The Solemnity of Christ the King
Matthew 25,31-46
Jojojoe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pentecost season comes to a climax in the worship of Jesus Christ as King of the Saints and King of His Church. From now the calendar turns a page and begins again to reflect on the earthly life of the Lord from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, his birth and his Ascension. Very soon we will hear again the message of the Angel, “this child will receive the throne of his father David, and of his kingdom there will be no end”. Before we begin Advent we reflect on Christ and his Kingdom.
This important theme brings a smile to my face as I remember my past feeble attempts as an Englishman and subject of “her Britannic Majesty” to explain to Republican citizens in the USA the significance of monarchy. I understood that the foundations of our British monarchy were established by King Alfred the Great [849-899] on a robust Christian foundation with a coronation which was a consecration under God to avoid its going off the rails. Even Church buildings were not simply as meeting places set in a great parking lot, but as a place to house the altar upon which Christ was enthroned as King of the Word and Sacrament.
