Sermon
In life, everyone has some sort of god. Either you accept the true God, or you worship another god—examples include money, power, worldly pleasures, or even making yourself a god. The latter is the most common false god of our time because if you wish to do as you please and only what benefits you, it becomes convenient to say that God does not exist or that you don't care whether He exists or not. This way, you can make yourself your own god. Therefore, it is crucial to discover who truly is your God. To do this, you must take the time and seriously ask yourself: Who is my true god? What or who is the most important thing in my life? My God is the one who comes first in my life, the most important thing to me.
What comes to mind when we hear the word "king"? Surely not Jesus crucified. Normally, we find kings in palaces, not on a cross; they wear crowns of gold and diamonds, not crowns of thorns; their subjects serve them, not the other way around where they give their lives for their subjects. Today, the last Sunday of the liturgical year, we are celebrating the feast of our King.
In what way is Jesus a King? In the preface of today’s Mass, that beautiful hymn the priest says before we all recite the ‘Holy’, we find these words: "... a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace." These are the qualities of Jesus’ Kingdom, and through them, we can understand who the King is that we are celebrating today. He is not a King who dominates, but one who loves with boundless love; not a King whose soldiers give their lives for Him, but one who gives His life for all of us; not a King adorned with a fine gold crown, fine clothes, and seated on a majestic throne, but a King hanging on a cross.
Indeed, today’s Gospel offers us a scene that reveals who this King of ours truly is. Before Pilate, a man who thinks he has power, Jesus proclaims that He is a King, but not according to the world’s standards: "Pilate said to Him, ‘So You are a King?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a King. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.’" What is this truth that Jesus speaks of? It is the Gospel, and therefore those who belong to His kingdom and live the Gospel live in holiness and grace, practise justice and love, and always seek peace.
In the presence of Jesus, the crucified King, everyone reacts differently: some mocked Him, the crowd remained indifferent, but the good thief was saved alongside Him. How do you and I react before our crucified King? Let us remember that although the kingdoms of this world may seem far more appealing, no earthly king has ruled forever, and all the kingdoms of the world have come or will come to an end. Only one offers a Kingdom above all others and for all eternity. Which kingdom do you wish to be part of: that of this world or that of Jesus?
Lord Jesus, today we stand before Your cross; today we marvel at what God the Father was willing to do out of love for the world; today we gaze at You and ponder the depth of Your love for us. Help us, Lord, so that together with the good thief we may say to You: "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom."
Hymn
You existed before creation
And all things came to be:
You are the King of kings,
The Lord of all authority.
From age to age,
O Christ,You have guided the nations;
You have crushed prideful power,
Sustained justice, and salvation.
Though the greatness of Your lineage
Was hidden in our poverty,
You walked among the poor,
A humble worker, meek as can be.
The world did not understand You;
It brought You into trial.
They mocked You as a laughingstock,
And nailed You to denial.
Yet from the blessed wood,
Upon which You were raised,
You embraced a guilty world
And became the King of hearts amazed.
Let the world, then, adore You,
For You are the Merciful King,
And may Your mercy endure
For as long as time shall ring. Amen.