Entry 0309: Reflections on the Solemnity of Christ the King
by Pope Benedict XVI
On eight occasions during his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI delivered reflections on the Solemnity of Christ the King, on 20 November 2005, 26 November 2006, 25 November 2007, 23 November 2008, 22 November 2009, 21 November 2010, 20 November 2011, and 25 November 2012. Here are the texts of eight brief reflections prior to the recitation of the Angelus and four homilies delivered on these occasions.
BENEDICT
XVI
ANGELUS
St
Peter’s Square, Sunday, 20 November 2005 Solemnity of Christ the King
Dear Brothers
and Sisters,
The Solemnity of
Christ the King is celebrated today, the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year.
Since the announcement of his birth, the Only-begotten Son of the Father, born
of the Virgin Mary, was described as “king” in the Messianic sense, that is,
heir to the throne of David in accordance with the Prophets’ promise, for a
Kingdom that would have no end (see Lk 1: 32-33).
The kingship of
Christ remained completely hidden until he was 30 years old, years spent in an
ordinary life in Nazareth. Then, during his public life, Jesus inaugurated the
new Kingdom which “does not belong to this world” (Jn 18: 36), and
finally, with his death and Resurrection, he fully established it.
Appearing to the
Apostles after he had risen, he said: “Full authority has been given to me both
in heaven and on earth” (Mt 28: 18): this power flows from the love that
God manifested in its fullness in the sacrifice of his Son. The Kingdom of
Christ is a gift offered to the people of every epoch so that those who believe
in the incarnate Word “may not die but (may) have eternal life” (Jn 3:
16). Therefore, he proclaimed precisely
in the last Book of the Bible, Revelation: “I am the Alpha and the Omega... the
beginning and the end” (Rv 22: 13).
“Christ: Alpha
and Omega” is the title of the closing paragraph of Part I of the Pastoral
Constitution Gaudium et Spes of the Second Vatican Council, promulgated
40 years ago.
In that
beautiful passage which borrows some words from the Servant of God Pope Paul
VI, we read: “The Lord is the goal of human history, the focal point of the
desires of history and civilization, the centre of mankind, the joy of all
hearts and the fulfilment of all aspirations. It is he whom the Father raised
from the dead, exalted and placed at his right hand, constituting him judge of
the living and the dead. Animated and drawn together in his Spirit we press
onwards on our journey towards the consummation of history which fully
corresponds to the plan of his love: “to unite all things in him, things in
Heaven and things on earth’“ (Gaudium et Spes, no. 45).
In light of the
centrality of Christ, Gaudium et Spes interprets the condition of
contemporary men and women, their vocation and their dignity, and also the
milieus in which they live: the family, culture, the economy, politics, the
international community. This is the Church’s mission, yesterday, today and for
ever: to proclaim and witness to Christ so that the human being, every human
being, may totally fulfil his or her vocation.
May the Virgin
Mary, whom God uniquely associated with the kingship of his Son, obtain that we
welcome him as the Lord of our lives, in order to cooperate faithfully with the
coming of his Kingdom of love, justice and peace.
BENEDICT
XVI
ANGELUS
Saint
Peter’s Square, Sunday, 26 November 2006
Dear Brothers
and Sisters,
On this last
Sunday of the liturgical year we are celebrating the Solemnity of Christ the
King. Today’s Gospel proposes to us anew part of the dramatic questioning to
which Pontius Pilate subjected Jesus when he was handed over to him, accused of
usurping the title, “King of the Jews”.
Jesus answered
the Roman governor’s questions by declaring that he was a king, but not of this
world (see Jn 18: 36). He did not come to rule over peoples and territories but
to set people free from the slavery of sin and to reconcile them with God. And
he added: “For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to
bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice” (Jn 18:
37).
But what is the “truth”
that Christ came into the world to witness to? The whole of his life reveals
that God is love: so this is the truth to which he witnessed to the full with
the sacrifice of his own life on Calvary.
The Cross is the
“throne” where he manifested his sublime kingship as God Love: by offering
himself in expiation for the sin of the world, he defeated the “ruler of this
world” (Jn 12: 31) and established the Kingdom of God once and for all. It is a
Kingdom that will be fully revealed at the end of time, after the destruction
of every enemy and last of all, death (see 1 Cor 15: 25-26). The Son will then
deliver the Kingdom to the Father and God will finally be “everything to
everyone” (1 Cor 15: 28).
The way to reach
this goal is long and admits of no short cuts: indeed, every person must freely
accept the truth of God’s love. He is Love and Truth, and neither Love nor
Truth are ever imposed: they come knocking at the doors of the heart and the
mind and where they can enter they bring peace and joy. This is how God reigns;
this is his project of salvation, a “mystery” in the biblical sense of the
word: a plan that is gradually revealed in history.
The Virgin Mary
was associated in a very special way with Christ’s kingship. God asked her, a
humble young woman of Nazareth, to become Mother of the Messiah and Mary
responded to this request with her whole self, joining her unconditional “yes”
to that of her Son, Jesus, and making herself obedient with him even in his
sacrifice. This is why God exalted her above every other creature and Christ
crowned her Queen of Heaven and earth.
Let us entrust
the Church and all humanity to her intercession, so that God’s love can reign
in all hearts and his design of justice and peace be fulfilled.
ORDINARY
PUBLIC CONSISTORY FOR THE
CREATION OF NEW CARDINALS
BENEDICT
XVI
ANGELUS
St
Peter’s Square, Solemnity of Christ the King Sunday, 25 November 2007
This Tuesday, at
Annapolis in the United States, Israelis and Palestinians intend to begin again
the negotiation process with the help of the International Community, in order
to find a just and definitive solution to the conflict that for 60 years has
stained the Holy Land with blood and has caused many tears and much suffering
for the two populations. I ask you to unite yourselves with the Day of Prayer
called for today by the Bishops’ Conference of the United States of America in
order to implore from the Holy Spirit peace for that region, so dear to us, and
the gifts of wisdom and courage for all the protagonists of this important
meeting.
After the
conclusion of today’s solemn Celebration, I desire to turn my cordial salute to
all present, including those who remain outside the Basilica. I express special
gratitude to the faithful who have travelled a long way in order to accompany
the new Cardinals and participate in this event, which manifests in a unique
manner the unity and universality of the Catholic Church. To the distinguished
civil Authorities, I renew my deferential thought.
I am happy to
greet all the English-speaking pilgrims who have come to attend the Consistory,
especially those from Iraq, Ireland, India, Kenya and the United States of
America. Let us give thanks to God for the gift of these new Cardinals and
strive to follow closely in the footsteps of Christ our King, bearing constant
witness to his saving truth! I wish you all a pleasant stay in Rome and a
blessed Sunday!
Let us open
ourselves now to reciting, as usual, the prayer of the Angelus. On
occasions such as this, one feels ever more fully the spiritual presence of
Mary Most Holy. As in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, she is today in the midst of
us and accompanies us on this stop along the ecclesial road. We wish to entrust
to the Virgin the new members of the College of Cardinals so that each one of
them, as well as all the Ministers of the Church, may strive to imitate Christ
through generous service of God and his people, in order to participate in his
glorious Kingship!
ORDINARY
PUBLIC CONSISTORY FOR THE CREATION OF NEW CARDINALS
EUCHARISTIC
CONCELEBRATION WITH THE NEW CARDINALS
AND
PRESENTATION
OF THE CARDINAL’S RING
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
St
Peter’s Basilica, Solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe
Sunday,
25 November 2007
Your
Eminences,
Venerable
Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Distinguished
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Brothers
and Sisters,
The Solemnity of
Christ, King of the Universe, the crown of the liturgical year, is enriched by
the acceptance into the College of Cardinals of 23 new members whom, according
to tradition, I have invited to concelebrate the Eucharist with me today. I
address to each one of them my cordial greeting, which I extend with fraternal
affection to all the Cardinals present. I am also pleased to greet the
delegations from various countries and the Diplomatic Corps of the Holy See;
the numerous Bishops and priests, the men and women Religious and all the
faithful, especially those from Dioceses entrusted to the pastoral guidance of
some of the new Cardinals.
The liturgical
Feast of Christ the King gives our celebration an especially significant
background, outlined and illuminated by the Biblical Readings. We find
ourselves as it were facing an imposing fresco with three great scenes: at the
centre, the Crucifixion according to the Evangelist Luke’s account; on one
side, the royal anointing of David by the elders of Israel; on the other, the
Christological hymn with which St Paul introduces the Letter to the Colossians.
The whole scene is dominated by the figure of Christ, the one Lord before whom
we are all brothers and sisters. The Church’s entire hierarchy, every charism
and ministry, everything and everyone are at the service of his Lordship.
We must begin
from the central event: the Cross. Here Christ manifests his unique Kingship.
On Calvary two opposite attitudes confront each other. Some figures at the foot
of the Cross as well as one of the two thieves address the Crucified One
contemptuously: If you are the Christ, the Messiah King, they say, save
yourself by coming down from the cross. Jesus reveals instead his own glory by
remaining there on the Cross as the immolated Lamb. The other thief
unexpectedly sides with him, and he implicitly confesses the royalty of the
innocent, just One and implores: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your
kingly power” (Lk 23: 42). St Cyril of Alexandria comments: “You see him
crucified and you call him King. You believe that he who bears scoffing and
suffering will reach divine glory” (Comment on Luke, Homily 153).
According to the Evangelist John, the divine glory is already present, although
hidden by the disfiguration of the Cross. But also in the language of Luke, the
future is anticipated in the present when Jesus promises the good thief: “Truly,
I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Lk 23: 43). St Ambrose
observes: “He prayed that the Lord would remember him when he reached his
Kingdom, but the Lord responded: Truly, I say to you, today you will be
with me in Paradise. Life is being with Christ, because where Christ is, there
is his Kingdom” (Exposition of the Gospel according to Luke, 10, 121).
The accusation: “This is the King of the Jews”, written on a tablet nailed
above Jesus’ head thus becomes the proclamation of the truth. St Ambrose
further notes: “The writing is correctly placed above the Cross, because even
though the Lord Jesus was on the Cross, yet his royal majesty shone from the
height of the Cross” (ibid., 10, 113).
The Crucifixion
scene in the four Gospels constitutes the moment of truth when the “veil of the
Temple” is torn and the Holy of Holies appears. The maximum revelation of God
possible in this world occurs in Jesus Crucified, because God is love and the
death of Jesus on the Cross is the greatest act of love in all of history. Well
then, on the Cardinal’s ring that I will consign in a few moments to the new
members of the Sacred College is portrayed precisely the Crucifixion. This,
dear new Cardinal-Brothers, will always be an invitation for you to remember of
what King you are servants, on what throne he has been raised and how he has
been faithful to the end in overcoming sin and death with the power of divine
mercy. Mother Church, Spouse of Christ, gives you this symbol in memory of her
Spouse, who loved her and gave himself up for her (see Eph 5: 25). Thus,
wearing the Cardinal’s ring, you are constantly called to give your life for
the Church.
If we now cast a
glance at the scene of the royal anointing of David presented in the First
Reading, an important aspect on royalty strikes us, namely, its “corporative”
dimension. The elders of Israel
go to Hebron ,
they seal a covenantal pact with David, declaring to consider themselves united
to him and wanting to be one only with him. If we relate Christ to this image,
it seems to me that this same covenantal profession applies very well precisely
to you, dear Cardinal-Brothers. You too who form the “senate” of the Church can
say to Jesus: “Behold, we are your bone and flesh” (II Sam 5: 1). We belong to
you, and we want to be one only with you. You are the Shepherd of the People of
God, you are the Head of the Church (see II Sam 5: 2). In this solemn
Eucharistic celebration we want to renew our pact with you, our friendship,
because only in this intimate and profound relationship with you, Jesus, our
King and Lord, does the dignity that has been conferred upon us and the
responsibility it bears have sense and value.
There now
remains for us to admire the third part of our “triptych” that the Word of God
places before us: the Christological hymn of the Letter to the Colossians.
First of all, we make the sentiments of joy and gratitude that pour forth from
it our own, for the fact that the Kingdom of Christ, the “inheritance of the
saints in light”, is not only something seen from a distance but a reality in
which we are called to partake, into which we have been “transferred”, thanks
to the redemptive action of the Son of God (see Col 1: 12-14). This graced
action opens St Paul’s soul to the contemplation of Christ and his ministry in
its two principal dimensions: the creation of all things and their
reconciliation. The first aspect of Christ’s Lordship consists in the fact that
“all things were created through him and for him... in him all things hold
together” (Col 1: 16-17). The second dimension centres on the Paschal Mystery:
through the Son’s death on the Cross, God has reconciled every creature to
himself, has made peace between Heaven and earth; raising him from the dead he
has made him the firstborn of the new creation, the “fullness” of every reality
and “head of the [mystical] body”, the Church (see Col 1: 18-20). We find
ourselves again before the Cross, the central event of the mystery of Christ.
In the Pauline vision the Cross is placed within the entire economy of
salvation, where Jesus’ royalty is displayed in all its cosmic fullness.
This text of the
Apostle expresses a synthesis of truth and faith so powerful that we cannot
fail to remain in deep admiration of it. The Church is the trustee of the
mystery of Christ: She is so in all humility and without a shadow of pride or
arrogance, because it concerns the maximum gift that she has received without
any merit and that she is called to offer gratuitously to humanity of every
age, as the horizon of meaning and salvation. It is not a philosophy, it is not
a gnosis, even though it also comprises wisdom and knowledge. It is the mystery
of Christ, it is Christ himself, the Logos incarnate, dead and risen,
made King of the universe. How can one fail to feel a rush of enthusiasm full
of gratitude for having been permitted to contemplate the splendour of this
revelation? How can one not feel at the same time the joy and the
responsibility to serve this King, to witness his Lordship with one’s life and
word? In a particular way this is our duty, venerable Cardinal-Brothers: to
proclaim the truth of Christ, hope of every person and the entire human family.
In the wake of the Second Vatican Council, my Venerable Predecessors, the
Servants of God Paul VI, John Paul I and John Paul II, have been authentic
heralds of Christ’s royalty in today’s world. And it is for me a motive of
consolation to be able to always count on you, both collegially and
individually, to bring to fulfilment with me the Petrine Ministry’s fundamental
duty.
In conclusion, I
would like to mention an aspect that is strongly united to this mission and
that I entrust to your prayer: peace among all Christ’s disciples, as a sign of
the peace that Jesus came to establish in the world. We have heard the great
news of the Christological hymn: it pleased God to “reconcile” the universe
through the Cross of Christ (see Col 1: 20)! Well then, the Church is that
portion of humanity in whom Christ’s royalty is already manifest, who has peace
as its privileged manifestation. It is the new Jerusalem, still imperfect
because it is yet a pilgrim in history, but able to anticipate in some way the
heavenly Jerusalem .
Lastly, we can here refer to the Responsorial Psalm 121, belonging to the
so-called “Song of Ascents”. It is a hymn of the pilgrims’ joy who, going up
toward the holy city and having reached its doors, address the peace-greeting
to them: shalom! According to popular etymology Jerusalem is interpreted
as a “city of peace”, whose peace the Messiah, Son of David, would have
established in the fullness of time. We recognize in Jerusalem the figure of
the Church, sacrament of Christ and of his Kingdom.
Dear
Cardinal-Brothers, this Psalm expresses well the ardent love song for the
Church that you certainly carry in your hearts. You have dedicated your life to
the Church’s service, and now you are called to assume in her a duty of utmost
responsibility. May the words of the Psalm find full acceptance in you: “Pray
for the peace of Jerusalem”! (v. 6). Prayer for peace and unity constitutes
your first and principal mission, so that the Church may be “solid and compact”
(v. 3), a sign and instrument of unity for the whole human race (see Lumen
Gentium, no. 1). I place, or rather, let us all place your mission under
the vigilant protection of the Mother of the Church, Mary Most Holy. To her,
united to her Son on Calvary and assumed as Queen at his right hand in glory,
we entrust the new Cardinals, the College of Cardinals and the entire Catholic
community, committed to sowing in the furrows of history Christ’s Kingdom, the
Lord of Life and Prince of Peace.
SOLEMNITY
OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE
BENEDICT
XVI
ANGELUS
St
Peter’s Square, Sunday, 23 November 2008
Dear Brothers
and Sisters,
Today, the last
Sunday of the liturgical year, we are celebrating the Solemnity of Our Lord
Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. We know from the Gospels that Jesus refused
the title of king when it was meant in the political sense, by the standards of
the “rulers of the Gentiles” (Mt 20: 25). On the other hand, during his
Passion, he claimed a unique kingship before Pilate, who explicitly asked him “So
you are a king?”, and Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king” (Jn 18: 37);
however just previously he had declared, “My kingship is not of this world” (Jn
18: 36). Christ’s kingship is in fact a revelation and actuation of that of God
the Father, who governs all things with love and justice. The Father entrusted
to the Son the mission of giving mankind eternal life by loving it to the point
of supreme sacrifice and, at the same time, conferred upon him the power of
judging humanity, since he made himself Son of man, like us in all things (see
Jn 5: 21-22, 26-27).
Today’s Gospel
insists precisely on the universal kingship of Christ the Judge, with the
stupendous parable of the Last Judgment, which St Matthew placed immediately
before the Passion narrative (25: 31-46). The images are simple, the language
is popular, but the message is extremely important: it is the truth about our
ultimate destiny and about the criterion by which we will be evaluated. “I was
hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a
stranger and you welcomed me” (Mt 25: 35) and so forth. Who does not know this
passage? It is part of our civilization. It has marked the history of the
peoples of Christian culture: the hierarchy of values, the institutions, the
multiple charitable and social organizations. In fact, the Kingdom of Christ is
not of this world, but it brings to fulfilment all the good that, thank God,
exists in man and in history. If we put love for our neighbour into practice in
accordance with the Gospel message, we make room for God’s dominion and his
Kingdom is actualized among us. If, instead, each one thinks only of his or her
own interests, the world can only go to ruin.
Dear friends,
the Kingdom of God is not a matter of honours and appearances but, as St Paul
writes, it is “righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rm 14:
17). The Lord has our good at heart, that is, that every person should have
life, and that especially the “least” of his children may have access to the
banquet he has prepared for all. Thus he has no use for the forms of hypocrisy
of those who say: “Lord, Lord” and then neglect his commandments (see Mt 7:
21). In his eternal Kingdom, God welcomes those who strive day after day to put
his Word into practice. For this reason the Virgin Mary, the humblest of all
creatures, is the greatest in his eyes and sits as Queen at the right of Christ
the King. Let us once again entrust ourselves to her heavenly intercession with
filial trust, to be able to carry out our Christian mission in the world.
SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST,
THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE
BENEDICT XVI
ANGELUS
Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 22
November 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
On this last Sunday of the
liturgical year, we are celebrating the Solemnity of Christ the King, a Feast
established relatively recently but which has deep biblical and theological
roots. The title “King”, designating Jesus, is very important in the Gospels
and makes possible a complete interpretation of the figure of Jesus and of his
mission of salvation. In this regard a progression can be noted: it starts with
the expression “King of Israel” and extends to that of universal King, Lord of
the cosmos and of history, thus exceeding by far the expectations of the Jewish
people. It is yet again the mystery of Jesus Christ’s death and Resurrection
that lies at the heart of this process of the revelation of his kingship. When
Jesus is hung on the Cross, the priests, scribes and elders mock him saying: “He
is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will
believe in him” (Mt 27: 42). In fact, it is precisely as the Son of God
that Jesus freely gives himself up to his Passion. The Cross is the paradoxical
sign of his kingship, which consists in the loving will of God the Father in
response to the disobedience of sin. It is in the very offering of himself in
the sacrifice of expiation that Jesus becomes King of the universe, as he
himself was to declare when he appeared to the Apostles after the Resurrection:
“All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Mt 28: 18).
But in what does this “power” of
Jesus Christ the King consist? It is not the power of the kings or the great
people of this world; it is the divine power to give eternal life, to liberate
from evil, to defeat the dominion of death. It is the power of Love that can
draw good from evil, that can melt a hardened heart, bring peace amid the
harshest conflict and kindle hope in the thickest darkness. This Kingdom of
Grace is never imposed and always respects our freedom. Christ came “to bear
witness to the truth” (Jn 18: 37), as he declared to Pilate: whoever
accepts his witness serves beneath his “banner”, according to the image dear to
St Ignatius of Loyola. Every conscience, therefore, must make a choice. Who do
I want to follow? God or the Evil One? The truth or falsehood? Choosing Christ does
not guarantee success according to the world’s criteria but assures the peace
and joy that he alone can give us. This is demonstrated, in every epoch, by the
experience of numerous men and women who, in Christ’s name, in the name of
truth and justice, were able to oppose the enticements of earthly powers with
their different masks, to the point that they sealed their fidelity with
martyrdom.
Dear brothers and sisters, when the
Angel Gabriel brought the announcement to Mary, he predicted that her Son would
inherit the throne of David and reign forever (see Lk 1: 32-33). And
even before she gave him to the world, the Blessed Virgin believed. Thus she
must certainly have wondered what new kind of kingship Jesus’ would be; she
came to understand by listening to his words, and especially by closely
participating in the mystery of his death on the Cross and in his Resurrection.
Let us ask Mary to help us too to follow Jesus, our King, as she did, and to
bear witness to him with our entire existence.
BENEDICT
XVI
ANGELUS
St
Peter’s Square, Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe
Sunday,
21 November 2010
Dear Brothers
and Sisters,
The Liturgy of
Our Lord Jesus Christ the King of the Universe in the Vatican Basilica has just
ended. It was also concelebrated by the 24 new Cardinals created at yesterday’s
Consistory.
The Solemnity of
Christ the King was established by Pius XI in 1925 and, later, after the Second
Vatican Council, it was placed at the close of the liturgical year. The Gospel
according to St Luke presents, as in a great painting, the kingship of Jesus at
the moment of his Crucifixion. The leaders of the people and the soldiers taunt
“the first-born of all creation” (Col 1:15) and put him to the test to see
whether he has the power to save himself from death (see Luke 23:35-37).
Yet precisely: “on
the Cross, Jesus is exalted to the very ‘height’ of the God who is Love. It is
there that he can be ‘known’.... Jesus gives us ‘life’ because he gives us God.
He can give God because he himself is one with God” (Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth (English translation, Doubleday , New York
In fact, while
the Lord seems to be mistaken because he is between two wrong-doers, one of
them, aware of his sins, opens himself to truth, arrives at faith and prays “the
King of the Jews”: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Lk
23:42).
From the One who
“is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col 1:17) the
so-called “Good Thief” straight away receives forgiveness and the joy of
entering the Kingdom of Heaven. “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me
in Paradise” (Lk 23:43). With these words, Jesus, from the throne of the
Cross welcomes every human being with infinite mercy.
St Ambrose comments
that this “is a beautiful example of conversion to which one should aspire:
forgiveness is very quickly offered to the thief and grace is more abundant
than the request; the Lord in fact”, St Ambrose says, “always gives more than
is asked for.... Life is being with Christ because where Christ is there is the
Kingdom” (Expositio Ev. sec. Lucam X, 121: ccl 14, 379).
Dear Friends, we
can also contemplate in Christian art the way of love that the Lord reveals to
us and invites us to take. In fact, in the past “in the arrangement of
Christian sacred buildings... it became customary to depict the Lord returning
as a king — the symbol of hope — at the east end; while the west wall normally
portrayed the Last Judgement as a symbol of our responsibility for our lives”
(Encyclical Spe Salvi, no. 41): hope in the infinite love of God and
commitment to ordering our life in accordance with the love of God.
When we
contemplate depictions of Jesus inspired by the New Testament — as an ancient
Council teaches — we are led to “understand... the sublimity and the
humiliation of the Word of God and... to remember his life in the flesh, his
Passion and his salvific death, and the redemption that the world derived from
it” (Council in Trullo, [691 or 692], can. 82).
“Yes, we need
it, precisely to... become capable of recognizing in the pierced heart of the
Crucified One the mystery of God” (J. Ratzinger, Teologia della liturgia: La
fondazione sacramentale dell’esistenza cristiana, LEV 2010, p. 69).
Today, the
Memorial of the Presentation of Mary at the Temple , let us entrust to the Virgin Mary the
new members of the College of Cardinals and our earthly pilgrimage toward
eternity.
ORDINARY PUBLIC CONSISTORY
FOR THE CREATION OF NEW CARDINALS
EUCHARISTIC CONCELEBRATION WITH THE NEW CARDINALS
AND
PRESENTATION OF THE CARDINAL’S RING
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
Vatican Basilica, Solemnity of Christ the King of the
Universe
Sunday, 21 November 2010
Your
Eminences,
Venerable
Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear
Brothers and Sisters,
On the
Solemnity of Christ the King we have the joy of gathering round the Lord’s
altar with the 24 new Cardinals whom I added to the College of Cardinals
yesterday.
I first
address to them my cordial greeting, which I extend to the other Cardinals and
all the Prelates present, as well as to the distinguished Authorities, the
Ambassadors, the priests, the religious and all the faithful who have come from
various parts of the world for this happy occasion which has a distinctly
universal character,
Many of
you will have noticed that the last Public Consistory for the Creation of
Cardinals, held in November 2007, was also celebrated on the eve of the
Solemnity of Christ the King. Three years have passed, thus, in accordance with
the liturgical cycle for Sundays the word of God comes to us in the same
Readings from Bible for this important Feast. It takes place on the last Sunday
of the liturgical year and, at the end of the itinerary of faith, presents to
us the royal Face of Christ, as the Pantocrator in the apse of an
ancient basilica.
This
coincidence asks us to meditate deeply on the ministry of the Bishop of Rome
and on the ministry of the Cardinals linked to it, in the light of the unique
Kingship of Jesus, Our Lord.
The
primary service of the Successor of Peter is that of the faith. In the New
Testament, Peter becomes the “rock” of the Church insofar as he is the bearer
of Faith: the “we” of the Church begins with the name of the first man who
professed faith in Christ, it begins with his faith; a faith that was at
first immature and still “too human”. Then, however, after Easter it matured
and made him capable of following Christ even to the point of giving himself;
it developed in the belief that Jesus is truly King; that he is so precisely
because he remained on the Cross, and in that way gave his life
for sinners.
In the
Gospel we see that everyone asks Jesus to come down from the Cross. They mock
him, but this is also a way of excusing themselves from blame as if to say: it
is not our fault that you are hanging on the Cross; it is solely your fault
because if you really were the Son of God, the King of the Jews, you would not
stay there but would save yourself by coming down from that infamous scaffold.
Therefore,
if you remain there it means that you are wrong and we are right. The tragedy
that is played out beneath the Cross of Jesus is a universal tragedy; it
concerns all people before God who reveals himself for what he is, namely,
Love.
In the
crucified Jesus the divinity is disfigured, stripped of all visible glory and
yet is present and real. Faith alone can recognize it: the faith of Mary, who
places in her heart too this last scene in the mosaic of her Son’s life. She
does not yet see the whole, but continues to trust in God, repeating once again
with the same abandonment: “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord” (see Lk 1:38).
Then
there is the faith of the Good Thief: a faith barely outlined but sufficient to
assure him salvation: “Today you will be with me in Paradise ”
. This “with me” is crucial. Yes, it is this that saves him. Of course, the
good thief is on the cross like Jesus, but above all he is on the Cross with
Jesus. And, unlike the other evildoer and all those who taunt him, he does not
ask Jesus to come done from the Cross nor to make him come down. Instead he
says: “remember me when you come into your kingdom”.
The
Good Thief sees Jesus on the Cross, disfigured and unrecognizable and yet he
entrusts himself to him as to a king, indeed as to the King. The good thief
believes what was written on the tablet over Jesus’ head: “The King of the Jews”.
He believed and entrusted himself. For this reason he was already, immediately,
in the “today” of God, in Paradise, because Paradise is this: being with
Jesus, being with God.
So
here, dear Brothers, is the first and fundamental message that the word of God
clearly tells us today: to me, the Successor of Peter, and to you, Cardinals.
It
calls us to be with Jesus, like Mary, and not to ask him to come down
from the Cross but rather to stay there with him. And by reason of our ministry
we must do this not only for ourselves but for the whole Church, for the whole
People of God.
We know
from the Gospels that the Cross was the critical point of the faith of Simon
Peter and of the other Apostles. It is clear and it could not be otherwise:
they were men and thought “according to men”; they could not tolerate the idea
of a crucified Messiah.
Peter’s
“conversion” is fully achieved when he stops wanting “to save” Jesus and
accepts to be saved by him. He gives up wanting to save Jesus from the Cross
and allows Jesus’ Cross to save him.
“I have
prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again,
strengthen your brethren” (Lk 22:32), the Lord says. Peter’s ministry consists
first of all in his faith, a faith that Jesus immediately recognizes, from the
outset, as genuine, as a gift of the heavenly Father; but a faith that must
pass through the scandal of the Cross to become authentic, truly “Christian”,
to become a “rock” on which Jesus can build his Church.
Participation
in the lordship of Christ is only brought about in practice in the sharing of
his self-abasement, with the Cross. My ministry too, dear Brothers, and
consequently also yours, consists wholly of faith. Jesus can build his Church
on us as long as that true, Paschal faith is found in us, that faith which does
not seek to make Jesus come down from the Cross but entrusts itself to him on
the Cross. In this regard the true place of the Vicar of Christ is the Cross,
it lies in persisting in the obedience of the Cross.
This
ministry is difficult because it is not in line with the human way of thinking
— with that natural logic which, moreover, continues to be active within us
too. But this is and always remains our primary service, the service of faith
that transforms the whole of life: believing that Jesus is God, that he is the
King precisely because he reached that point, because he loved us to the
very end.
And we
must witness and proclaim this paradoxical kingship as he, the King, did, that
is, by following his own way and striving to adopt his same logic, the logic of
humility and service, of the ear of wheat which dies to bear fruit.
The
Pope and the Cardinals are called to be profoundly united first of all in this:
all together, under the guidance of the Successor of Peter, they must remain in
the lordship of Christ, thinking and working in accordance with the logic of
the Cross — and this is never easy or predictable.
In this
we must be united and we are, because it is not an idea or a strategy that
unites us but love of Christ and his Holy Spirit. The effectiveness of our
service to the Church, the Bride of Christ, depends essentially on this, on our
fidelity to the divine kingship of crucified Love.
For
this reason on the ring that I am consigning to you today, the seal of your
nuptial covenant with the Church, is the image of the Crucifixion. And for the
same reason the colour of your robe alludes to blood, the symbol of life and of
love. The Blood of Christ which, according to an ancient iconography, Mary
collected from the pierced side of the Son, who died on the Cross; and that the
Apostle John contemplated while it gushed out with water, according to the prophetic
Scriptures.
Dear
Brothers, it is from this that our wisdom derives: sapientia Crucis. On
this St Paul reflected profoundly. He was the first to outline Christian
thought in an organized way, centred precisely on the paradox of the Cross (see
1 Cor 1:18-25; 2:1-8).
In the
Letter to the Colossians, of which today’s Liturgy proposes the Christological
Hymn — the Pauline reflection, made fertile by the grace of the Spirit, already
reaches an impressive level of synthesis in expressing an authentic Christian
concept of God and of the world, of personal and universal salvation; and it is
all centred on Christ, the Lord of hearts, of history and of the cosmos: “In
him the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to
himself all things, whether on earth or in Heaven, making peace by the blood of
his Cross” (Col 1:19-20).
Dear
Brothers, we are always called to proclaim this to the world: Christ “the image
of the invisible God”, Christ “the first-born of all creation”, and “the first-born
from the dead”, as the Apostle writes, so “that in everything he might be
pre-eminent” (Col 1:15. 18). The primacy of Peter and his Successors is totally
at the service of this primacy of Jesus Christ, the one Lord; at the service of
his Kingdom, that is, of his Kingship of love, so that it might come and be
spread, renew men and things, transform the earth and cause peace and justice
to germinate in it.
The
Church fits into this plan that transcends history and, at the same time, is
revealed and fulfilled in it, as the “Body” of which Christ is “the Head” (see
Col 1:18).
In the
Letter to the Ephesians, St Paul speaks explicitly of the lordship of Christ
and sets it in relation to the Church. He formulates a prayer of praise to the “greatness
of the power of God” who raised Christ and made him the universal Lord and
concludes, “and he [God] has put all things under his feet and has made him the
head over all things for the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him who
fills all in all” (Eph 1:22-23).
Here,
Paul attributes to the Church the very word “fullness”, which applies to
Christ, for participation: the body, in fact, participates in the fullness of
the Head. This, Venerable Brother Cardinals — and I am also addressing all of
you who share with us the grace of being Christian — this is what our joy is:
participating, in the Church in the fullness of Christ through the obedience of
the Cross, of being qualified “to share in the inheritance of the saints in
light”, of being “transferred” to the Kingdom of the Son of God (see Col
1:12-13).
For
this reason we live in perennial thanksgiving, and even in trials do not lack
the joy and peace that Christ bequeathed to us as a guarantee of his Kingdom
which already exists among us, who wait with faith and hope, and of which we
have a foretaste in love. Amen.
APOSTOLIC
JOURNEY TO BENIN
18-20
NOVEMBER 2011
BENEDICT
XVI
ANGELUS
Amitié
Stadium, Cotonou, Sunday, 20 November 2011
Dear Brothers
and Sisters,
At the
conclusion of this solemn Eucharistic celebration, having been made one in
Christ, let us turn with confidence to his Mother and pray the Angelus. Now
that I have consigned the Apostolic Exhortation Africae Munus, I wish to
entrust to the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Africa, the new chapter now opening for
the Church on this continent, asking her to accompany the future evangelization
of Africa as a whole and, in particular, of this land of Benin.
Mary joyfully
accepted the Lord’s invitation to become the Mother of Jesus. May she show us
how to respond to the mission which God entrusts to us today! Mary is that
earthly woman who received the privilege of becoming the Mother of the Saviour
of the world. Who better than she knows the value and beauty of human life? May
we never cease to be amazed before the gift of life! Who better than she knows
our needs as men and women who are still pilgrims on this earth? At the foot of
the Cross, united to her crucified Son, she is the Mother of Hope. This hope
enables us to take up our daily lives with the power bestowed by the truth
which is made known in Jesus.
Dear Brothers
and Sisters of Africa, this land which sheltered the Holy Family, may you
continue to cultivate Christian family values. At a time when so many families
are separated, in exile, grief-stricken as a result of unending conflicts, may
you be artisans of reconciliation and hope. With Mary, Our Lady of the
Magnificat, may you always abide in joy. May this joy remain deep within hearts
of your families and your countries!
In the words of
the Angelus, let us now turn to our beloved Mother. Before her let us place the
intentions of our hearts. Let us now pray to her for Africa
and for the whole world.
APOSTOLIC
JOURNEY TO BENIN
18-20
NOVEMBER 2011
HOLY
MASS AND CONSIGNMENT
OF
THE POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
TO
THE BISHOPS OF AFRICA
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
Amitié
Stadium, Cotonou, Sunday, 20 November 2011
Dear Brother
Bishops and Priests,
Dear Brothers
and Sisters,
Following in the
footsteps of my blessed predecessor Pope John Paul II, it is a great joy for me
to visit for the second time this dear continent of Africa, coming among you,
in Benin, to address to you a message of hope and of peace. I would like first
of all to express my cordial gratitude to Archbishop Antoine Ganyé Cotonou, for
his words of welcome and to greet the Bishops of Benin, as well as the
Cardinals and Bishops from various African countries and from other continents.
To all of you, dear brothers and sisters, who have come to this Mass celebrated
by the Successor of Peter, I offer my warm greetings. I am thinking certainly
of the faithful of Benin, but also of those from other French-speaking
countries, such as Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger and others. Our Eucharistic
celebration on the Solemnity of Christ the King is an occasion to give thank to
God for the one hundred and fifty years that have passed since the beginnings
of the evangelization of Benin; it is also an occasion to express our gratitude
to him for the Second Special Assembly of the Synod of African Bishops which
was held in Rome a few months ago.
The Gospel which
we have just heard tells us that Jesus, the Son of Man, the ultimate judge of
our lives, wished to appear as one who hungers and thirsts, as a stranger, as
one of those who are naked, sick or imprisoned, ultimately, of those who suffer
or are outcast; how we treat them will be taken as the way we treat Jesus
himself. We do not see here a simple literary device, or a simple metaphor.
Jesus’s entire existence is an example of it. He, the Son of God, became man,
he shared our existence, even down to the smallest details, he became the
servant of the least of his brothers and sisters. He who had nowhere to lay his
head, was condemned to death on a cross. This is the King we celebrate!
Without a doubt
this can appear a little disconcerting to us. Today, like two thousand years
ago, accustomed to seeing the signs of royalty in success, power, money and
ability, we find it hard to accept such a king, a king who makes himself the
servant of the little ones, of the most humble, a king whose throne is a cross.
And yet, the Scriptures tell us, in this is the glory of Christ revealed; it is
in the humility of his earthly existence that he finds his power to judge the
world. For him, to reign is to serve! And what he asks of us is to follow him
along the way, to serve, to be attentive to the cry of the poor, the weak, the
outcast. The baptized know that the decision to follow Christ can entail great
sacrifices, at times even the sacrifice of one’s life. However, as Saint Paul
reminds us, Christ has overcome death and he brings us with him in his
resurrection. He introduces us to a new world, a world of freedom and joy.
Today, so much still binds us to the world of the past, so many fears hold us
prisoners and prevent us from living in freedom and happiness. Let us allow
Christ to free us from the world of the past! Our faith in him, which frees us
from all our fears and miseries, gives us access to a new world, a world where
justice and truth are not a byword, a world of interior freedom and of peace
with ourselves, with our neighbours and with God. This is the gift God gave us
at our baptism!
“Come, O blessed
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world” (Mt 25:34). Let us receive this word of blessing which the Son of
Man will, on the Day of Judgement, address to those who have recognized his
presence in the lowliest of their brethren, with a heart free and full of the
love of the Lord! Brothers and sisters, the words of the Gospel are truly words
of hope, because the King of the universe has drawn near to us, the servant of
the least and lowliest. Here I would like to greet with affection all those
persons who are suffering, those who are sick, those affected by AIDS or by
other illnesses, to all those forgotten by society. Have courage! The Pope is
close to you in his thoughts and prayers. Have courage! Jesus wanted to
identify himself with the poor, with the sick; he wanted to share your
suffering and to see you as his brothers and sisters, to free you from every
affliction, from all suffering. Every sick person, every poor person deserves
our respect and our love because, through them, God shows us the way to heaven.
This morning, I
invite you once again to rejoice with me. One hundred and fifty years ago the
cross of Christ was raised in your country, and the Gospel was proclaimed for
the first time. Today, we give thanks to God for the work accomplished by the
missionaries, by the “apostolic workers” who first came from among you or from
distant lands, bishops, priests, men and women religious, catechists, all those
who, both yesterday and today, enabled the growth of the faith in Jesus Christ
on the African continent. I honour here the memory of the venerable Cardinal
Bernardin Gantin, an example of faith and of wisdom for Benin and for the
entire African continent.
Dear brothers
and sisters, everyone who has received this marvellous gift of faith, this gift
of an encounter with the risen Lord, feels in turn the need to proclaim it to
others. The Church exists to proclaim this Good News! And this duty is always
urgent! After 150 years, many are those who have not heard the message of
salvation in Christ! Many, too, are those who are hesitant to open their hearts
to the word of God! Many are those whose faith is weak, whose way of thinking,
habits and lifestyle do not know the reality of the Gospel, and who think that
seeking selfish satisfaction, easy gain or power is the ultimate goal of human
life. With enthusiasm, be ardent witnesses of the faith which you have
received! Make the loving face of the Saviour shine in every place, in
particular before the young, who search for reasons to live and hope in a
difficult world!
The Church in
Benin has received much from her missionaries: she must in turn carry this
message of hope to people who do not know or who no longer know the Lord Jesus.
Dear brothers and sisters, I ask you to be concerned for evangelization in your
country, and among the peoples of your continent and the whole world. The
recent Synod of Bishops for Africa stated this in no uncertain terms: the man
of hope, the Christian, cannot be uninterested in his brothers and sisters.
This would be completely opposed to the example of Jesus. The Christian is a
tireless builder of communion, peace and solidarity - gifts which Jesus himself
has given us. By being faithful to him, we will cooperate in the realization of
God’s plan of salvation for humanity.
Dear brothers
and sisters, I urge you, therefore, to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ,
to be authentically converted to him. He alone gives us the true life and can
liberate us for all our fears and sluggishness, from all our anguish.
Rediscover the roots of your existence in the baptism which you received and
which makes you children of God! May Jesus Christ give you strength to live as
Christians and to find ways to transmit generously to new generations what you
have received from your fathers in faith! AKLUNƆ NI KƆN FƐNU TƆN LƐ DO MI JI [Fon:
May the Lord fill you with his graces!]
On this feast
day, we rejoice together in the reign of Christ the King over the whole world.
He is the one who removes all that hinders reconciliation, justice and peace.
We are reminded that true royalty does not consist in a show of power, but in
the humility of service; not in the oppression of the weak, but in the ability
to protect them and to lead them to life in abundance (see Jn 10:10).
Christ reigns from the Cross and, with his arms open wide, he embraces all the
peoples of the world and draws them into unity. Through the Cross, he breaks
down the walls of division, he reconciles us with each other and with the
Father. We pray today for the people of Africa, that all may be able to live in
justice, peace and the joy of the Kingdom
of God
Queridos irmãos
e irmãs da África lusófona que me ouvis, a todos dirijo a minha saudação e
convido a renovar a vossa decisão de pertencer a Cristo e de servir o seu Reino
de reconciliação, de justiça e de paz. O seu Reino pode ser posto em perigo no
nosso coração. Aqui Deus cruza-se com a nossa liberdade. Nós – e só nós –
podemos impedi-Lo de reinar sobre nós mesmos e, em consequência, tornar difícil
a sua realeza sobre a família, a sociedade e a história. Por causa de Cristo,
tantos homens e mulheres se opuseram, vitoriosamente, às tentações do mundo
para viver fielmente a sua fé, às vezes mesmo até ao martírio. A seu exemplo,
amados pastores e fiéis, sede sal e luz de Cristo na terra africana! Amen.
[Dear brothers
and sisters of the Portuguese-speaking nations of Africa who are listening to
me! I greet all of you and I invite you to renew your decision to belong to
Christ and to serve his Kingdom of reconciliation, justice and peace. His
Kingdom can be threatened in our hearts. There God comes face to face with our
freedom. We – and we alone – can prevent him from reigning over us and
consequently obstructing his Lordship over our families, society and history.
Because of Christ, many men and women successfully opposed the temptations of
the world in order to live their faith truly, even to martyrdom. Dear pastors
and faithful, following their example, be the salt and light of Christ, in the
land of Africa ! Amen.]
BENEDETTO
XVI
ANGELUS
St.
Peter’s Square, Sunday, 25 November 2012
Dear
Brothers and Sisters,
The
Church today is celebrating Our Lord Jesus Christ as as King of the Universe.
This Solemnity comes at the end of the liturgical year and sums up the mystery
of Jesus “firstborn from the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth”
(Collect, Year B), broadening our gaze towards the complete fulfilment of the
Kingdom of God, when God will be everything to every one (see 1 Cor 15:28). St
Cyril of Jerusalem said: “We preach not one advent only of Christ, but a second
also, far more glorious than the former. For the former gave a view of his patience;
but the latter brings with it the crown of a divine kingdom... in his second,
He comes attended by a host of Angels, receiving glory” (Catechesis XVI,
1, Illuminandorum, De secundo Christi adventu: pg 33, 869 a).
Jesus’
entire mission consisted in proclaiming the Kingdom of God and putting it into
practice among human beings with signs and miracles. However, as the Second
Vatican Council recalls “this kingdom shone out before men ... in the presence
of Christ” (Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, no. 5) and he
established it through his death on the Cross and his Resurrection, with which
he manifested himself as Lord and Messiah and Priest for ever.
This
Kingdom of Christ
Dear
friends, we are all called to extend God’s saving action, converting to the
Gospel, following with determination the King who did not come to be served but
to serve and to bear witness to the truth (see Mk 10:45; Jn 18:37). In this
perspective I invite everyone to pray for the six new Cardinals whom I created
yesterday that the Holy Spirit will strengthen them in faith and in charity and
fill them with his gifts, so that they may live their new responsibilities as a
further dedication to Christ and to his Kingdom. These new members of the
College of Cardinals represent well the universal dimension of the Church: they
are Pastors of the Church in Lebanon, in India, in Nigeria, in Colombia, and in
the Philippines, and one of them has been for many years in the service of the
Holy See.
Let
us invoke the protection of Mary Most Holy upon each one of them and on the
faithful entrusted to their service. May the Virgin help us all to live the
present time in expectation of the Lord’s second coming, forcefully imploring
God: “Thy Kingdom come”, and undertaking those works of light which bring us
ever closer to heaven, in the awareness that, in the turbulent events of
history God continues to build his Kingdom of love.
ORDINARY PUBLIC CONSISTORY
FOR THE CREATION OF NEW CARDINALS
HOLY MASS WITH THE NEW
CARDINALS
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
Vatican Basilica, Solemnity
of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Sunday, 25 November 2012
Your
Eminences,
Dear Brother
Bishops and Priests,
Dear
Brothers and Sisters,
Today’s
Solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe, the crowning of the liturgical year,
is enriched by our reception into the College of Cardinals of six new members
whom, following tradition, I have invited to celebrate the Eucharist with me
this morning. I greet each of them most cordially and I thank Cardinal James
Michael Harvey for the gracious words which he addressed to me in the name of
all. I greet the other Cardinals and Bishops present, as well as the
distinguished civil Authorities, Ambassadors, priests, religious and all the
faithful, especially those coming from the Dioceses entrusted to the pastoral
care of the new Cardinals.
In this final
Sunday of the liturgical year, the Church invites us to celebrate the Lord
Jesus as King of the Universe. She calls us to look to the future, or more
properly into the depths, to the ultimate goal of history, which will be the
definitive and eternal kingdom of Christ. He was with the Father in the beginning,
when the world was created, and he will fully manifest his lordship at the end
of time, when he will judge all mankind. Today’s three readings speak to us of
this kingdom. In the Gospel passage which we have just heard, drawn from the
Gospel of Saint John, Jesus appears in humiliating circumstances – he stands
accused – before the might of Rome. He had been arrested, insulted, mocked, and
now his enemies hope to obtain his condemnation to death by crucifixion. They
had presented him to Pilate as one who sought political power, as the
self-proclaimed King of the Jews. The Roman procurator conducts his enquiry and
asks Jesus: “Are you the King of the Jews?” (Jn 18:33). In reply to
this question, Jesus clarifies the nature of his kingship and his messiahship
itself, which is no worldly power but a love which serves. He states that his
kingdom is in no way to be confused with a political reign: “My kingship is not
of this world … is not from the world” (v. 36).
Jesus clearly
had no political ambitions. After the multiplication of the loaves, the people,
enthralled by the miracle, wanted to take him away and make him their king, in
order to overthrow the power of Rome and thus establish a new political kingdom
which would be considered the long-awaited kingdom of God. But Jesus knows that
God’s kingdom is of a completely different kind; it is not built on arms and
violence. The multiplication of the loaves itself becomes both the sign that he
is the Messiah and a watershed in his activity: henceforth the path to the
Cross becomes ever clearer; there, in the supreme act of love, the promised
kingdom, the kingdom of God, will shine forth. But the crowd does not
understand this; they are disappointed and Jesus retires to the mountain to
pray in solitude, to pray with the Father (see Jn 6:1-15). In the
Passion narrative we see how even the disciples, though they had shared Jesus’
life and listened to his words, were still thinking of a political kingdom,
brought about also by force. In Gethsemane, Peter had unsheathed his sword and
began to fight, but Jesus stopped him (see Jn 18:10-11). He does not
wish to be defended by arms, but to accomplish the Father’s will to the end,
and to establish his kingdom not by armed conflict, but by the apparent
weakness of life-giving love. The kingdom of God is a kingdom utterly different
from earthly kingdoms.
That is why,
faced with a defenceless, weak and humiliated man, as Jesus was, a man of power
like Pilate is taken aback; taken aback because he hears of a kingdom and servants.
So he asks an apparently odd question: “So you are a king?” What sort of king
can such a man as this be? But Jesus answers in the affirmative: “You say that
I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to
bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice”
(18:37). Jesus speaks of kings and kingship, yet he is not referring to power
but to truth. Pilate fails to understand: can there be a power not obtained by
human means? A power which does not respond to the logic of domination and
force? Jesus came to reveal and bring a new kingship, that of God; he came to
bear witness to the truth of a God who is love (see 1 Jn 4:8,16), who
wants to establish a kingdom of justice, love and peace (see Preface).
Whoever is open to love hears this testimony and accepts it with faith, to
enter the kingdom of God.
We find this
same perspective in the first reading we heard. The prophet Daniel foretells
the power of a mysterious personage set between heaven and earth: “Behold, with
the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the
Ancient of Days and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and
glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his
kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (7:13-14). These words present a king
who reigns from sea to sea, to the very ends of the earth, possessed of an
absolute power which will never be destroyed. This vision of the prophet, a
messianic vision, is made clear and brought to fulfilment in Christ: the power
of the true Messiah, the power which will never pass away or be destroyed, is
not the power of the kingdoms of the earth which rise and fall, but the power
of truth and love. In this way we understand how the kingship proclaimed by
Jesus in the parables and openly and explicitly revealed before the Roman
procurator, is the kingship of truth, the one which gives all things their
light and grandeur.
In the second
reading, the author of the Book of Revelation states that we too share in
Christ’s kingship. In the acclamation addressed “to him who loves us and has
freed us from our sins by his blood”, he declares that Christ “has made us a
kingdom, priests to his God and Father” (1:5-6). Here too it is clear that we
are speaking of a kingdom based on a relationship with God, with truth, and not
a political kingdom. By his sacrifice, Jesus has opened for us the path to a
profound relationship with God: in him we have become true adopted children and
thus sharers in his kingship over the world. To be disciples of Jesus, then,
means not letting ourselves be allured by the worldly logic of power, but
bringing into the world the light of truth and God’s love. The author of the
Book of Revelation broadens his gaze to include Jesus’ second coming to judge
mankind and to establish forever his divine kingdom, and he reminds us that
conversion, as a response to God’s grace, is the condition for the establishment
of this kingdom (see 1:7). It is a pressing invitation addressed to each and
all: to be converted ever anew to the kingdom of God, to the lordship of God,
of Truth, in our lives. We invoke the kingdom daily in the prayer of the “Our
Father” with the words “Thy kingdom come”; in effect we say to Jesus: Lord,
make us yours, live in us, gather together a scattered and suffering humanity,
so that in you all may be subjected to the Father of mercy and love.
© Copyright 2013 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Book by Orestes J. González
