The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

First Reading

2 Samuel 5:1-3

In those days, all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said:
"Here we are, your bone and your flesh.
In days past, when Saul was our king,
it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back.
And the LORD said to you,
'You shall shepherd my people Israel
and shall be commander of Israel.'"
When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron,
King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD,
and they anointed him king of Israel.

Second reading

Colossians 1:12-20

Brothers and sisters:
Let us give thanks to the Father,
who has made you fit to share
in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.
He delivered us from the power of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

Gospel

Luke 23:35-43

The rulers sneered at Jesus and said,
"He saved others, let him save himself
if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God."
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
"If you are King of the Jews, save yourself."
Above him there was an inscription that read,
"This is the King of the Jews."
Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
"Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us."
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
"Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal."
Then he said,
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
He replied to him,
"Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise."

Sermon

Dear sisters and brothers in faith,
Christ the King Sunday - The history of this feast at the end of the church year is relatively recent; it dates back less than 100 years to the period after World War I. And we can only really understand the message of this feast if we consider the period in which it was “invented”: What is important in our context is that the end of World War I also marked the end of the traditional power of the old monarchies, i.e., a centuries-old political order. However, the emergence of a new world order was fraught with enormous difficulties: currency crises, mass unemployment, political radicalization leading to civil war, widespread social misery, and unprecedented wealth in the hands of a few—these were the problematic features of those years. And in the midst of this general chaos, political ideologies attempted to win over the masses with their seductive and dazzling promises of salvation: from the East, Bolshevism fueled the sparks of the communist world revolution. With the same absolute claim to power, liberal global capitalism in the West attempted to overwhelm all other social systems. And as if in reaction to these two world ideologies, the slogans of nationalism and fascism resounded throughout Europe: in Germany and France, in Italy, Spain, and Portugal, in Turkey, in the Slavic countries, etc. The old monarchies had collapsed. In their place, new ideologies attempted to establish their empires.
It was into this political cauldron that the interwar Pope Pius XI threw the idea of the kingship of Christ as a guiding principle for Christians of all nations.
What the Pope undertook in 1925 with the introduction of a new church holiday was in truth a political signal, a manifesto of criticism and protest, a decisive rejection of all the political currents mentioned above, which had one thing in common, however different they might be in content: the absolutization of a very specific idea; the coronation of an economic and social order promoted as ideal as the new kingship, behind which in reality lay the power claims of economic magnates, political bosses, or military leaders. Against all these false kingmakers, the highly political message of the Feast of Christ the King was: For us Christians, there can be no other God than the God of Jesus Christ! There is no salvation other than the Kingdom of God proclaimed in the Gospel. There is no other Lord to whom one can unconditionally submit oneself than “Christ the King.”
But can Jesus of Nazareth simply be declared a king? It should be noted that Jesus himself never wanted to be king in the political sense. Some religious-political movements would have liked to see him as the Messiah-King who would drive the hated Roman occupying power out of the country. But Jesus resisted this. He saw himself more as a king of peace. He turned his entry into Jerusalem and the hoped-for seizure of power into a prophetic sign: he rode on a donkey...
The Gospel of Christ the King Sunday tells of the apparent end of his royal career: he is crucified. The reason given for his execution is that he wanted to be king of the Jews. The leading men and soldiers mock him and display his powerlessness and helplessness. However, one of those crucified with him recognizes and believes in his kingship despite everything. He asks him: Jesus, remember me when you come into your power as king...
Only after some time, only after Jesus' resurrection and the sending of the Spirit, do his disciples begin to understand that one can speak of Jesus' kingship in a completely different sense.
In their conflicts with political and religious rulers, Christians refuse to submit to the Roman state religion and to worship the respective head of state as divine. Their Lord and King is Jesus Christ. They are even willing to die for him. The idea of Jesus' kingship takes on a whole new meaning for them.
Today, we celebrate Christ the King Sunday once again in the face of war and current hardship not far from our doorstep. We celebrate this Christ the King Sunday and witness how political systems such as American democracy are losing significance because destructive forces are at work within them, while at the same time various dictatorships in this world are gaining influence. In many places, we are witnessing a coarsening of social discourse and a decline in the willingness to show solidarity with those in need of help. This raises questions about what is valid, what is self-evident, and what contributes to a good and secure life. Many of the social and political answers that are offered are often neither helpful nor convincing.
So what now? There is one who has overcome the limits of all evil, even death. He rose above people's fears and hardships without being arrogant. Rather, humility, transparency, and authenticity are the hallmarks of his work and his death.
He invites us to follow his example and thus gain new courage and identify opportunities for action. Because the Son of God died on the cross and rose again, ushering in a reign of hope and confidence, he does not simply wipe away existing injustice and prevailing hardship. Not at all. But God gives each and every one of us the strength to break out and act in this situation, because his Son himself shows us completely new, entirely alternative perspectives.

St. Teresa of Avila once took up this idea and elaborated on it:

Christ has no body but yours.

No hands, no feet on earth but yours.

It is your eyes with which he sees—he suffers with this world.

It is your feet with which he walks to do good.

It is your hands with which he blesses the world.

Christ now has no body on earth but yours.