Below is our priest friend’s homily for Christ the King feast day on November 23rd, 2014.
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In 1925, Pope Pius XI established this last Sunday of the liturgical year as the Solemnity of Christ the King.
And he did it to remind the world, particularly Europe, that Christ is the one to whom we owe our first allegiance — not a political party, not ideologies, not political leaders, particularly he meant people like Lenin, Stalin and things like communism and national socialism.
He did it to help save the world, if he could, from class envy, class warfare and warfare between nations that was being fomented by reckless ideologies and evil leaders of evil political movements.
He tried to recall people, to remind people that the claim of Christ — on our souls, on our consciences and on our obedience — comes first — before any allegiance to political structures or persons.
Our relationship to God takes precedence over every relationship. The reason for this Solemnity then, is just as valid now. God must be first in our hearts. God’s commandments of love must reign in our hearts. And then, God’s law and the natural law must reign over and throughout civil society if that civil society is to experience real peace, justice and good order.
But, we can see that God’s ways have been rejected; adultery, abandonment, rampant divorce, the destruction of the family, fatherless families, legalized abortion, state sponsored contraception, decades of disrespect in this country for proper parental authority, drug abuse, homosexual behavior, premarital sex, — living together.
These things cause great instability and chaos. This chaos in our society is promoted by and used by socialists and progressives and anarchists and nihilists to gain power and control over people. This is what big government is about. Big government has nothing to do with real peace and real justice or freedom.
Today is Christ the King. Let’s be firm in our resolve to live God’s commandments of love and true justice and that God may reign in our hearts. Obedience to God’s way and His Church is what everyone really needs. Now let’s be strengthened in our resolve as the Lord feeds and nourishes us with His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.
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Next Week: Some Thoughts on Confession
Sheila Kippley