Christ before Pilate
Yesterday was the last Sunday of October and is commonly known among Catholics of different stripes as Christ the King Sunday. This feast was instituted by Pope Pius XI in the late 1920s and early 1930s to combat against the great evils of hist time: Communism and Socialism. In order to justify his institution of the feast, this Supreme Pontiff wrote a magnificent encyclical entitled Quas Primas, which should be read by all who want to understand why devotion to Christ the King is so important for our times and at this particular time during world history.
It is important for me to emphaisze here that the Feast of Christ the King is not just another feast day on the Church calendar. Rather, it is a day for us to think about Christ’s role in our lives and how much we ought to love Him and gives ourselves to Him. If He is king, so the logical goals, then He should possess everything that we have and everything that we are. There is nothing that does not belong to Him whether it be ourselves, our possessions or our nation.
In her book, The Way of Perfection , St. Teresa of Avila frequently refers to Our Lord as His Majesty. And why shouldn’t she? Our Lord came and sacrificed Himself for us and for our sins. Therefore, the least that we can do to honor Him as our king. As the psalmist writes, “The Lord’s is the earth and the fullness thereof.” Therefore, we owe God a debt of gratitude for all that He did for us and that He continues to do for us into the presetn day.
Why, then, is it that so many people refuse to acknowledge Christ as King? Why is it that His Kingship is no longer something to be recognized among ordinary people? Perhaps, it is because things have occurred in the 83 years since the publication of the encyclical that would clearly explain our situation. Indeed, the world has changed a great deal since Pope Pius XI’s reign. Secularism and relativism are the two greatest evils that we are fighting against in our own day. Secularism has pushed God out of the marketplace and into the closet, while relativism preaches that all religions are equal and all morality is equivalent.
Since we have lost these moral standards, it is more difficult for us to fight against that which we know in our consciences is wrong. We have been deadened to sin as a society as well as Catholics. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass has lost its sense of “sacrifice” and it is difficult for some to see it in any other way. Not only this, but the Church has changed so much during the last few years that even Pope Pius XI would not be able to recognize it.
Yet we must also realize that we have nobody, but ourselves to blame for our current pridacament. During her apparitions at Fatima, Our Lady laid down clear guidelines for how Communism would be conquered. Yes, the wall has fallen and the Soviet Union is no more, but Russia has spread her errrors throughout the world. Indeed, the Soviet regime was built upon the ruin of the social order and its rebuilding. This is what we are seeing today in our own society. Ever since the 1960s, the moral order has been taken down and new chaos reigns.
How are we supposed to live in such trying and dangerous times? What are we supposed to do in order to honor Christ the King? Perhaps, we should begin by consecrating ourselves and the world to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Numerous Acts of Consecration can be found in different prayer books that are available and even on the internet. If we do this, then Christ will reign as King in our own lives, our country, and the world. Let us pray for this intention today in our daily prayers and devotions.
Our Lady of the Angels, pray for us!
St. Joseph, pray for us!
Peace, Love, and Joy 