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Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of di Whole Universe—Solemnity
Last Sunday for Ordinary Time
Colour for Liturgy: White or Gold
Version: Full One – Short One
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Words Wey Dem Quote:
Jesus tell His disciples: “When di Son of Man come for His glory, and all di angels follow Him come, He go sit for His throne wey full of glory, and all di nations go gather for His front. He go separate dem from one another, as shepherd dey separate sheep from goats. He go put di sheep for His right side and di goats for His left side. Then di King go tell di people for His right side, ‘Make una come, una wey My Father don bless. Receive di kingdom wey dem prepare for una as una inheritance since di foundation of di world.’” ~Matthew 25:31–34
Reflection: Dem arrange our liturgical year in a way wey go lead us through di whole mystery of salvation wey Christ win for us. Every liturgical year dey start with Advent, when we dey reflect deeply on di Incarnation, wey lead us to celebrate Jesus birth for Christmas. After Christmas, we enter di public ministry of Christ during Ordinary Time, wey dey start with di feast of His Baptism. For inside Ordinary Time, we enter di deep paschal mystery of Lent and Easter, wey reach its highest point for di Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Easter Season dey end with Christ Ascension and Pentecost, di beginning of di Church. Finally, after di rest of Ordinary Time, we reach di great Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of di Whole Universe, wey people dey commonly call di Feast of Christ di King.
Dem add di liturgical feast of Christ di King to di Church calendar for 1925, when Pope Pius XI establish am with his encyclical Quas Primas. Di event for di end of time wey di feast dey celebrate don dey di mind and heart of di Blessed Trinity since before time begin, and Jesus proclaim am clearly during His public ministry. For di time wey Pope Pius XI establish am, political life and life for society dey serious confusion all over di world. After World War I end for 1918, secularism begin spread for di whole world, and communist and fascist ideas come rise, wey make plenty people begin question their faith and even abandon am. Di unity between faith and civil government, wey don be part of how Europe dey organised since di fourth century, begin break down small-small, and people easily reject God supreme authority over di world. Even though di idea to separate Church and State fit help both di Church and di State, if dem remove God authority and laws from how dem dey govern people, human beings go dey follow only their own plans, and dem go surely go astray.
As Pope Pius XI see how di way society and politics dey work for di 1920s dey get worse, he feel say he need remind di Church and di world say na only one King dey, and that King no be only King of Catholics; na Him be King of all human beings, King of di whole Universe. For his encyclical letter, Pope Pius quote Pope Leo XIII, wey talk for his encyclical about di Sacred Heart, Annum Sacrum, “Di empire of [Christ] no include only Catholic nations, or only people wey don receive Baptism…but e still include all those wey dey outside di Christian faith; so, truly, all human beings dey under di power of Jesus Christ.” Pope Pius XI continue say, “For this matter, no difference dey between one person and di family or di State; because all human beings, whether as group or one by one, dey under Christ rule. Na for Him salvation for each person dey; na for Him salvation for society dey” (Quas Primas #18).
When Jesus dey live for earth, E choose say E no go use force put nations under His divine authority and rule, even though plenty of His followers want make E do so. Instead, E establish the Kingdom of God as spiritual reality wey all of us get call to freely take part in, for now. Those wey take part get call to work to establish Christ Kingdom for earth, here and now, by governing according to God mind and will. The idea for this our time say Church and State suppose dey separate dey helpful as far as e mean say Church must dey free from political interference and control. But this separation no suppose ever mean say dem go exclude the King of the Universe from how human beings dey govern. Instead, human beings must surrender themselves to the control and authority of the Great King, then govern according to His mind and will. Pope Pius XI continue say, “Once people recognize, both for their private life and public life, say Christ na King, society go at last receive the great blessings of real freedom, well-arranged discipline, peace and harmony. The royal office of Our Lord give the human authority of princes and rulers religious meaning; e give the citizen duty to obey greater dignity” (#19).
Apart from the role wey Christ get for governing the Universe and human beings, this feast still remind us say, for Christ to truly reign as King, E must first govern each and every soul. Jesus no be only the Savior of all human beings; E still be the example of how Christians suppose live. E talk am Himself say, “I come down from heaven no be to do my own will, but the will of the one wey send me” (John 6:38). Just as the Son of God do His Father will while E dey for earth, na so we too must do. Christ go reign as King of our lives only when we join Him talk those words, through the power of grace wey E pour into human nature. We no fit do our own will, but the will of the Father for Heaven. For God to govern our lives, we must obey His commands completely, because His commands dey perfect and true, and dem dey lead us to the fullness of human life. Na only for Christ we dey find peace, unity, harmony and true purpose.
Still, the kind society wey e suppose be go only become reality if God will dey govern every person. The more this one dey happen, the more the whole society go share in the Kingdom of God. If any person or society refuse to obey God, the only thing wey that one go lead to na to take part in satan kingdom. So, we suppose see the establishment of this feast for 1925 both as invitation to share in God Kingdom for earth and as warning say the secular, communist and fascist ideologies wey dey rise that time dey lead the world towards satan kingdom. The same thing still true for this our time in another way, especially as we dey see secularism dey grow.
The last and most glorious part of today feast point us to the end of time, when Jesus, the great King, go return with all His splendor and glory to establish His Kingdom wey no go ever end for earth, when E go join Heaven and earth together into the new Kingdom of resurrection wey still dey come. On that day, Christ “go come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom no go get end,” and all of us go share in “the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world wey dey come” (Nicene Creed). Sadly, people often no dey pay attention to this new and eternal Kingdom of Christ.
As we dey celebrate this glorious solemnity, the last Sunday of the Church liturgical year, make your faith for the mystery wey e dey celebrate grow deeper, and make your firm decision to accept Christ as King for your life grow stronger, so that through you, His Kingdom go dey present even more for the world all around you.
Prayer: My glorious King of the Universe, You dey perfect for all Your ways. Your divine Law must reign for my heart and become the purpose of my life. As we dey honor Your kingship today, I dedicate myself to You again and surrender more fully to Your supreme control over my life. Abeg, do with me wetin You want, and use me to help build Your Kingdom for earth. Jesus, na You I trust.
Dem take dis reflection from:
Saint Dem and Feast Dem for di Liturgical Year
Volume One–Four
Read More:
Catholic Saint Dem & Feast Dem
Informeshon About Saint dem for Katolik Church
All di Saint Dem for di Liturgical Year
(Short Version)
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of di Whole Universe—Solemnity
Last Sunday for Ordinary Time
Our liturgical year get the way dem arrange am to lead us through the mystery of salvation wey Christ win for us. Every liturgical year dey begin with Advent, move go Christmas, then Ordinary Time. We dey pause for Lent, the Triduum and Easter, then return to Ordinary Time. Finally, we go reach the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, wey people commonly know as the Feast of Christ the King.
Pope Pius XI na im establish the liturgical feast of Christ the King, come add am to the Church calendar for 1925, through im encyclical Quas Primas. For 1925, after World War I end, political and social wahala scatter the world. Secularism spread for the whole world, and communist and fascist ideas begin rise. This one make plenty people begin question their faith, and some even abandon am. The way faith and civil government join together, wey don be part of how Europe dey since the fourth century, begin break down small small, and people no hesitate to reject God supreme authority over the world. Even though to separate Church and State fit help both Church and State, if people comot God authority and laws from how dem dey govern, human beings wey follow only their own plans go surely miss road. Pope Pius XI feel say e need to remind the Church and the world say na only one King dey, and that King no be only Catholics their King; na Him be King of all human beings and the whole Universe.
When Jesus dey live for this earth, E establish the Kingdom of God as something wey truly dey for the spirit, come invite us to take part for am. People wey take part for am get the call to work to establish Christ Kingdom for earth, here and now, by governing according to wetin God get for mind and wetin E want. For im encyclical letter, Pope Pius XI talk say, “Once people recognize say Christ na King, both for their private life and public life, society go finally receive the great blessings of true freedom, discipline wey get proper order, peace and harmony. The kingship of Our Lord dey give the human authority of princes and rulers religious meaning; e dey give the duty wey citizens get to obey greater honour” (#19).
This feast still dey remind us say, for Christ to reign as King, E must first rule each soul. Jesus no be only the Saviour of all human beings; na Him still be the example of how Christians suppose live. Just as the Son of God do wetin Im Father want when E dey for earth, na so we too must do. We no fit dey do wetin we want, but wetin the Father for Heaven want. For God to rule our lives, we must obey Im commands completely, because Im commands dey perfect, dem dey true, and dem dey lead us to the fullness of human life. Na only for Christ we dey find peace, unity, harmony and true purpose.
The kind society wey everything dey as e suppose be go only become real if wetin God want dey direct every person. The more this one dey happen, the more the whole society go take part for the Kingdom of God. We suppose see the establishment of this feast for 1925 as invitation to take part for God Kingdom for earth, and as warning say the secular, communist and fascist ideas wey dey rise that time dey lead the world towards satan kingdom.
The last part of today feast, wey get glory pass, dey point us to the end of time, when Jesus, the great King, go return with Im splendour and glory to establish Im Kingdom wey no go ever end for earth. Na then E go join Heaven and earth together as the new Kingdom wey rise from death. For that day, Christ “go come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, and Im kingdom no go get end,” and all of us go share for “the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world wey dey come” (Nicene Creed).
My glorious King of the Universe, You dey perfect for all Your ways. Your divine Law must rule my heart and become the purpose of my life. As we dey honour Your kingship today, I dedicate myself to You again and surrender more fully to Your supreme authority over my life. Abeg, use me build Your Kingdom for earth. Jesus, na You I trust.