The Lamb who was slain is worthy to receive strength and divinity, wisdom and power and honor; to him glory and power for ever.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In the passage of St. Matthew’s Gospel for today, while speaking of the Son of Man, Jesus gives a picture of the splendor that is yet to come saying, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels,… he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him…” Jesus is obviously referring to himself because he always preferred the title “Son of Man” during his public ministry to show his solidarity with all of us in suffering.

The solemnity of Christ the King is the culmination of a year-long celebration of the events in the life of this ordinary human being whose greatness and splendor he purposely kept hidden so as to “be like us in all things except sin.” The early Christians expressed their faith in this mystery through a hymn that St. Paul would later quote in his letter to the Philippines: “…though he was by nature God, [he] did not consider being make like unto men. And appearing in the form of man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even to death on a cross.” (Phil 2:6-8). This “emptying” of self, this not “clinging,” this “being obedient” was the expression of his love for his family made up of his Father, his bride the Church, and for is brothers and sisters. But the history of salvation did not end there. Humiliated unto death and having suffered “through many sighs and tears” he restored the cosmic order that was broken and destroyed by sin.

Listen to what happens next as expressed by St. Paul in the same letter we are quoting from: “Because of this, God as exalted him and bestowed upon him the name that is above every other name… and (so that) every tongue proclaim that the Lord Jesus reigns in the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:9, 11). Humbled for a time, he now reigns for eternity. He now presides over history, he reigns from the cross, he rules our destinies with a crown of thorns because his kingship rests on the saving power of his love.

And so, therefore, he can offer the invitation to each of us “to take up our cross daily and follow him,” only because he has shown us by is own example.” Actions speak louder than words” is a principle of common sense that our experience as shown to be accurate. Jesus has exemplified this principle and therefore, his words are authoritative and credible.

And so it is that down the centuries, his words carry weight. Countless followers have received consolation in the fact that because Jesus is credible, what he promises, he fulfills.

St. Paul, whose memory we have been commemorating throughout this year, experienced this firsthand. And therefore exerted all his effort spent all his strength and energy to spread this supremacy of Jesus who became the Christ the object of our faith and worship. And we know that we will never go wrong as it was God himself who gave him “the name above every other name and decreed that every knee shall bend” to him. God, “appointed him heir of all things, by whom also he made the world, who, being of the brightness of his glory and the image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, has effected mankind’s purgation from sin and taken his seat at the right and of the Majesty on high, having become so much superior to the angels…” (Heb 1:3-4).

Yet this is the problem in our world today. We bend our knees to any other kind of god who promises us immediate satisfaction. Even to the detriment of true identity; to the destruction of out humanity. These other gods are the powers of this world, the elemental spirits of our fallen nature. Worship of them is the root of our problems in society, and even in our churches sometimes. What do these powers do to us? They tempt us to exploit the beauty of our paradise simply for the sake of selfish profit, close our hearts to the values of justice and honesty, disregard the rights of the unborn, create divisions, refuse to be reconciled. And all under the guise of good intentions. The true Church’s social concern is to free our hearts from greed, from the seeking for prestige, and the overweening desire for self-determination. Let us heed the words of our king: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light” (Matt 11:28-30)

Sisters and Brothers, let me end this message for the fitting celebration of the Solemnity of Christ, the King, with another hymn we Christians sing at First Vespers of Sunday of the Second Week of the Psalter:

May God bless you all.