Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King

November 23, 2025

Luke 23: 35-43

This is a story about an Irish King. He had no children to succeed him on the throne, so he decided to choose his successor from among the people. The only condition set by the King, as announced throughout his kingdom, was that the candidate must have a deep love for God and neighbor. In a remote village of the kingdom lived a poor but gentle youth who was noted for his kindness and helpfulness to all his neighbors. The villagers encouraged him to enter the contest for kingship. They took up a collection for him so that he could make the long journey to the royal palace. After giving him the necessary food and a good winter cloak, they sent him on his way. As the young man neared the castle, he noticed a beggar sitting on a bench in the royal park, wearing torn clothes. He was shivering in the cold while begging for food. Moved with compassion, the young man gave the beggar his new cloak and the food he had saved for his return journey. After waiting for a long time in the parlor of the royal palace, the youth was admitted for an interview with the king. As he raised his eyes after prostrating before the king, he was amazed to find the King wearing the overcoat he had given to the beggar at the park and greeting him as the new King of the country. When He comes in glory, Christ the King is going to judge us on the basis of our kindness, our love of God and neighbor.

It is interesting that our gospel on this feast of Christ the King is not one about the Transfiguration or the Ascension. It is of the last moments of the Crucifixion. In fact, we have the scene of Jesus’ crucifixion before us. So what kind of King do we have in today’s Gospel! We have what appears to be a king in name only - only in the description nailed to the cross by Pilate: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” We have a king ridiculed at by the Jewish leaders and even by one of the thieves crucified with him on a cross: “Save yourself and save us.” On the other hand, we have Mary and John, and the other women huddled below the cross; and the good thief who asks Jesus to remember him when he comes into his kingdom. And, Jesus replies to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

And then, I think of last Sundays gospel when Jesus tells his followers that they will suffer, be persecuted, hated, and even put to death because of his name. His promise to them is this: “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

Jesus, then, is a different kind of king. His disciples did not understand this until Pentecost. He was devoted to his Father, and lived a hard life ministering to the poorest of peoples. He was closest to them in his death which made each disciple part of him and children of his Father. May we have the grace and courage to do the same. We strive to become like him and the humble Irish king and the humble man he chose to follow him who is a shepherd as well as king. Then we are truly the disciple of our Shepherd-King. For most of us it is a life without glamour, but one in which by our perseverance we will secure our lives. 

Fr. John Tran