The Solemnity Our Lord Jesus Christ the King, King of the Universe (Feast of Christ the King) ~ 22 November 2015

The feast of Christ the King instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. His Encyclical on the feast of Christ the King "Quas Primas" was promulgated on 11 December 1925. The feast of Christ the King is celebrated on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time which is the Sunday before Advent.

Liturgical Colour : White / Gold

We honour and proclaim Kingship of Christ and His royalty over men,

• Christ is God, the Creator of the universe and has supreme and absolute dominion over all His creations.
• Christ is our Redeemer, He suffered and was crucified, and died, He purchase our salvation by His precious blood that flow down the Holy Cross and we now belong to Him. "You were not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled."We are no longer our own property, for Christ has purchased us "with a great price"
• Christ is the Head of the Church, and we are His people, the body of the Church.
• God gave Christ the nations of the world for Him to rule and all knees shall bow, praise, worship and glorify before Him our Divine Messiah , from the Blood of David, the Lion of Judah. It is Christ whom the Father "hath appointed heir of all things"; "for he must reign until at the end of the world he hath put all his enemies under the feet of God and the Father. "While nations insult the beloved name of Christ our Redeemer by suppressing all mention of it in their conferences and parliaments, we must all the more loudly proclaim his kingly dignity and power, all the more universally affirm his rights.

"For a child is born to us and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, God the mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace. His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace. He shall sit upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom; to establish it and strengthen it with judgement and with justice, from henceforth and for ever."

Jesus Christ our King must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls.

Christ our King is not an oppressive ruler, but one who is willing to die for humanity and whose "loving-kindness endures forever." He gives us true freedom, freedom in Him and therefore we must never forget that Christ radically redefined and transformed the concept of kingship. Christ's kingship is one of humility and service, as Jesus said in the gospel;

• For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.� (Mark 10:45)
• Pilate asked Jesus, �Are you the King of the Jews?�.... Jesus answered, �My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.� Pilate asked him, �So you are a king?� Jesus answered, �You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.� (John 33b, 36-37)

"Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; 

the scepter of thy kingdom 

is a scepter of righteousness."

We glorify and praised, 

Jesus Christ the King, King of all the Universe.

He alone is Just and full of Mercy and Love. 

Almighty ever-living God, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of the universe, grant, we pray, that the whole creation, set free from slavery, may render your majesty service 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, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reading 1

Daniel 7:13-14As the visions during the night continued, I saw
one like a Son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
when he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;
all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.

Responsorial Psalm 

Psalm 93:1, 1-2, 5
R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.
The LORD is king, in splendour robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed;
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.


Reading 2

Revelation 1:5-8
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father,
to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, he is coming amid the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
All the peoples of the earth will lament him.
Yes. Amen.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God,
"the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty."

Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

John 18:33b-37

Pilate said to Jesus,
"Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?"
Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?"
Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here."
So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?"
Jesus answered, "You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."