2 Samuel 5.1-3 | Colossians 1.12-20 | Luke 23.35-43

We begin the last week of Ordinary Time with Mother Church, with the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.

This solemnity was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925, through the encyclical Quas Primas, as a response to the First World War and its consequences, recalling that true peace and justice are only found in the recognition of the kingship of Christ, when men allow Christ to reign in their minds, hearts, and societies. Originally celebrated on the last Sunday of October, this solemnity was transferred in 1969 to the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year, reinforcing the idea that Christ is the ultimate end of history and Christian life.

Christ is King, not in a political or military sense, but as sovereign of love, truth, and peace. He is the Judge and King who will come at the end of time. Above any human power, Christ is the Lord of History. This solemnity is a profession of faith against ideologies that attempt to exclude God from public and personal life.

Today the evangelist Luke tells us about Christ on the Cross and the reactions of the Jewish leaders, the Roman soldiers, and the criminals crucified with Him.

The main cause of Jesus' condemnation was the religious title of Christ and the political title of King of the Jews, which He accepted and did not refuse. The instigators and executors of Jesus' crucifixion mocked His messiahship and ridiculed His kingship, challenging Him to save Himself.

One of the crucified criminals did not fear God and, despite suffering the same condemnation, insulted Jesus. But the other criminal asked Jesus to remember him when He entered His kingdom. Jesus promised that the "good thief" would be with Him in Paradise.

According to the mentality of Jesus' time, the main leaders of Judaism and the Roman Empire gained their authority through men and exercised their power with intimidation and brutality. Jesus, however, being the Christ and the king of the Jews, received His authority directly from God and exercised His power as humble service to the needy, promoting justice and peace.

The Kingdom of God was the center of Jesus' preaching. The Kingdom of God was God reigning in the hearts of men and in social structures. In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught His disciples to ask for the coming of the Kingdom (cf. Luke 11:2). Jesus Himself was the greatest sign of the Kingdom of God present in the world. The Kingdom belonged to Jesus. He was the King. To welcome King Jesus was to welcome the Kingdom of God.

The Church - the community of Jesus' disciples - is a sign of the Kingdom of God among men. Through its preaching and witness of charity, the Church leavens society with the values ​​of the Gospel, favoring the growth of the Kingdom of God, which is already in the world, but not yet completely.

Through the anointing of Baptism, Christians are prepared to reign, to shepherd with Christ, working tirelessly for the good of creation and humanity, especially the most needy. Christians must surrender their minds and hearts to Christ the King.

Like the "good thief," Jesus promises that Christians will be with Him in Paradise. At the end of time, at the glorious return of Christ, creation and humanity will be fully regenerated and will be delivered to the Father by the Son.

Today the author of the second book of Samuel speaks to us of the covenant and anointing of David as king of Israel, by the Lord's decision.

It all happened in Hebron, in the 11th century BC, before all the tribes of Israel and all their elders, who recognized themselves as the bones and flesh of David. The one who had been a trader in the reign of Saul was chosen by the Lord to shepherd the people of Israel and be their leader.

The great Christian theologians understood the covenant and anointing of King David as a prefiguration of the kingship of Christ, called the son of David in the annunciation of the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary (cf. Luke 1:32). It was the anointing of Jesus by the Spirit at the Baptism in the Jordan River (cf. Luke 3:21-22). It was the new covenant in the blood of Jesus (cf. Luke 22:20).

With His words and deeds, Christ spiritually shepherded the people of Israel as their leader, with a shepherding that extended to all nations through the Church, His disciples.

In Baptism, Christians, like David, are chosen by the Lord and anointed for every good work, in view of the expansion of the Kingdom in justice and peace.

Today the apostle Paul speaks to us in his letter to the Colossians of the fullness of God that dwells in Christ.

This is one of the most beautiful and profound Christological hymns in the Pauline letters (cf. Philippians 2:6-11; Ephesians 1:3-14).

In short: Christ is the image of the invisible God. All things were created through Him and for Him. He exists before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is the Head of the Body, that is, the Church. He is the Firstborn from the dead. Through Him redemption, the forgiveness of sins, was accomplished. The Father freed sinners from the power of darkness and received them into the Kingdom of His beloved Son.

Thus, Jesus Christ is the King of the universe. Through human rebellion and disobedience, creation and humanity have been degenerating. Through His passion and death, with the crown of thorns and seated on the throne of the Cross, the resurrected Christ began the irreversible regeneration of the universe, which will be completed at His glorious return and will be delivered to the Creator and Father.

May the authorities of the nations mirror the humility and dedication of the King of the Universe, who is Christ.

Let us rejoice, giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled us to share in the light, which is the inheritance of the saints.