Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Year B (2024) – Homily

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Daniel 7:13-14
Psalm 93:1, 1-2, 5 (1a)
Revelation 1:5-8
John 18:33b-37
November 24, 2024

Today we celebrate this last Sunday of the present church year with the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.

Daniel prophesized of “one like a Son of man coming,” who will come to “restore all things.”  This Son of man stands before the “Ancient One.” 

When Jesus stood before Pilate, Pilate asked, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus is the one whom Daniel said would receive “dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations will serve him.”

His kingship “is an everlasting dominion that shall not be destroyed, his kingship shall not be destroyed.”

Daniel prophesizes that all people will serve Jesus yet it is Jesus who offers the ultimate service by dying for us on the Cross.  His is the “who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.”

The Jews expected a Messiah (aka Christ).  Jesus fulfills the prophecies of a Christ, yet his own nation handed him over to Pilate.

What does it mean to call Jesus King?

The Jews who handed Jesus over expected a political king who would drive out the Romans and restores Israel as an earthly kingdom.

For us today, we do not have a king in our country.  We elect a president.  Because we elect our secular government leaders, some people expect the Church to be a democracy.  It is not.  Jesus is our king.

Our solemnity today identifies Jesus Christ as the King of the Universe.  Jesus is not king of an earthly kingdom.  Jesus is king of all that there is. 

He is the “ruler of the kings of the earth.”  He is the “king of kings.” 

He is the one granted “dominion, glory, and kingship” by the “Ancient One” who He calls Father.

Do you see Jesus as your king or do you hand him over to the opposition?

If Jesus was running for president, would you vote for him?

When we select a candidate to vote for, we look for a person who will do what we what.  Is this the way you think of Jesus as your king?

When Pilate continues to ask Jesus if He is a king, Jesus replies, “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

Jesus came to “testify to the truth.”  Do you live in accord with the truth that Jesus teaches?  Do you even listen? 

Do you listen to all that Jesus teaches or do you pick and choose what you believe?  Our Catholic faith is not a buffet where we can pick and choose what to believe.  Some things are easier to believe than others but if we truly and fully accept Jesus as our king, then we accept all that He teaches.  We struggle with it but we accept it.

His teaching includes all the pro-life teaching of the Church.  It includes what our faith teaches about human sexuality and marriage.  It includes loving all people no matter where they are from or how they act.

It isn’t easy to understand all that God teaches.  Given our human limitations, I don’t think it is possible for us to understand everything but we can believe. 

Now that I have said all this, if you said before you would vote for Jesus, would you still vote for him now?

Do you need a reason to vote for Jesus?

He is the “Alpha and the Omega…the one who is and who was and who is to come.” 

Jesus is our Lord who has always existed.

He walks with us now and offers us a place in his eternal kingdom. 

Do you need another reason to vote for Jesus as your king?

He died for you.

“To him be glory and power forever and ever.”