MAY 27-28, 2017
4:30 PM (SAT), 9:00 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES
4:30 PM (SAT), 9:00 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES
“Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith” … – … or more simply, Queen Elizabeth … – … is the longest reigning monarch on the face of the Earth … by a good 15 years, followed by the Sultans of Brunei and Oman, then Queen Margrethe of Denmark, King Carl Gustav of Sweden, King Mswati of Swaziland, and the Emperor of Japan. There are 21 others, who date their reigns from the 1990s, including Pope Francis (yes, he is a monarch!) who is ranks 7th from the bottom despite his short reign of only 4 years.
Being Americans, we tend to think of Kings as abusive despots who suspend rights on a whim, tax free citizens without adequate representation, and arbitrarily suspend normal government operations in favor of brutal martial law.
Yet our neighbors to the north, that is – Canadians – give the Queen nearly as many titles as do the British, and apart from a unique vowel shift, most people would be hard pressed to tell the difference between us and them.
Despite 250 years of the United States “championing democracy,” there are still 28 reigning monarchs across the globe. Doing whatever mayhem they do.
15 of them – more than half – use the title “King,” which is unique in that there are three major linguistic systems at play in titles that are translated as “King.”
The English word “King” has Germanic roots, coming from the Old German koenig, meaning “kin” or “relative”. The origin here would be in the headman of the barbarian tribes of central Europe.
The romance languages have Latin roots, and the word “Rey” (“Rei,” “Rej”) comes from the Latin word rex, where we get the English word “ruler”.
Interestingly, there is much more in common between the individual who sits on the throne (“ruler”) and the thing that you use to measure distance (“ruler”) than you may think. Since the origin of this word is: “guide”, as well as “custom” or “order”.
And finally, the middle eastern, or Semetic languages, use the root melek, whose original meaning was “counselor” or “advisor”. Although in Modern Arabic, the same word means to possess or to own … not really what I would call an ideal picture of modern civic leadership or governance.
But, across the nations that still have monarchs, there exists linguistic or sub-conscious idea … that those in charge should have some relation to the people they govern, as well as being able to guide or advise their nation and populace.
Today is the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord.
In today’s readings, we hear two accounts of the Ascension – one from the beginning of St. Luke’s second writing, known as the Acts of the Apostles (that was the First Reading,) and the second from the very end of St. Matthew’s Gospel (which is also shared among the other Synoptic Gospels).
There is one line in the account from Acts that stands out for me:
When they had gathered together they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
We might reflect on Our Lord’s words to Pontius Pilate before His death:
“My kingdom does not belong to this world.”
As well as what we heard repeated in today’s Psalm,
“God mounts his throne to shouts of joy,” … “the LORD … is great king over all the earth.” … “sing praise to our king, sing praise.” … “God reigns over the nations.”
And so, as we commemorate today Jesus’s Ascension to the right hand of God the Father, we might ask ourselves, what sort of King do we see Jesus as … or perhaps, what sort of King do we allow Him to be in our daily lives?
Is He a tyrant, against whom we rebel? A despot who steals our fun, and abuses our freedom?
Or rather, is He a kinsman, a beloved relative; with whom we share our lives?
Is He a ruler, a guide; someone who shows us the way, or against whom we measure our lives?
Is He a trusted counselor? A sought-after advisor?
I would hold that the root meanings of the word “King” in English, Latin, and Hebrew … all hold for us a valuable image of who Christ should be for us. And, even more so, we must realize that He has, indeed, restored the kingdom … if only we would give Him rule over every aspect of our lives.
As we approach this altar to receive the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ – our Savior, our Redeemer, our Brother, and our Ruler – let us pray for a deeper relationship with Him … through Him, and in Him.
May the Eucharist we receive today give us the strength and the courage to go forth from this place, proclaiming that He is risen … He lives … and He reigns.
¡Viva Christo Rey!
