Christtheking

This celebration is an opportunity to know better the history and roots of the Catholic Church. When the first Christians said openly that Jesus was their king and savior, they knew that they were going to be threatened and persecuted by the Roman authorities. They also knew that they were going to be expelled from the Jewish community as well. And yet, they were not afraid because they had been spiritually dead for so long..., and now they were alive thanks to Jesus.

Christ is our King and savior! This confession was a dangerous statement. Why? Because two thousand years a go the only king was the Roman emperor. The Roman emperor was considered the Son of God, and no one else. To say, "Jesus is my King and savior" was punished with prison and death, if you didn't take back your words. The first Christians were thrown to the beasts for celebrating the feast we celebrate today.

During the middle ages, kings were very important because they gave a sense of unity and belonging to the people. Kings provided for leadership, unity and identity to their citizens. Somehow, kings were acting like shepherds. However, if you go to France, England, Spain... and you visit the palaces of the kings, instead of protection and refuge you shall feel power and privilege. Kings claimed to have God's power over life and death. For us, Christians this is... craziness. No human being should have the power to decide who lives and who dies.

We Christians acknowledge this power only to whom? To Jesus, but Jesus used his power to save, to heal, to forgive, to bring new life. We live in a country where abortion is practiced and legal, where death penalty is practiced and legal, where to kill our enemy is practiced and honored. As Christians we shouldn't take part in this. We are citizens of a different Kingdom.

According to our faith kings are to protect, to serve, to heal, to bring peace, to bring justice as well, but a kind of justice that brings people to the light, not to the darkness. A kind of justice that brings people to reconcile themselves with God and with one another. This justice has nothing to do with revenge.

Christians, all of you are kings. Yes, you have heard well: you are kings! Do you believe it? Do you live according to your new state as children of God, or are you still living as slaves of your fears, hatred, envy, greed? Kings are brave.

The day of your baptism, you were anointed kings. You are much more than citizens in the kingdom of God: you are kings. Live according to the person you have been called to be, live according to the role Jesus has given you. You are not slaves any more.

Now, if we think that because we are kings we have the right to do whatever we want, we are not acting like Jesus but like the kings of this world. By the way, also Jesus was tempted to act like the kings of this world. He was tempted by Satan for forty days in the dessert. He was tempted to use his power to submit all the peoples under his rule, controlling them, treating them as his servants instead of as his brothers.

But brothers suffer for one another. Brothers serve one another. And this is what Jesus did washing the feet of the apostles, even the feet of Judas, who betrayed him. We are called to do the same. We are called to serve one another. Because, who is more important in kingdom of God, the one who serves or the one who is being served? [...] You say it!