Walking with Jesus: Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

For Sunday, November 23, 2025

2 Samuel 5:1-3, Colossians 1:12-20, Luke 23:35-43


While next weekend we begin the season of Advent, today we are celebrating the last Sunday of the Church Year with the feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe. The gospel from St. Luke reminds us of Jesus’ last day on earth facing His assassination — His horrible death inflicted by the Romans who had control over much of the world. They ruled by power and greed and had very little opposition. Their kingdom’s main cities usually were walled in, and the main entrances had crucifixions lining the streets to remind those who entered that Rome was in control — and anyone who opposed Rome or committed any sort of abomination or dishonored Caesar faced capital punishment. Today we’re looking at crucifixion where the accused was stripped of all clothes and bound by heavy ropes or nailed to a cross.

“Christian” was the label first given to Jesus' followers in Antioch around 43 A.D., approximately 10 years after His crucifixion. As a group, Christinas were definitely one of the smallest of “religions” at Jesus’ death. It grew very quickly and its followers were hunted down and killed. More and more witnessed their great willingness to die, even horribly, because JESUS came as a witness to GOD’s love. Think on this: No one has seen God; no one knew what God looked like. Jesus came to live and prove that God is love and that God loves every person and created every person out of love. Jesus proclaimed this, proving this in His preaching, His healings, His love, His caring ... His forgiveness of all by DYING ON THE CROSS and giving the ultimate GIFT — the promise of Heaven — to ALL who believe, have faith and live love. In the 300s A.D., Christianity became the religion of the holy Roman Empire — and today, Catholicism is the largest Christian church with 1.3 billion members worldwide.

The readings today were not chosen in the same way as other weekends in Ordinary time. They were chosen to validate the meaning of Jesus, Christ the King. They memorialize the power and authority of Christ with a collection of images that interpret the concept of king and surrounding it with new meaning.

We know how human Jesus was. He was poor, unknown and unimportant. How hard it was for some, even many, to see Him as the Son of God. The leaders and religious experts could not understand His mission, nor did they want to. How could this man use messianic titles? He’s a nobody. Paul points out the paradox of the cross:

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ... For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block for Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” [1 Corinthians 18:22-25]

It’s all about God’s love. We get so many glimpses of that IF we are open to receiving and learning love and put aside our self-will and selfishness. But this human Christ is also divine. Today Paul says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in Him were created all things in heaven and on earth … all things were created through Him and for Him.” [1 Corinthians 1:20] We have studied, thought about and used our imagination about Jesus. Jesus is the center of human history, the redeemer of the world, our only Savior. The bottom line — the ONLY LINE — is that for each and every created being, forever and to come, Jesus is the model for living, the meaning and value of life, the goal and the end of our existence. Satan claims that each person is supreme to themself. We wonder … we try to figure it out … but the fact is that you — me — everyone — is loved JUST THE WAY WE ARE. That’s what God does. Can I allow God to love me?  

So I reflect on:

• Imagine my delightful day in MY universe: What would it look like? I see almost automatically that the cares and worries of my universe have become too pressing, too urgent, too discouraging or too painful to imagine. If that is so, I need to go into the universe of my own heart and, like Jesus, ask GOD to take my suffering and turn it into good for someone else. Who are these “someone else” individuals? This kind of prayer is the work of the cross. I write a prayer that I can lean on during times of trouble — a prayer that expresses my faith in Jesus’ ultimate victory over pain, sin, and death. Be still ... can I feel Jesus’ love? What’s it like?

Sacred Space 2025 states:

“It may seem somewhat cruel to say of the good criminal that he was in the right place at the right time, but his acknowledgment of Jesus’ innocence and his heartfelt prayer to Jesus for mercy found an immediate answer. In these extraordinary circumstances it brings out yet again the infinite love and mercy of our God. Let us, too, ask Jesus to remember us.

“The people were silent but the soldiers and one of the criminals mocked Him. As we read in the Book of Wisdom, let us test Him with insult and torture, so that we may find out how gentle He is and make trial of His forbearance … thus they reasoned, but they were led astray, for their wickedness blinded them; let us pray for the courage to put up with whatever insults and derision come from the living of our faith.”