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mercy rule
“Christ must reign.” —1 Corinthians 15:25
Jesus is King of the Universe, as the title of this Feast proclaims, Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Nothing in the universe can stop Him. Jesus declared: “My Kingdom does not belong to this world” (Jn 18:36). Yet we pray that His Kingdom will rule in this world as it reigns in heaven (see Mt 6:10).
We cannot stop Jesus from ruling all the universe. We can’t even stop Him from ultimately ruling over us (see Lk 19:14ff). Even our free will, which King Jesus respects, cannot prevent His Kingdom from coming. We have the freedom to shout to the world, “We will not have this Man rule over us” (Lk 19:14). “He returned, however, crowned as King” (Lk 19:15). The only thing our free will can accomplish in respect to Jesus’ kingship is our participation in it.
We can freely choose to refuse eternal life in heaven with Jesus and to go to that place “of definitive self-exclusion from” God called hell (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1033). In that awful place, we will not have free will; Satan and his demons will rule over us without mercy. Alternatively, we can choose to allow King Jesus to shepherd us (Ez 34:11, 15). Christ the King shepherds us selflessly. He even washes feet, the work of a slave (Jn 13:5). King Jesus hides from recognition — hiding in the poor, imprisoned, hungry, and persecuted (Acts 9:4). Can we serve Christ the King by imitating Him and serving His lowly ones? (Mt 25:35ff)
Prayer: Christ the King, “Your kingdom come” (Mt 6:10). Rule over me. I give You control over my eternal future. Save me.
Promise: “The King will answer them: ‘I assure you, as often as you did it for one of My least brothers, you did it for Me.’ ” —Mt 25:40
Praise: All hail, King Jesus! For all eternity, I will praise You.
Reference: (This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
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