FEAST OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST THE KING

FEAST OF OUR LORD
JESUS CHRIST THE KING

The Last Sunday of October (Sunday between October 25 and 31 inclusive)

Pope Pius XI (whose motto was: Pax Christi in regno Christi) instituted the feast of Christ the King as a solemn affirmation of our Lord’s kingship over every human society; He is King, not only the soul and conscience, intelligence and will of all men, but also of families and cities, peoples and states and the whole universe. In his Encyclical Letter "Quas primas" the Pope showed how laicism or secularism, organizing society without any reference to God, leads to the apostasy of the masses and the ruin of society, because it is a complete denial of Christ’s Kingship. This is one of the great heresies of our time, and the Pope considered that this annual, public, social and official assertion of Christ’s divine right of Kingship over men in the liturgy would be an effective means of combating it.



That Christ if King over all creation is the theme of the whole Mass and Office of the feast. The Mass begins with the magnificent Apocalyptic vision of the Lamb of God, sacrificed but henceforth glorified for ever, acclaimed by the innumerable host of Angels and Saints (Intr.). By its position on the last Sunday of October, towards the end of the Liturgical year and just before All Saints, the feast of Christ the King comes as the climax of our celebration of all Christ’s mysteries and a kind of earthly anticipation of his everlasting reign over the elect in the glory of heaven. It sums up the Christian message that by His Death and Resurrection Christ has conquered sin and death and reigns in the glory of His victory among the elect who are its fruit. Christ is the creative Word; He is the Man-God, seated at the right hand of the Father; He is our Saviour; these are His threes title to kingship.



Prayer to Christ the King



O CHRIST Jesus, I acknowledge You King of the Universe. All that has been created has been made for You. Exercise upon me all Your rights. I renew my baptismal promises, renouncing Satan and all his works and pomps. I promise to live a good Christian life and to do all in my power to procure the triumph of the rights of God and Your Church. Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer You my poor actions in order to obtain that all hearts may acknowledge Your sacred Royalty, and that thus the reign of Your peace may be established throughout the universe. Amen.