NOVEMBER 25, 2018
7:30 AM, 10:30 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES
The word “king” has an etymology stretching back to Anglo-Saxon times in the work “cyning.” This ancient word has two part one meaning “kin” or “relative” and the other meaning “son”. The king was the “favored son of a relative”.
If we look at the Latin word for king, “rex” – we see its root in such English words as “correct” or “direct”. That is, to order or to set aright.
The Chinese word for “king” is “wang2” – and the character symbol indicates someone who unites heaven and earth and humanity.
The Greek word for “king” is “basileus” – where we get the modern term “basilica” a “royal hall” or perhaps, with apologies to the Jehovah Witnesses a “kingdom hall.”
And while that word may have its origins in the Roman Empire, in the light of today’s Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, or perhaps more simply, Christ the King Sunday, perhaps these word associations can provide a guide.
Jesus is most certainly our “kin” in that as He is the Word Incarnate – the Word made Flesh … True God and True Man – His humanity has elevated our human nature.
He is the Favored Son of God the Father, and so our English word “king” most certainly applies.
As the Eternal Logos, the ordering principal in creation, He has set things aright, and has not only guided creation, but given us a rule of life and the means to attain it through Grace.
He has reconciled all things to himself – united heaven and earth in His Person – and brought peace through His Blood on the Cross.
And finally, we call Him Lord, and in this “hall” we give worship to God through Jesus Christ His Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Perhaps the difficulty for us as 21st Century Americans – living in a Constitutional Republic, and having just completed mid-term elections … is that we my see “kings” as a vestige of an outdated mode of governance.
Kings figure in our lives, but perhaps as the “Burger King,” or “China King Buffet,” or a “King-Sized” drink or candy bar.
We know who the King of Rock and Roll is (Elvis), the King of Pop (Michael Jackson,) and perhaps we’ve forgotten the King of Bling (Liberace.)
We have kings in our playing cards, in our checkers sets, and as the most protected member of our chess games.
There are king crabs on our oceans (and on our menus), as well as king snakes and king cobras in our zoos.
We may end up taking “kings” for granted as just another word. And this may make our understanding of this feast fall short of it full glory.
When Pius XI instituted this feast in 1925, his focus was more on the lack of sovereignty for the defunct Papal States, and the loss of civil power by the Vatican.
After the establishment of the Vatican City State in 1929, the focus of this feast became more eschatological – the future reign of Christ in the Kingdom of God.
But we lose something if we look too far ahead.
Jesus must reign in our hearts, our minds, our souls, and in our wills. He must reign over our thoughts, our words, and our actions.
And to do that, we must give Him “free reign” over us – and allow Him to truly be our King and our Lord and our Master. And that doesn’t sound very “democratic” … nor does it sound very “American.”
And so, it can be a bit of a struggle for us.
As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, let us pray to surrender ourselves entirely to Christ. Let Him be the conquering king … over sin and death, but also over us.
May Christ reign in our hearts, in our souls, in our minds, and in our lives … every minute … of every day. Long live Christ the King!
