In humility that defies human logic, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can become children of God and be saved from our sins by his passion and death on the cross. When he was thirty years old, he entered his ministry as Messiah to the Jewish people to fulfill all that had been revealed about him through the prophets and the law. He spoke with an uncommon authority and performed miracles so that all would believe in him, and yet he was met with rejection. In the prologue of the Gospel of John, it is written,
“He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.”
His disciples came to believe in him, but many of those left him when they found his teachings too difficult to accept. In spite of his miracles and his teachings that attracted hundreds of followers, Jesus failed to meet the expectations of the religious leaders of his day and most of those who heard his message. Even his Apostles wanted him to be a political Messiah who would relieve them of the oppression of the Roman occupation. It is for this reason Jesus rejected the title of an earthly king.
The Feast That Celebrates His Kingship
As we celebrate this feast of Christ the King, it would be good if we would ask ourselves what our expectations of Jesus are.
- Do we recognize him as our Lord and King on whom we depend for our temporal and eternal happiness; even our very existence?
- Do we see him as a distant God who isn’t really interested in each of us personally?
- Do we just turn to him in prayer when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances?
How Jesus Can Transform Our Lives with His Love and Grace
Jesus is the Son of God and King of heaven and earth. He loves each and every one of us exactly as we are no matter what our life experience has been and he promises we can have a life of happiness, now and forever, if we put our total trust in him. Even if we are in poor health, living in poverty, or are desperately lonely, he can bring us great joy and hope. He promises he can do this, and he has done it millions of times through the ages. When we read the lives of the saints and martyrs, we see men and women who lived in terrible circumstances with great joy because of their love of God. They are true role models. The circumstances that trap us may not change, but we change with the help of his grace. Choose any saint and read their story. See how God worked with them and helped them to experience joy and peace while overcoming great difficulties.
On the Feast of Christ, the King, the greatest gift we can give him is our total trust and faithfulness in what he has revealed to us through the Scriptures and the Church and then to be witnesses of what he has done for us. Our lives will then be a testimony that Jesus Christ is our King.
The Season That Prepares Us for His Coming
We are about to begin the Season of Advent; a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus. This is a perfect time to let Jesus reveal his love for you. We begin by asking him to help us be aware of his presence. In the morning we offer our day to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We spend a few minutes in prayer and read a few passages of Scripture. We ask Jesus to walk with us and to help us with all we do during the day. He knows everything about us; our strengths, our weaknesses, and what we need. He wants to help us, but he wants us to ask him. He wants to be our King, but also our friend.
Deacon Tom Fox, K.C.H.S., and Mary Jane Fox, D.C.H.S. are the Co-Founders & Co-Directors of Pilgrim Center of Hope. The two left their careers after a profound conversion experience and began working full-time in ministry at their parish in 1986. After several years and having impacted tens of thousands of families, the Foxes founded Pilgrim Center of Hope in 1993 as a response to the Church’s call for a New Evangelization. Deacon Tom is an invested member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, a Commander Knight of the Holy Sepulchre.
Answering Christ’s call, Pilgrim Center of Hope guides people to encounter Him so as to live in hope, as pilgrims in daily life. See what’s happening & let us journey with you! Visit PilgrimCenterOfHope.org.
