Fr. Martin ALI KEKE NDEMSOU sx
CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY
Today, in this solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of The Universe, the Church officially concludes the Jubilee Year of Mercy opened by Pope on December 8th, 2015. It does not mean that God stops being merciful to us in the coming years. God’s mercy towards human beings remains endless. Indeed, today’s second reading as well as the gospel show us that God, the Father keeps on being merciful to us through Jesus Christ.
In the second reading, Saint Paul clearly tells us that God has taken us out of darkness and created a place for us in the kingdom of the Son that he loves, and in him, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins. Thus, Jesus Christ is the King who frees us and forgives us. Henceforth, he is the merciful King.
Similarly, in the gospel, the evangelist Luke presents us Jesus as the merciful King whose throne is the cross. On the cross, Jesus showed his power in pardoning those who crucified him, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Lk 23: 34a). Also, on the cross, he “assured Paradise to the repentant thief” with this redeeming word: “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” How do we, very often, show our authority to others? Do we feel powerful because we are merciless?
Again, let us remember the prayer for the Jubilee of Pope Francis: “Jesus is the merciful King whose loving gaze freed Zacchaeus and Matthew from being enslaved by money; the adulteress and Magdale thatne from seeking happiness only in created things; made Peter weep after his betrayal etc.” May Christ’s loving gaze free everyone of us today from being enslaved by money, from seeking happiness only in created things and make us weep over our sins and repent.
In addition, Jesus is the merciful King who freely accepted an ignominious death in order to save humanity. This is a great example he left for us. We should try to imitate him. How many leaders are ready to die for their people? Instead of dying for their people, some earthly kings are killing them. Those killers are everywhere in today’s world.
Lord, help our leaders to imitate your example. You are the merciful King who died in order to free humanity from all kind of slavery. Help them also to remember and imitate the great leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Ghandi, Thomas Sankara, to name but a few; they were killed because they wanted to free their people from slavery as you did. O merciful King, remember us when you come into your kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace! (cf. Preface of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of The Universe)
CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY
Today, in this solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of The Universe, the Church officially concludes the Jubilee Year of Mercy opened by Pope on December 8th, 2015. It does not mean that God stops being merciful to us in the coming years. God’s mercy towards human beings remains endless. Indeed, today’s second reading as well as the gospel show us that God, the Father keeps on being merciful to us through Jesus Christ.
In the second reading, Saint Paul clearly tells us that God has taken us out of darkness and created a place for us in the kingdom of the Son that he loves, and in him, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins. Thus, Jesus Christ is the King who frees us and forgives us. Henceforth, he is the merciful King.
Similarly, in the gospel, the evangelist Luke presents us Jesus as the merciful King whose throne is the cross. On the cross, Jesus showed his power in pardoning those who crucified him, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Lk 23: 34a). Also, on the cross, he “assured Paradise to the repentant thief” with this redeeming word: “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” How do we, very often, show our authority to others? Do we feel powerful because we are merciless?
Again, let us remember the prayer for the Jubilee of Pope Francis: “Jesus is the merciful King whose loving gaze freed Zacchaeus and Matthew from being enslaved by money; the adulteress and Magdale thatne from seeking happiness only in created things; made Peter weep after his betrayal etc.” May Christ’s loving gaze free everyone of us today from being enslaved by money, from seeking happiness only in created things and make us weep over our sins and repent.
In addition, Jesus is the merciful King who freely accepted an ignominious death in order to save humanity. This is a great example he left for us. We should try to imitate him. How many leaders are ready to die for their people? Instead of dying for their people, some earthly kings are killing them. Those killers are everywhere in today’s world.
Lord, help our leaders to imitate your example. You are the merciful King who died in order to free humanity from all kind of slavery. Help them also to remember and imitate the great leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Ghandi, Thomas Sankara, to name but a few; they were killed because they wanted to free their people from slavery as you did. O merciful King, remember us when you come into your kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace! (cf. Preface of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of The Universe)