Solemnity of Christ the King

1st Reading: Dn 7:13–14
I continued watching the nocturnal vision:
One like a son of man came on the clouds of heaven. He faced the One of Great Age and was brought into his presence.
Dominion, honor and kingship were given him, and all the peoples and nations of every language served him. His dominion is eternal and shall never pass away; his kingdom will never be destroyed.

2nd Reading: Rev 1:5–8
Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has washed away our sins with his own blood, making us a kingdom and priests for God his Father,
to him be the glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.
See he comes with the clouds and everyone will see him, even those who pierced him; on his account all the nations of the earth will beat his breast. Yes. It will be so.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, he who is, who was and who is to come: the Master of the universe.

Gospel: Jn 18:33b–37
Pilate then entered the court again, called Jesus and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “Does this word come from you, or did you hear it from others?”
Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingship does not come from this world. If I were king like those of this world, my guards would have fought to save me from being handed over to the Jews. But my kingship is not from here.”
Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” And Jesus answered, “Just as you say, I am a king. For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth hears my voice.”

Commentary
The crown our Lord would wear to express His kingship over all creation would not be made of silver or gold, but would be fashioned from thorn branches. No more proof would be needed to verify His words, “My kingship does not come from this world.”
Jesus has no need to demonstrate his power before Pontius Pilate. He had already done so by performing countless miracles that would show His command of the elements and his compassion for the sick and suffering. By allowing Himself to suffer buffets and spitting and to carry His cross to Calvary Jesus makes manifest the greatest love the world has ever known. Even the Roman centurion would express the truth for which the Lord came into the world, “Surely, this is the Son of God.”
If Jesus shows His kingship, His greatness through suffering, so do we make claim to His kingdom by embracing the way of life He proposes: to take up our cross every day and to follow in His footsteps.

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