The Kings of this world especially in Nigeria are made by King makers but in the case of the Catholic Church, in fact, all over the Christendom and the world at large, Jesus Christ became King with the favour and appointment of God the Father. It is one of the mysteries of the Catholic Church which till date has been very difficult to unravel by ordinary men.

Even politicians like Pontious Pilate and Herod could not unravel the mystery of Christ the King. The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism. As a result, the day serves as a reminder to be thankful for Christ’s unselfish act in securing mankind’s survival and God’s authority are the sole absolutes.  The feast is intended to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Christ’s royalty over individuals, families, societies, governments, and nations.  Christ the King Feast is a Catholic celebration that takes place on the last Sunday of the liturgical year in the Catholic faith.

For the year 2024, the feast is being celebrated on November 24. This great celebration is originally a Roman Catholic feast, it is now observed by Christians of all denominations as a way to recognize and honour Jesus Christ as the ‘King of Kings’. The Church’s aim to remind the increasingly secular world of the importance of God and his teachings is one of the key reasons for the celebration. This assertion ‘King of Kings’ is what the Kings of this day cannot decipher and they taught just like Herod did, to kill all babies who were born then but alas this did not stop the miracle of God. 

Jesus Christ came into the world and the world never knew him.  Christ the King Day shows Jesus Christ’s power in the hearts of many of his followers. Many individuals all around the world have shaped their lives around the core Christian ideas of becoming a good person by accepting Him as their Lord and Saviour. The more individuals who follow or respect these ideals in the world, the better we become.

Christ the King Day is also a time when families come together to celebrate their Lord and Saviour. The fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins is something that people often overlook.

The feast has various effects, such that nations would see that the Church has the right to freedom, and immunity from the state; that leaders and nations would see that they are bound to give respect to Christ; that the faithful would gain strength and courage from the celebration of the feast, as we are reminded that Christ must reign in our hearts, minds, wills, and bodies.

Today, the same distrust of authority exists, although the problem has gotten worse. Individualism has been embraced to such an extreme, that for many, the only authority is the individual self. The idea of Christ as ruler is rejected in such a strongly individualistic system. Some people even reject the titles of “lord” and “king” for Christ because they believe that such titles are borrowed from oppressive systems of government. Although these statements might sound to be true, these individuals miss the point: Christ’s kingship is one of humility and service.  Jesus said: “Whoever wishes to become great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many;” and Pilate said to Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?”... Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here”. So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.

Thus, Jesus knew the oppressive nature of secular kings, and in contrast to them, he connected his role as king to humble service, and commanded his followers to be servants as well. In other passages of Scripture, his kingdom is tied to his suffering and death. While Christ is coming to judge the nations, his teachings spell out a kingdom of justice and judgment balanced with radical love, mercy, peace, and forgiveness.

When we celebrate Christ as King, we are not celebrating an oppressive ruler, but one willing to die for humanity and whose “loving-kindness endures forever”. Christ is the king that gives us true freedom, freedom in Him. Thus we must never forget that Christ radically redefined and transformed the concept of kingship.

 

The kings of this earth demand of their subjects that they should be ready, if necessary, to lay down their lives to defend their king and realm. Men have always accepted this and millions have gladly given their lives to defend their country and rulers. We have a king who laid down his life for us and set us an example unlike that of any earthly king. Following his Father’s will, He did this to make us worthy to share in the Father’s eternal kingdom. The incarnation, which made us adopted children of God, and the crucifixion, which obtained remission of our sins, surely prove to us the love and the esteem in which God holds us. It should also show how important is our future life. Christ did not come on earth to make us healthy, happy or prosperous in this world; He came to open heaven for us where we could be happy forever. This was God’s purpose in creating us. This is His purpose for us still. All our other interests in this life are secondary when compared with this.

In honouring Christ today as our King, let us especially thank Him for all the humiliations and sufferings He endured on our behalf. If our Christian way of living makes some demands on us let us not forget how trivial they are when compared with what Christ's earthly life cost him. He made these severe sacrifices for us; we are asked to make our small offerings for ourselves. Our self-interest alone should inspire us, but our gratitude to Christ should especially move us to play our part.

Let us promise to be grateful and loyal subjects of His for the rest of our days. He has made us members of his kingdom on earth—the Church—and is preparing a place for us in his everlasting kingdom. Let no one be so foolish as to forfeit an eternal happiness because of some earthly attachment to the passing things of this world.

Our prayer for today: Almighty ever-living God, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of the Universe, grant, we pray, that the whole creation, set free from slavery, may render your majesty service and ceaselessly proclaim your praise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Happy Celebrations!!! And God Bless Nigeria!!!