Resurrection of the Lord Parish
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Treasures From Our Tradition
November 23
Today’s solemnity, the final feast of the Church year, is a youngster as feasts go. In 1925, Pope Pius XI was distressed by global political upheaval and the de-Christianizing of society. That year was a “Holy Year,” keyed to the sixteen hundredth anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, when the words “and of his kingdom there will be no end” were added to the Creed. The Pope explained that although most feasts had developed over many centuries, the Church sometimes provided a new feast to address new needs. He pointed to the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, showing Christ’s love and compassion in a time when many people embraced a cold and gloomy spirituality. Originally on the last Sunday of October, in the late 1960s the solemnity of Christ the King was moved to the last Sunday of the year.
Fresh from baptism’s waters, we are anointed with chrism “as Christ was anointed priest, prophet, and king.” This feast is a key to our identity. On this feast, we recognize Christ as a king who breaks the usual mold of kingship, and who shapes his kingdom with our hands, our words, our deeds of love and service.
— James Field