blind. We participate in this mission, and he strengthens for this mission with his body blood, soul and divinity. Thus strengthened, we go out from here, following and serving this King, by doing acts of mercy in the world. Like St. Ignatius, how can we refuse the call of so great a King?
We are about to begin The Year of Mercy, a jubilee year decreed by Pope Francis. A beautiful proclamation of mercy puts it in this way: “God bends down in order to raise us up; to comfort us and to heal our wounds…to bestow on us new life and new hope….Mercy is the name of our God. Mercy is the call to be a human being, who feels with other human beings who suffer and are in need. Mercy is the call to be a real Christian, who follows the example of Christ and meets Christ in his suffering brothers and sisters. Mercy is the essence of the Gospel and the key to Christian life. Mercy is the best and most beautiful news that can be told to us…. As God by his mercy always gives us a new chance, a new future, our mercy gives future to the other, and to a world that needs it so much” (Cardinal Walter Kasper. America. “The Message of Mercy” September 15, 2014. p.18.. All we have to do is “Do it.” How can we refuse?!