The Solemnity of Christ the King is profoundly important in the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, serving as a majestic conclusion to the liturgical year. It is celebrated every year on the last Sunday before Advent. Pope Pius XI instituted the feast of Christ the King in 1925 through his encyclical Quas Primas, and it celebrates Jesus Christ’s universal sovereignty.
This feast of Christ the King reminds us that, in the midst of the world’s challenges, the Kingdom of Christ endures, providing hope and inspiration for Catholics to work toward building a society founded on Gospel principles.
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There are many places in the Holy Scriptures where reference is made to Christ the King; here are some of them:
1. Matthew 21:5 says, “Say unto the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”
2. Revelation 17:14 says,“They shall fight against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”
3. Revelation 19:16 says, “And on His vesture and on His thigh He has this name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
4. John 18:36 says, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but my kingdom is not from hence.”
Christ is King, and His Kingdom is not of this world – it is an eternal Kingdom! When Pope Pius XI wrote the encyclical letter to establish the Solemnity Day, he spoke about many ways to let Christ reign within us. As Quas Primas (34) says, “It is, therefore, necessary that Christ must reign in man’s intelligence, which, with perfect obedience, must firmly and constantly assent to the revealed truths and to the doctrine of Christ; he must reign in the will, which must obey the divine laws and precepts; he must reign in the heart, which, postponing the natural effects, must love God above all things, and be united to Him alone; he must reign in the body and in its members, which as instruments, or in the phrase of the apostle St. Paul, as weapons of righteousness to God.”
Here is the Collect of the Day that the church prays at Mass on this feast of Christ the King:
Almighty and eternal God, whose will it is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of the universe, grant, we pray, that all creation, freed from bondage, may render service to your majesty and ceaselessly proclaim your praise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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