Tenison Woods and MacKillop Centre News: King of Kings

Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”

Matthew 25:34 – 40

The earliest kings were no more than small tribal leaders. Some possessed both political and religious functions. The word is derived from the Old English word cyng and is related to the German and Dutch words for king, and not surprisingly comes from the same root as the word kin, for family.

Undoubtedly David, king of Israel, was not unlike those early kings. There were no castles, princesses or other paraphernalia we attribute to modern kingship. David was chosen by the Lord and anointed by Samuel. He eventually becomes king of Judah and later of a united Israel. He is remembered as a warrior, a poet and a musician. The memory of this king was imprinted on the minds and hearts of Jews. Any Messiah would be a descendent of this king. And while the Jews expected a warrior-king to free them from their various enemies and captors (Assyrians, Greeks, Romans), the acclamation of Jesus of Nazareth as both Messiah (Christ) and king was greeted by derision.

So, if Jesus was a king, what kind of king was he? Where was his kingdom? John (18:36) reports Jesus words: Mine is not a kingdom of this world. The parables, the miracles, the Beatitudes all hint as to what this kingdom would look like and feel like. The scriptures suggest that this kingdom has already been inaugurated (in the words and actions of Jesus) and will be completed when he comes again. Those who enter his kingdom are those who feed the hungry, visit the imprisoned, cared for the ill, clothed the naked and gave drink to the thirsty (Matthew 25:31 – 46).

The feast of Christ the King which we celebrated this Sunday was instituted by Pius XI in 1925. It came at a time when monarchies were failing across Europe, when nihilism, Marxism and other philosophies were challenging the Church. Commentators of the time believed that the feast was a reminder that Christians owed their allegiance not to earthly supremacy – as claimed by Benito Mussolini, but to their heavenly, spiritual leader.

The timing of this feast as the last Sunday of the liturgical year invites us to consider the promise of what is to come at the end of time, and we then begin a new year with the Sundays of Advent.

The fact that we are bordering on being a republic, that our monarch lives on the other side of the world, that she and her descendants live privileged lives and are expected to be exemplary citizens, makes it difficult for us to gain a full appreciation of what the feast has to offer. Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI’s insight into Christ's kingship is that it is not based on "human power" but on loving and serving others. And that is how each of us can acknowledge Christ’s kingship and each of us can actively enter into, bring about and sustain his kingdom – by our love and service for others.

Peter

Peter's whereabouts for the next two weeks

Meetings coming up

Please forward any agenda items for meetings (with some indication of time required and context) to Carole at carole.goodwin@catholic.tas.edu.au or Tracie at tracie.clyne@catholic.tas.edu.au