This Sunday is the last Sunday of the church's liturgical year, the feast of Christ the King of the Universe.

Do you remember as children dressing up as queens or princesses, kings or princes? As a child one year, out of a Christmas cracker, there fell a ring with a red stone, that, with a piece of curtain tied over my shoulders, and a flourishing a bamboo cane as a sword, I guess that I saw myself as some kind of knight or prince. It’s still a great pastime for children, and seeing all of the the costumes available for children these days there is a lot of royalty out there! Society also still reinforces a way of looking at royalty as something associated with being rich and powerful, deference, uniforms, jewels, and grand ceremonies. Even republics have their ceremonies and trappings of power. It seems to be something we need in some way.

Yet all of this is the palest imitation of the kingdom, the splendour of a King, the one and only King. The full splendour of this kingdom is something that no eye has seen nor ear has heard – the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.

Of course there is something great and glorious beyond us in this life, but we have already encountered our King. We have an opportunity to encounter him every day. We encounter him in his word. We encounter him through the sacraments he has provided for us which are comprised of things that we can see, taste and smell (bread, wine, oil) which also remind us that he is the first principle of every created thing in the world, for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth.

Other manifestations of his kingdom are also around us in creation. Despite our weaknesses the kingdom lives in our hearts and souls through the gift to us of the Holy Spirit. A gift that makes it is possible for us join the saints and with them to inherit eternal light.

Our King, Jesus the Christ, is the one who saves, the anointed one. Jesus he will come again. When he comes there will be no more sacraments, because, if we are faithful to his kingdom here and now on earth, we will not need them, we will see and experience Jesus himself in both his humanity and divinity. God willing we will be one with Him, the Father in the Holy Spirit in an embrace of joy, light and love.

However in Sunday's gospel things are very different. Our King is at his most vulnerable. He is pinned to the cross. He is immobile, mocked and derided. Maybe he is literally naked on the cross, which was a common humiliation at the time. Then people often turned up for public executions as a form of sport or pastime and today is no exception. The soldiers mock his kingship by not offering him fine wine but vinegar. The throne is the cross, the crown is of thorns. I invite you to take a moment to think about who you are in this scene. Maybe you are one of his followers in the crowd too terrified to do anything but to be there, perhaps you are one of the leaders who finally feel safe to jeer at him, perhaps you are the thief who wants Jesus to save you but you really do not believe that he can do it. Perhaps there are times when in some way we are all of these.

Personally, I think that a good prayer for the feast day is “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom”, the answer of Jesus and his promise of eternal life to the person hanging beside him is meant for us too, hear it in your soul today. Jesus always keeps his promises.

Thank you Jesus. Thank you my King. Your kingdom come.

As always, be assured of my daily prayers for your intentions.

God bless and keep you.

Fr Chris