As we arrive at this final weekend of November, I can also finally say that this is the last Sunday of the Church Year or the 34th week in Ordinary Time. On this final Sunday of the Church Year, we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King.
Christian artwork does a great job of portraying Christ the King. Yet as Jesus tells Pilate, His Kingdom is not of this world, but it is elsewhere. These images of Christ that portray Him as a King help us to understand that by His death and Resurrection, something special has happened. As King, He has opened the gates of Heaven to us. He shows us the great kindness of His love and mercy that make this possible.
As we celebrate this great Solemnity of Christ the King, our eyes keep looking to what is next: The season of Advent. Yes, Advent begins next weekend. The season is a little shorter this year (we basically lose almost the entirety of the 4th week of Advent) as we begin the liturgical year all over again and celebrate the birth of Jesus, the newborn King.
Let us follow the true King wherever we go and ignore any false “king” that tries to lead us away from our Lord. For there can only be one King, a King that is eternal, a King that has always loved us from the moment we were created. Let us praise and glorify our King!