The King and I: C h r i st ’ s K i n g s h i p vs. M a n ’ s Ru l e By Del Almanzor
Solemnity of Christ the King 24 November 2013 Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
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Pause and think of the word “king.” What comes into mind? I’m seeing: heavily bejeweled crown, sophisticated beard, velvets and fur capes, massive pinky rings. No one would really think of plain clothes, worn-out sandals, wooden staff, or being followed by sheep. This November 24, we are celebrating the Solemnity of Christ the King, and we ought to know why or what that really means. I was looking up how the dictionary defines the word “king,” and I was surprised by these “related words.” All the while I had Jesus’ face on my mind, and then I read “big boy,” “fat cat,” and all that nabob-nawab I haven’t even heard of until now. I can’t imagine saying “Dear big shot” in my prayers. So I realized that when we look at how the world defines a ruler, a leader
and a role model, the more that we need to know this feast and what it stands for. Jesus rejected the idea of being a king during His time. Why? Well, that’s because even from way back, people saw it differently. People expected Him to use His power and authority for His own sake, for His personal reasons; like when He was on the cross and was told to use His power to save Himself, (Luke 23:37) or when He divided the bread and loaves (John 6:14-15) and was expected to seize the moment to grab a promotion. And here we are with our politics, expecting praise after feeding the hungry and broadcasting it, or using our position and power to avoid the difficulties our responsibilities call for. This was not the job
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description that Christ had as a king. He wore a crown of thorns, and this shows that being a true leader does not give us the authority to put our feet up: you know you’re doing it right when you get a headache. His sense of kingship is different than what we see in this superficial world. In John 18:36, when Pilate asked Jesus if he was a king, he said: “My kingdom is not of this world.” That is because this kingdom is not physical land, an expansion of an empire, or a government. He leads the peoples of heaven and earth: the angels, the saints, and he rules within us. Christ tells us that the one who leads has to be the servant of all (Mark 9:35) Mankind thinks so highly of himself, when in fact he is a slave to worldly things. These are the trappings of the worldly monarch we find in ourselves. We think we have luxury, when in fact we have chains. We do something good in this world
and we expect gifts and hymns, when Christ as a true leader was the one giving out gifts by healing the afflicted, expecting nothing in return.Jesus received the lowly and the rejected, when royalty was expected to welcome only the well-dressed and wellendowed.We see Christ’s cross and crown of t h o r n s and we think we see agony, but in fact we see redemption and freedom from evil. And true enough, like the valiant kings of old riding into the fields to fight for the people against evil and oppression, Jesus went ahead courageously. At the feast of His kingship, it is only right to dedicate a hero’s welcome to Christ, the one true king. You are cordially invited.
image source: CatechismClass.com
Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Solemnity of Christ the King S chedule of Activities for Novemb e r 2 4 , Su n d a y
7:00 am – 8:00 am
Holy Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Chapel ( Palmera 5)
Eucharistic Vigil Schedule at Our Lady of Fatima Chapel(Palmera 5) Time
Community Assigned
8:00am – 9:00am
St. Matthew
9:00am – 10:00am
St. Jude and St. James the Great
10:00am-11:00am
St. Andrew
11:00am – 12:00NN
St. Philip
12:00nn-1:00PM
St. Matthias
1:00PM-2:00PM
St. John and St. Thomas
2:00PM-3:00PM
St. Bartholomew and St. James the Less
3:00PM-4:00PM
St. Simon and St. Peter
4:00PM-5:30PM 5:30PM-6:30PM
PROCESSION to the PARISH CHURCH HIGH MASS at the PARISH CHURCH
Unang Anibersaryo ng Pagtatalaga
PM NOV 6:00 NOV Gabi ng Parokya Marian Exhibit 29 Interpretative Dance 30
Friday
Contest
Saturday
4:00 PM Holy Mass 5:30 PM Dinner Bazaar Fundraiser 7:00 PM dedikasyon A concert by the Sacred Music Ministry Proceeds will go to the victims of the typhoon Yolanda. Tickets (P50ea) are available at the Parish office and at the Church entrance after Sunday Masses.
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