The Last Sunday of October: The Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King

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The Last Sunday of October: The Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King

Taken from here

The Kingdom of Heaven—Holy Church—is seen bringing forth out of her treasure “things new and old.” Although she can never add new dogmas to the deposit of Faith entrusted to her, as the ages go by she is seen understanding more perfectly and explaining more fully those treasures in her keeping. She is a living body, not a statue, and she can develop, though she can never change her nature. Hence, guided by the Holy Spirit of him who has promised to be with her not merely for a few centuries but unto the end of the world, she defines or emphasizes certain points of doctrine as she sees fit, considering needs of the times. We have an example in the institution of the feast, of the Kingship of our Lord Jesus Christ by the Sovereign Pontiff, Pope Pius XI, in the jubilee year 1925, and explained to the faithful in the Encyclical Quas Primas.

Christians have ever hailed our divine Lord as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It was as a King that the representatives of the Eastern World came to adore him in the manger; it was as a King, albeit not knowing what he did, that the official representative of the Western world lifted him up upon the Cross. The patriarchs and prophets of the old dispensation foretold his royalty; he spoke constantly of his kingdom: when asked plainly whether he were in truth a king by the representative of Cæsar, he acknowledged that such indeed he was, though of a kingdom not of this world.

“His Kingship is founded upon the ineffable hypostatic union. It is spiritual and concerned with spiritual things. It is opposed to none other than to that of Satan, and to the powers of darkness. Christ is King over angels and men; King over men’s hearts and wills; his Kingship demands of its subjects a spirit of detachment from riches and earthly things, and a spirit of gentleness. They must hunger and thirst after justice and, more than this, they must deny themselves and carry the cross.”

Yet though his is a spiritual kingdom, opposed to no just earthly polity, “it would be a grave error to say that Christ has no authority whatever in civil affairs, since by virtue of the absolute empire over all creatures committed to him by the Father, all things are in his power. All men, whether collectively or individually, are under the dominion of Christ. In him is the salvation of the individual, in him is the salvation of society.”

Today we sadly behold “a world undone,” largely paganized in principles and outlook and, in recent years, in one country even glorying in the name “pagan.” At the best, governments mostly ignore God; and at the worst, openly fight against him, as we of today are witnessing in the Old World and in the New. Even the statesmen’s well-meant efforts to find a remedy for present ills and, above all, to secure world peace, prove futile because whereas peace is from Christ, and possible only in the Kingdom of Christ, his name is never mentioned throughout their deliberations or their documents. Christ is kept out of the State schools and seats of higher education; and the rising generations seem to be taught anything and everything save to know, love, and serve him. Art and literature all too frequently reflect the same tendencies.

And since the spirit of evil reigns inevitably wherever the spirit of Christ has ceased to reign, in public and in private men are flouting the moral laws of God, and some of the worst abominations of ancient paganism are becoming matters of every-day life. Moreover, be it remembered, modern paganism is worse than that of the ancient world, in that the former knows what it does as the latter did not. There is now an intense, positive hatred of Jesus Christ in the militant atheist, which differs in kind from the attitude of the fiercest Roman or Eastern persecutor: “If I had not come and spoken to them … if I had not done among them the works that no other man hath done, they would not have sin: but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father.”

Ever as practical as she is supernatural, the Church is not content with merely deploring the evil, nor even with counteracting it by sound teaching. She would also make definite reparation to the divine majesty thus denied and defied; to him whose royalty is slighted and insulted. Something must be done by those who, in a measure, understand and love, in order to atone for those who do not. “To repair the crime,” says the great 20th century Thomist Fra. Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange in his study L’Amour de Dieu et de la Croix de Jesus, The Love of God and the Cross of Jesus, “of ‘lèse-divinité,’ which denies God’s rights over the human society whose author he is, we must exalt Jesus Christ as King over all individuals, families, and peoples. If his universal royalty be proclaimed and his reign in society recognized, one of the principal evils of the modern world—the secularizing of public and private life—will be attacked at its roots.” Hence we have the special exhortation of the Vicar of Christ, and the institution of the feast of this divine Kingship.

“To this end nothing would serve better than the institution of a special feast in honor of the Kingship of Christ. For people are instructed in the truths of faith, and brought to appreciate the inner joys of religion, far more effectually by the annual celebration of our sacred mysteries than by any pronouncement, however weighty, of the teaching of the Church. Such pronouncements usually reach only a few, and those the more learned among the faithful; feasts reach them all; the former speak but once, the latter speak every year—in fact for ever. The Church’s teaching affects the mind primarily; her feasts affect both mind and heart, and have a salutary effect upon the whole of man’s nature … We have commanded its observance on a Sunday, in order that not only the clergy may perform their duty by saying Mass and reciting the Office, but that the laity too, free from their daily tasks, may in a spirit of holy joy give ample testimony of their obedience and subjection to Christ … that they may so order their lives as to be worthy, faithful, and obedient subjects of the Diving King.”

Mass

Introit
Dignus est Agnus, qui occisus est, accipere virtutem, et divinatem, et sapientiam, et fortitudinem, et honorem. Ipsi gloria et imperium in sæcula sæculorum.
The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power and divinity and wisdom and strength and honor; to Him be glory and empire for ever and ever.

Deus, judicium tuum Regi da: et justitiam tuam Filio Regis. Gloria Patri.
Give to the King, O God, Thy justice, and to the King’s Son Thy judgment. Glory be to the Father, &c.


Collect
Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui in dilecto Filio tuo, universorum Rege, omnia instaurare voluisti: concede propitius; ut cunctiæ familiæ Gentium, peccati vulnere disgregatæ, ejus suavissimo subdantur imperio: Qui cum vivit et regnat.

Almighty and everlasting God, Who in Thy beloved Son, the King of the whole world, hast willed to restore all things, mercifully grant that all the kindreds of the nations that are now divided by the wound of sin, may be brought under the sweet yoke of His rule: Who with Thee liveth and reigneth.

Commemoration is made of the occurring Sunday.


Epistle
Lesson of the Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Colossians. Ch. i.

Brethren: Giving thanks to God the Father, who hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love, In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins; Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For in him were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and in him. And he is before all, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he may hold the primacy: Because in him, it hath well pleased the Father, that all fullness should dwell; And through him to reconcile all things unto himself, making peace through the blood of his cross, both as to the things that are on earth, and the things that are in heaven.


Gradual
Dominabitur a mari usque ad mare, et a flumine usque ad terminos orbis terrarum. Et adorabunt eum omnes reges terræ: omnes Gentes servient ei.
He shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river to the end of the earth. And all kings shall adore Him, all nations shall serve Him.

℣. Potestas ejus, potestas æterna, quæ non auferetur: et regnum ejus, quod non corrumpetur.
℣. His power shall be an everlasting power, which shall not be taken away; and His kingdom a kingdom that shall not decay.

In votive Masses after Septuagesima, instead of the Alleluia and its ℣., there is said:

Tract
Ipse invocabit me, Pater meus es tu: Deus meus, et susceptor salutis meæ.
He shall cry out to me: Thou art my Father, my God, and the support of my salvation.

℣. Et ego primogenitum ponam illum: excelsum præ regibus terræ.
℣. And I will make him my firstborn, high above the kings of the earth.

℣. Et ponam in sæculum sæculi semen ejus: et thronum ejus sicut dies cœli.
℣. And I will make his seed to endure for evermore, and his throne as the days of heaven.


In Paschal time, omitting the Gradual, there is said: Alleluia, alleluia.
℣. Potestas ejus, etc., as above; then:

Alleluia. ℣. Habet in vestimento et in femore suo scriptum: Rex regum, et Dominus dominantium. Alleluia.
Alleluia. ℣. He hath on his garment and on his thigh written: King of kings and Lord of lords. Alleluia.

Gospel
Sequel of the holy Gospel according to John. Ch. XVIII.
At that time: Pilate said to Jesus: Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus answered: Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or have others told it thee of me? Pilate answered: Am I a Jew? Thy own nation, and the chief priests, have delivered thee up to me: what hast thou done? Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now my kingdom is not from hence. Pilate therefore said to him: Art thou a king then? Jesus answered: Thou sayest that I am a king. For this was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice.


Offertory
Postula a me, et dabo tibi Gentes hereditatem tuam, et possessionem tuam terminos terræ.
Ask of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.


Secret
Hostiam tibi, Domine, humanæ reconciliationis offerius: præsta quæsumus; ut quem sacrificiis præsentibus immolamus, ipse cunctis gentibus unitatis et pacis dona concedat, Jesus Christus, Filius tuus, Dominus noster: Qui tecum.
We offer thee, O Lord, the victim of man’s reconciliations; grant, we beseech thee, that he whom we immolate in these present sacrifices may himself bestow on all nations the gifts of unity and peace, Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord: Who liveth.

Commemoration is made of the occurring Sunday.


Preface
Vere dignum et justum est, æquum et salutare, nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere: Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, æterne Deus: Qui unigenitum Filium tuum, Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Sacerdotem æternum et universorum Regem, oleo exsultatipnis unxisti: ut, seipsum in ara crucis hostiam immaculatam et pacificam offerens, redemptionis humanæ sacramenta perageret: et suo subjectis imperio omnibus creaturis, æternum et universale regnum, immensæ tuæ traderet Majestati. Regnum veritatis et vitæ: regnum sanctitatis et gratiæ: regnum justitiæ, amoris et pacis. Et ideo …
It is meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God: Who didst anoint, with the oil of gladness, Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to be the eternal Priest and King of the universe; that by offering Himself a spotless Victim and peace-offering on the altar of the Cross, He might accomplish the mysteries of man’s redemption, and that having subjected all creatures to His dominion, He might present to Thine infinite Majesty an everlasting and universal Kingdom; a kingdom of truth and life; and kingdom of holiness and grace; a kingdom of justice, love, and peace. And therefore …


Communion
Sedebit Dominus Rex in æternum: Dominus benedicet populo suo in pace.
The Lord shall sit as King for ever: the Lord shall bless His people in peace.


Postcommunion
Immortalitatis alimoniam consecuti, quæsumus, Domine: ut, qui sub Christi Regis vexillis militare gloriamur, cum ipso, in cœlesti sede, jugiter regnare possimus: Qui tecum vivit et regnat.
We who have received the food of immortality, beseech Thee, O Lord: that we who glory in our warfare under the banners of Christ our King, may reign with Him for ever in His heavenly swelling place: Who liveth and reigneth, etc.

Commemoration is made of the occurring Sunday, the Gospel of which is read at the end of Mass.

HYMN

Ruler of all from heaven’s high throne,
O Christ our king ere time began,
We kneel before thee, Lord to own
Thy empire o’er the heart of man.

While bands of shameless men refuse
The homage due to Christ their Lord,
We own thee sovereign Lord of all.
The King by heaven and earth adored.

O Prince of peace, o Christ, subdue
Those rebel hearts, thy peace restore;
Into thy sheep-fold lead anew
Thy scattered sheep, to stray no more.

For this upon the tree of shame,
Thy body hung, with arms spread wide,
The spear revealed the heart of flame
That burned within thy sacred side.

For this our altars here are spread
With mystic feast of bread and wine,
Still thy redeeming blood is shed
From that sore-stricken heart of thine.

May heads of nations fear thy name
And spread thy honour through their lands,
Our nation’s laws, our arts proclaim
The beauty of thy just commands.

Let kings the crown and sceptre hold
As pledge of they supremacy;
And thou all lands, all tribes enfold
In one fair realm of charity.

Jesu, to thee be honour done,
Who rulest all in equity
With Father, Spirit, ever One,
From age to age eternally.
Amen.

℣. His empire shall be multiplied.
℟. And there shall be no end of peace.

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~The Feast of Christ the King~

"That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in Heaven, on earth and under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10-11


Christ Himself speaks of His Own kingly authority: in His last discourse, speaking of the rewards and punishments that will be the eternal lot of the just and the damned; in His reply to the Roman magistrate, who asked Him publicly whether He were a king or not; after His resurrection, when giving to His Apostles the mission of teaching and Baptizing all nations, He took the opportunity to call Himself king, confirming the title publicly, and solemnly proclaimed that all power was given Him in Heaven and on earth. These words can only be taken to indicate the greatness of his power, the infinite extent of His kingdom. What wonder, then, that He Whom St. John calls the "prince of the kings of the earth" appears in the Apostle's vision of the future as He Who "hath on His garment and on His thigh written 'King of kings and Lord of lords!'." It is Christ Whom the Father "hath appointed heir of all things"; "for He must reign until at the end of the world He hath put all his enemies under the feet of God and the Father."

It was surely right, then, in view of the common teaching of the sacred books, that the Catholic Church, which is the kingdom of Christ on earth, destined to be spread among all men and all nations, should with every token of veneration salute her Author and Founder in her annual liturgy as King and Lord, and as King of Kings. And, in fact, she used these titles, giving expression with wonderful variety of language to one and the same concept, both in ancient psalmody and in the Sacramentaries.

- Pope Pius XI, Encyclical Letter, QUAS PRIMAS, #11-12

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Citations on the Kingship of Christ from Scripture
[All citations from the Douay-Rheims Bible.]

But I am appointed King by Him over Sion His holy mountain preachng His commandment.~ Psalm 2:6

The Lord hath said to Me: Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of Me and I will give Thee the Gentiles for Thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for Thy possession.~ Psalm 2:7-8

Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron and shalt break them in pieces like a potter's vessel.~ Psalm 2:9

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of David His father; and He shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of His kingdom there shall be no end. ~ Luke 1:32-33

The time is accomplished, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe the Gospel. ~ Mark 1:15

Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now My kingdom is not from hence. Pilate therefore said to Him: Art Thou a king then? Jesus answered: Thou sayest that I am a king. For this was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth My voice. ~ John 18:36-37

For the kingdom is the Lord's; and He shall have dominion over the nations. ~ Psalm 31:29

The Lord maketh the flood to dwell: and the Lord shall sit king for ever. ~ Psalm 28:10

O clap your hands, all ye nations: shout unto God with the voice of joy, For the Lord is high, terrible: a great king over all the earth. . . . Sing praises to our God, sing ye: sing praises to our king, sing ye. For God is the king of all the earth: sing ye wisely.~ Psalm 46:2, 3, 7, 8

For the sparrow hath found herself a house, and the turtle a nest for herself, where she may lay her young ones: Thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my king and my God. ~ Psalm 83:4

Sing praise to the Lord on the harp, on the harp, and with the voice of a psalm: with long trumpets, and sound of cornet. Make a joyful noise before the Lord our king. ~ Psalm 97:5, 6

I will extol thee, O God my king: and I will bless Thy name for ever; yea, for ever and ever. ~ Psalm 144:1

Let Israel rejoice in Him that made him: and let the children of Sion be joyful in their king. ~ Psalm 149:2

There is one most high Creator Almighty, and a powerful king, and greatly to be feared, Who sitteth upon His throne, and He is the God of dominion. ~ Ecclus. 1:8

He that liveth for ever, created all things together. God only shall be justified, and He remaineth an invincible king for ever. ~ Ecclus. 18:1

I will give glory to thee, O Lord, O King, and I will praise thee, O God my Saviour. ~ Ecclus. 51:1

And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day there shall be one Lord, and His name shall be one. ~ Zach. 14:9

Cursed is the deceitful man that hath in his flock a male, and making a vow, offereth in sacrifice that which is feeble to the Lord: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and My name is dreadful among the Gentiles. ~ Malach. 1:14

Now to the king of ages, immortal invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.~ 1 Tim. 1:17

I charge thee: . . . That thou keep the commandment without spot, blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, Which in His times He shall show Who is the Blessed and only Mighty the King of kings, and Lord of lords. ~ 1 Tim. 6:14, 15

O Lord God of our fathers, thou art God in Heaven, and rulest over all thl kingdoms and nations, in thy hand i strength and power, and no one can re sist thee. ~ 2 Paral. 20:6 [2 Chronicles]

Thou art Thyself my king and my God, Who commandest the saving of Jacob. ~ Psalm 43:5

But God is our king before ages: He hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth. ~ Psalm 83:12

For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king: He will save us. ~ Is. 33:22

But the Lord is the true God: He is the living God, and the everlasting king. ~ Jer. 10:10

O Lord God, Creator of all things dreadful and strong, just and merciful Who alone art the good king. ~ 2 Mach. 10:24.

When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is He that is born king of the Jews? For we have seel His star in the east, and are come to adore Him. . . . But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Juda. For so it is written by the prophet: And thou Bethlehem the land of Juda art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come forth the Captain that shall rule My people Israel. ~ Matt. 2:1, 2, 5, 6

And on the next day a great multitude that was come to the festival day, when they had heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm-trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried: Hosanna, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel. And Jesus found a young ass, and sat upon it, as it is written: Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy king cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. ~ John 12:12-15

Then therefore Pilate took Jesus, and scourged Him. And the soldiers platting a crown of thorns, put it upon His head; and they put on Him a purple garment. And they came to Him, and said: Hail, king of the Jews; and they gave Him blows. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith to them: Behold, I bring Him forth unto you, that you may know that I find no cause in Him. (Jesus therefore came forth, bearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment.) And he saith to them: Behold the Man. ~ John 19:1-5

And it was the parasceve of the pasch, about the sixth hour, and he saith to the Jews: Behold your king. But they cried out: Away with Him; away with Him; crucify Him. Pilate saith to them: Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered: We have no king but Caesar. ~ John 19:14, 15

And Pilate wrote a title also, and he put it upon the Cross. And the writing was: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. ~ John 1919

Thou art great, O Lord, for ever, and Thy kingdom is unto all ages. ~ Tob. 13:1

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of Thy kingdom is a sceptre of uprightness. ~ Psalm 47:7

The Lord hath prepared His throne in Heaven: and His kingdom shall rule over all.~ Psalm 102:19

They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom: and shall tell of Thy power: To make Thy might known to the sons of men: and the glory of the magnificence of Thy kingdom. Thy kingdom is a kingdom of all ages: and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. ~ Psalm 144:11-13

The Lord shall reign for ever: thy God, O Sion, unto generation and generation. ~ Psalm 145:10

Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a kingdom.~ Luke 12:32

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And there shall come from the east and the west, and the north and the south; and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. ~ Luke 13:28, 29

So you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand.~ Luke 21:31

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot possess the kingdom of God: neither shall corruption possess incorruption.~ 1 Cor. 15:50

For know you this, and understand that no fornicator, or unclean, or covetous person (which is a serving of idols), hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.~Eph. 5:5

But you are come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of Angels, And to the Church of the first-born, who are written in the heavens, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect. ~ Heb. 12:22, 23

And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of great thunders, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord our God the Almighty hath reigned.~ Apoc. 19:6

Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be glad: and let them say among the nations: The Lord hath reigned. Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all things that are in them. Then shall the trees of the wood give praise before the Lord: because He is come to judge the earth.~ 1 Paral. 16:31-33 [1 Chronicles]

And He shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. . . .And all kings of the earth shall adore Him: all nations shall serve Him. ~ Ps. 71:8, 11

For a Child is born to us, and a Son is given to us, and the government is upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace. His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace: He shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom; to establish it and strengthen it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth and for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. ~ Is. 9:6, 7

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb: and the leopard shall lie down with the kid: the calf, and the lion, and the sheep shall abide together, and a little child shall lead them. The calf and the bear shall feed: their young ones shall rest together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp: and the weaned child shall thrust his hand into the den of the basilisk. They shall not hurt, nor shall they kill in all my holy mountain, for the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the covering waters of the sea. ~ Is. 11:6-9

For He that made thee shall rule over thee, the Lord of hosts is His name: and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, shall be called the God of all the earth. ~ Is. 54:5

And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day there shall be one Lord, and His name shall be one.~ Zach. 19:9

Thy kingdom come. ~Matt. 7:10

The kingdom of Heaven is like to a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.~ Matt. 20:1

He said therefore: To what is the kingdom of God like, and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden, and it grew, and became a great tree, and the birds of the air lodged in the branches thereof.  And again He said: Whereunto shall I esteem the kingdom of God to be like? It is like to leaven, which a woman I took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened. ~ Luke 13:18-21

And the seventh Angel sounded the trumpet: and there were great voices in Heaven, saying: The kingdom of this world is become our Lord's and His Christ's, and He shall reign for ever and ever. Amen. ~ Apoc. 11:15

All the glory of the King's daughter is within in golden borders. ~ Ps. 44:14

Another parable He spoke to them: The kingdom of Heaven is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened. ~ Matt. 13:33

The kingdom of Heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in a field. Which a man, having found, hid it, and for joy thereof goeth, and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.~ Matt. 13:44

And being asked by the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come He answered them, and said: The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say: Behold here, or behold there. For lo, the kingdom of God is within you.~ Luke 17:20, 21

God is a spirit; and they that adore Him, must adore Him in spirit and in truth. ~ John 4:24

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but justice, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. ~ Rom. 14:17

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The KINGSHIP of CHRIST according to THE PRINCIPLES OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

BY REV. DENIS FAHEY, C.S.SP., B.A., D.Pa., D.D.
Professor of Philosophy and Church History, Senior Scholasticate, Blackrock College,
Dublin 1931
With Nihil Obstat and Imprimi Potest

THE KINGSHIP OF CHRIST

OUR supernatural life of Divine Grace comes to us from Our Lord Jesus Christ, Head of His Mystical Body, the Catholic Church, while we continue to receive our disordered natural life from the first Adam. "For, if by one man's offence, death reigned through one: much more they who receive abundance of grace, and of the gift, and of justice, shall reign in life through one Jesus Christ" (Rom. v. 17). Our Lord is then our Head. Now St. Thomas distinguishes a twofold function of the grace of Headship, analogous to the double role exercised by the head with regard to the members of the body. "The head," he says, "has a twofold influence upon the members: an interior influence, because the head transmits to the other members the power of moving and feeling; and an exterior influence of government, because by the sense of sight and the other senses which reside in it, the head directs a man in his exterior actions." (III. P. Q. 8. a. 6) St. Thomas then goes on to remark that Christ also, by His grace of Headship, has a twofold influence upon souls: an interior influence of supernatural life, because His Humanity, united to His Divinity has the power of justification; an exterior influence by His government of His subjects. The role of justification and sanctification is that of Christ as Priest, while the second prerogative of government and direction constitutes the spiritual Kingship of Christ. We have said the "spiritual" Kingship of Christ, for we must distinguish between the spiritual and the temporal Kingship of Christ or between His Primacy in the supernatural order and His Primacy in the natural order.

"That this Kingdom, indeed, is in a special manner spiritual and concerned with things spiritual is quite plain from the extracts from Scripture above quoted; and Christ's own line of action confirms this view. He, however, would be guilty of shameful error who would deny to Christ as man authority over civil affairs no matter what their nature, since, by virtue of the absolute dominion over all creatures He holds from His Father, all things are in His Power. Nevertheless, during His life on earth He refrained altogether from exercising such dominion and, despising the possession and administration of earthly goods, He left them to their possessors then, and He does so today" (Encyclical Letter, Quas Primas, of His Holiness Pope Pius XI).


Christ's Kingship is, above all, Spiritual.

To Jesus Christ then as King, Spiritual Ruler, it appertains to set before the faithful the common end they should attain and to point out to them the means of attaining it, thus guiding the exterior and visible movement of the whole mystical Body to Eternal Happiness.

To Jesus Christ as King, it belongs also to determine the proper sanction for the precepts He imposes, to reward and punish His subjects according to their deserts.

Finally, it is for Jesus Christ as King, in virtue of the work of Redemption which He must accomplish, to conquer His Kingdom and defend His faithful subjects against the enemies who strive to overthrow His reign here below. Christ's Spiritual Kingship is militant and the struggle against moral evil must go on as long as men remain here below exposed to suffering and death, to corruption and sin. Only in eternity shall the triumph be complete, by the victory of the good and the defeat of the wicked.

Of course it must not be forgotten that this struggle against evil on the part of Christ the King is in close relation with His Priesthood: for it is by sanctifying souls and uniting them to God that He withdraws them from sin and conquers them for His Kingdom. As has been pointed out above, we must here keep in mind the twofold aspect of Christ's Headship: the negative aspect of His combat against sin and His warring down of evil, which belongs to His Kingship, and the positive one of uniting souls to God, which is the function of His Priesthood.


Spiritual Kingship comprises the Right of Intervention in Temporal Affairs.

Our Lord, as has been said, came down to restore to men the Divine Life of grace, their highest and most real life, and this mission of salvation confers on Him full power of governing in the spiritual order. But, though we have been raised to the life of grace, we must, nevertheless, continue to live our human life, and the organization demanded by this life remains always necessary. Our human or natural life must, however, be in subordination to our Divine Life, so that instead of hindering its development, it may, on the contrary, indirectly contribute thereto. Grace gives to our activity a new elevation by lifting it up to the God of Revelation, known and loved in Himself, but we have to work out our salvation in the conditions of existence imposed on us by our situation in the world and in contact with the lowly realities of daily life. The temporal order, with the rulers appointed to maintain it, subsists along with the supernatural order and the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. In both spheres authority is exercised in its proper domain.

But, because the temporal is in subordination to the spiritual and because the final end of man, the end which dominates all others, is supernatural, we must concede to the ruler in the supernatural order a right of intervention in the strictly natural sphere, a right which must be measured by the necessity or utility of maintaining and developing the Divine Life of grace in souls. The Spiritual Kingship of Christ, then, comprises the power of intervention in human affairs and, in fact, we see Our Lord in the Gospel making use of it, when, for example, He drove the traffickers from the Temple, thus proclaiming the right of God to be honoured in becoming fashion, even though that meant imposing restrictions upon the commercial liberty of men.

It must, however, be borne in mind that this power of intervention in the temporal order does not confer a new royal dignity upon Christ, but is comprised in the attributes of His spiritual Royalty. For it is not here question of commanding and legislating in view of conducting human society to its common good in the natural order, which belongs to the civil power, but of opposing everything that could hinder the progress of the supernatural life and of the social order consonant with it, and of obtaining from the rulers in the civil order the co-operation necessary therefor. This power forms part of the attributes of the Spiritual Kingship, for it is at its service and is so to say its instrument.


Temporal Kingship of Christ.

Here we are no longer concerned with a right of intervention in temporal affairs for the sake of the higher interests of His Mystical Body. Temporal kingship supposes that he who is invested with it pursues a temporal end and that he has directly in view the common good, in the natural order, of the society confided to him and the temporal welfare of his people. Of course there is no question of Our Lord having taken over or being about to take over the government of any particular country or people. The kings and rulers of the earth need not fear that they shall be deprived of their authority: Our Lord's Royalty is universal. But is not Christ the sovereign and judge of all kings and rulers? Has He not a right to rule them as a body, to dictate His laws to them, to reward or punish them for the good or bad use of their power? The Encyclical Quas Primas, in the passage above quoted, answers these questions decisively in the affirmative. To the rulers of the earth it belongs to legislate in civil affairs, to determine sanctions for their laws and to judge their subjects guilty of transgressions of these laws. Our Lord reserves to Himself the right of pronouncing final judgment on the Last Day on the civil administration of all earthly rulers as well as on their attitude to the supernatural order. For rulers will have to render an account both of the manner in which they sought the natural common good of their subjects and of the way in which they observed the objective order of the world that belongs to Christ, by their acknowledgment of the Indirect Power of the supernatural society founded by Him, the Catholic Church, in temporal affairs. This power is, as we shall see immediately, a part of the Church's participation in the spiritual Kingship of Christ.


The Church's Participation in the Spiritual Kingship of Christ.

The title makes it clear that the Temporal Kingship of Christ has not to be considered here. The mission of the Catholic Church, supernatural and supra-national, is the spiritual one of the outpouring of the Divine Life. The Church has not received purely temporal Royalty from her Divine Founder, so it is here question of Spiritual Kingship only. But the Spiritual Kingship of Our Lord could not be exercised in an efficacious manner without a visible, permanent intermediary, capable of giving to souls at all times and in all places the directions needed for the safeguard and diffusion of the Divine Life. This mission has been confided only to the Catholic Church. Accordingly, in order to form an adequate idea of the Spiritual Kingship of Christ, we must consider its radiation down the centuries in the Church and through the Church in the world. The Pope and the Bishops are the representatives of Christ, the lieutenants of His Spiritual Royalty. They have the charge of holding up before the world the supernatural ideal of life to be lived by all men and laying down the laws and precepts to be observed, in order that that life may not be lost: to them it belongs to regulate the distribution of all the means confided to the Church by Our Lord for the development of the Divine Life, to establish fitting sanctions for all offences that jeopardize the interests of that life, and, finally, to carryon the struggle against the powers of evil by every form of missionary effort, following the example of Christ.

Here we must carefully distinguish between the Church's participation in Our Lord's Priesthood and her participation in His Kingship. "The interior influence of grace can come from Christ alone, Whose Humanity united to the Divinity has the power of justifying. But the influence which Our Lord exercises by His exterior government can be communicated to others. Those others are the heads of the Church ... they are heads because they take Christ's place" (Summ. Theol., III. P. Q. 8. a. 6).

In other words, when the Church governs in the name of Christ she is truly a proper and principal, though subordinate, cause of her government. Thus, as Spouse of Christ and True Regent of souls on earth, she has the right that we should recognize her authority and should bow down before her. When, on the other hand, through her priesthood and the Sacraments, she communicates grace to us, she is in this, only the instrument used by Christ to vivify our souls. It must, however, be remembered at once that, since the Sacred Humanity of Christ is immediately united to the Word, His Royalty and His Priesthood receive thereby a fullness, a universality and a perfection which can be participated in by the Church only in a limited fashion. St. Thomas points out that Christ rules the men of all places, times, and states, while the heads of the Church either govern only in certain places for a limited time as Bishops, or without limit as to place, but only for a limited time as is the case with the Pope, the rule of both Pope and Bishops being limited to those living on the earth (III. P. Q. 8. a. 6). Besides, Christ commands by His own authority, for all things are subject to Him. The Rulers of the Church have only the authority communicated to them by Christ.

The influence, then, which Christ exercises on the world, by His Priesthood and His Kingship, surpasses in extent and compass, even here below, the influence of the visible Church. All men, St. Thomas teaches (III. P. Q. 8. a. 3. c. et ad I), belong to Christ, even though they be heretics or pagans, and on them Christ can act in an invisible manner, by providing them with the help they need, in order to be converted, by even raising them to the Divine Life, if their invincible ignorance keeps them outside the one True Church. The Church always remains the centre from which the Divine Life, which is found in its fullness in Christ, radiates throughout the world. By right the Church is universal and her influence here below ever seeks to be co-extensive with that of her Divine Head and Founder. Men are subject to the Priesthood and Kingship of Christ while yet outside the Church, but in order to reap the full benefit, for the spiritual life, of this subjection to Our Lord, one must be fully incorporated into Christ, in accordance with the order He Himself has established. One must be a child of the Church, to which He has confided the infinite riches of the Redemption.

We have previously seen that the Spiritual Kingship of Christ comprises the right of intervention in temporal affairs, in so far as the interests of the Divine Life of souls demand it. Charged by Our Lord with the continuance of His mission here below, the Church, though without direct power in temporal affairs as such, has, nevertheless, by her participation in the Kingship of Christ, the right of intervening in temporal affairs in order to safeguard the interests of the Divine Life. This is the Divine origin of what has been usually called, since the time of St. Robert Bellarmine and Suarez, the Indirect Power of the Pope.

Here it may be well to open a parenthesis concerning the Temporal Sovereignty of the Pope in his own State, so as to preclude any confusion in minds between this Temporal Sovereignty and the Indirect Power of which we are speaking. The Temporal Sovereignty of the Pope in the Vatican State is completely different from his Indirect Power in temporal affairs. It is, however, a consequence of the Pope's participation in the Spiritual Kingship of Christ as His Vicar on earth. The Temporal Sovereignty of the Pope in the Papal States or in the Vatican City is the condition by which alone in normal fashion obstacles and hindrances are removed to the enjoyment of that full immunity bestowed on him by Our Divine Lord when He made St. Peter His Vicar on earth, with the charge of spiritually governing the whole Church. That particular Temporal Sovereignty is the normal condition which Divine Providence has provided for the exercise of the Spiritual Kingship of Our Lord's Vicar. Accordingly, the Pope, who is supreme judge, the world over, directly of spiritual matters, indirectly of temporal affairs, by reason of the spiritual interests involved, is also temporal and civil ruler of a small State. In the latter capacity he stands in a special relation to his civil subjects.

This chapter is a summary of a series of articles which have been running in the [i]Catholic Mind (Dublin) since April, 1931. In those articles free use has been made of the writings of Rev. Ch. V. Héris, O.P., Professor at the Dominican House of Studies of Le Saulchoir, Belgium, with his kind permission.[/i]

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Sermon of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre on the Feast of Christ the King - 1990

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Sermons of Fr. Hewko on the Feast of Christ the King


2014





2016





2017





2018





2019 - Two Masses







2022





2023





2024

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Various Sermons and Conferences by Fr. Hewko on Christ the King

April 16, 2017 - "Christ the King Rises from the Dead"

August 27, 2017 - "Christ the King Our Defender"

September 4, 2017 -  "The Revolution Hates Christ the King"

September 2017 - "Christ is King"

August 8, 2019 - "The Program for the Social Order, The Reign of Christ the King"

January 3, 2020 - "Epiphany, The First Feast Of Christ The King!"

March 28, 2020 - United Nations & Freemasonry vs Christ the King & Catholic Tradition

May 6, 2020 -  "Futile Efforts of the Synagogue of Satan to Eliminate Christ the King"

May 16, 2020 - "The Great Victory of The Cross of Christ The King!"

July 15, 2020 - St. Henry, "An Age of Christ the King, Saints, Kings & Cathedrals!

July 17, 2020 - "16 Carmelite Nuns Guillotined For Love of Christ the King!"

Jan. 15, 2021 -  "Epiphany, The First Feast of Christ The King!"

February 28, 2021 -  "Christ The King, The 'Annointed'!"

July 1, 2021  - "The Call of Christ the King" (Ignatian Retreat)

July 8, 2021 - "The Call Of Christ The King!"  (Ignatian Retreat)




July 10, 2021 "Christ The Only Savior! King of Kings! Resurrected From The Dead!" Ignatian Retreat




October 9, 2022 Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost  "Christ the King, Humble & Strong" (England)




January 2022 - First Friday Of January "1st Feast Of Christ The King"




September 2, 2022 Feast of St. Stephen of Hungary "Political Leaders Must Submit To Christ the King" (MA)




March 24, 2024  Palm Sunday  "Glory, Praise, and Honor Be to Thee, O Christ the King!" (KS)




July 9, 2024  "The Call of Christ the King" Ignatian Retreat




September 19, 2024 "Call of Christ the King, When Bishops Spoke As Bishops" (NH)

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Homily of St. Augustine on Christ the King

Roman Breviary

What a stupendous thing it was for the King of the ages to become King of men! For Christ did not become King of Israel to exact tribute, to equip armies with swords, not subdue visible foes. He became King of Israel that He might rule over men's souls, counsel them about eternity, that He might lead to the kingdom of heaven those who would believe in Him, hope in Him, and love Him. Accordingly it was not to increase His power--it was condescension on His part that made Him, the Son of God, co-equal with the Father, the Word by Whom all things were made--wish to become King of Israel. It was an indication of His mercy; it did not augment his power. He Who on earth was called King of the Jews, in heaven is called Lord of the Angels. But is Christ King of the Jews only, and not King of the Gentiles, too. When in prophecy He said, "But I have established my kingdom upon Sion, My holy mountain. I will make known the decree of the Lord," He added immediately so that the mention of Mount Sion might not lead men to believe He had been anointed King of the Jews solely: The Lord has said to me: Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of me and I will give thee the Gentiles for Thy inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Thy possessions.

Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My followers would have fought that I might not be delivered to the Jews. But as it is, My kingdom is not from here. This is what the good Master wished us to know. First we had to learn how vain was the notion of his kingdom should be hostile either to the Romans or to the Jews. When the Roman governor asked Jesus Art thou king of the Jews, the Lord could have answered: My kingdom is not of this world. But Christ asked in his turn, "Dost thou say this of thyself, or have others told thee of me?" because he wished to show from Pilate's answer that He, Jesus, had been charged with this as a crime before Pilate by the Jews. Thus he laid bare to us the thoughts of men which He knew and which were vain. After the reply of Pilate Jesus replied to them, to both Jews and Gentiles, more fittingly and more opportunely, My kingdom is not of this world.

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Excellent Bulletin from the Sorrowful Heart of Mary Oratory for the Feast of Christ the King!

Excerpts:

Feast of Christ the King

It would be a grave error to say that Christ has no authority whatever in civil affairs. As long as individuals and states refuse to submit to the rule of our Savior, there would be really no hopeful prospect of a lasting peace among nations. - P.P Pius XI, Quas Primas


Against what specific evils of our time is the establishment of this feast mainly directed?

• The denial of Christ’s authority to rule all nations
  
• The denial of the right of the Church to teach the human race, to make laws, to rule over peoples unto their eternal salvation
  
• The putting of the religion of Christ on a footing with false religions
  
• The putting of the religion of Christ under civil authority
  
• The setting up of a natural religion in place of the Divine religion
  

Impiety and neglect of God, with their attendant evils of enmities and rivalries between nations, of insatiable greed masquerading as public spirit and patriotism, of discord and division between citizens, of blind unrestrained self-love, which makes private gain and private advantage its one aim and universal standard, of unhappiness in homes through neglect of domestic responsibilities, of the loss of stability in family life - all leading to the total destruction of human society


What, in brief, is the object of the feast?
To stamp out the plague of anti-clericalism and secularism which infests modern society, to bring men to acknowledge and to vindicate the rights of Christ over individuals and over peoples and thus establish “the peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ”.


Why is a Sunday chosen for the feast?
In order that not only may the clergy perform their duty by saying Mass and reciting the Office, but that the laity, too, free from their daily occupations, may in a spirit of holy joy give ample testimony of their obedience and subjection to Christ.


Why is the last Sunday of October chosen?
Because it occurs towards the close of the liturgical year, and thus the feast of the Kingship of Christ becomes a fitting completion and consummation of the mysteries of the life of Christ already commemorated during the year, and before celebrating the triumph of All the Saints we proclaim and extol the glory of Him who triumphs in all the saints and in all the elect. - Rev. M. S. Canon McMahon, 1930

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He Must Reign, But They Have Uncrowned Him

Following the principles set forth from the Second Vatican Council on religious liberty, today’s leaders of the Church reject the traditional teaching on Our Lord’s Social Kingship. They say that now we have a plurality of religions, so we can no longer request States to recognize the Catholic Church as the only true religion; that now, we must deal with this very pragmatically. In the exchange below, Archbishop Lefebvre was told by the Nuncio of Switzerland (while in the presence of Pope John Paul II) that Pope Pius XI would no longer write his encyclical on Christ the King today. That now, the times are different; the State is different; and the Holy Father agreed with him! For these Modernists, the Church's traditional teaching on Christ's Kingship is a thing of the past, a threatening principle that is in direct opposition to the globalist agenda for a pluralistic society. They simply do not want Christ as King and their new conciliar religion has uncrowned Him.

The Apostolic Nuncio of Switzerland: "You understand, the Social Kingship of Our Lord - that is impossible now, perhaps in the distant future? Right now, this Reign is in individuals; we have to open ourselves up to the masses … It is very difficult now."

Archbishop Lefebvre: “You see - he no longer believes in it: It is an 'impossible' or a 'very difficult' dogma, 'which now would not be written anymore!' And how many people think like this today! How many are incapable of understanding that the Redemption of Our Lord Jesus Christ must be brought about with the help of civil society; and that the State therefore must become, within the limits of the temporal order, the instrument of the application on the work of Redemption. They answer you: "Oh, those are two different things; you are mixing politics and religion!" - "They Have Uncrowned Him"

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Such departure from the perennial Catholic understanding of Christ's Kingship on the Nuncio’s part is indicative of the revolutionary mindset that hijacked Church teaching at the Second Vatican Council, which during its third session, tragically witnessed Pope Paul VI even surrendering his Papal Tiara; the quintessential symbol of the union of his spiritual and temporal powers, to placate those who objected to his munus regendi (the duty of the Pope to shepherd, based on Christ's role as King). This public gesture speaks more loudly than words.

For, it gave the impression that he was renouncing his sovereignty not only over the Church but also over earthly kings and queens (the State); while at the same time allowing the progressivists at the Council who challenged the doctrine on papal supremacy to believe that their subversive ideas would one day be legitimately approved by the Church. And so, it transpired that all of Paul VI's successors on the throne of Peter from then on to this day refused to wear the Triple Crown, which is now disdainfully held in contempt, tucked away in the Vatican Museum.

As a symbol of the rightful exaltation of the Church, the Tiara points not to only the person of the Pope, but to his office and beyond that to the One Who founded the Church, whom he represents. This symbol of royalty was seen in Tradition as a visual aid for the mind to assimilate the transcendent truth of Our Lord's Kingship exercised by His Vicar on earth.

But during the Council, so-called theological experts (periti) such as Bishop Karol Wojtyła (Pope John Paul II) and Fr. Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) led the way in condemning the Tiara as a symbol of "dangerous triumphalism" and antiquated doctrine.

As Pope Benedict, Ratizinger continued this contempt that he held as a young revolutionary firebrand, acting under the auspices of Cardinal Frings who was President of the German Bishops’ Conference and a strong opponent of Roman centralism (the doctrine of papal primacy). According to Fr. Ratzinger, the symbolism of the Tiara would jeopardize the success of two key progressivist errors that both he and Frings wished to promote at the Council, and which go hand-in-hand: Collegiality and Ecumenism.

Nevertheless, the Church has consistently condemned these liberal ideals which in the name of a false religious liberty demand acceptance of the separation of Church and State; and the Marxist concept of collegiality which degrades the office of the Supreme Pontiff by placing him on the same level as just another bishop among bishops.

The instinctive sensus catholicus alarms proved accurate, for it's clear that the subversive tactics used to achieve the Council's “Declaration on Religious Liberty” (Dignitatis Humanae) were explicitly done to suppress the traditional papal teaching on the social reign of Christ the King. With this promulgation, the doctrine that all rulers and statesmen have an obligation to give public honor and obedience to Christ was abolished. This perennial teaching of the traditional Magisterium was overthrown in order to open the Church to the revolutionary values of the modern world. We are living in the aftermath.

Now, thanks to this novel, heterodox teaching, very few Catholics today would even think of rallying behind the banner of Christ the King. Such loyalty to the one-true Faith is taught by progressivists as completely unacceptable, and that any display of papal supremacy – spiritual or temporal – is now an outdated notion regarded as a “dangerous” hinderance to global unity, or as an "impossible" and "very difficult" principle by the world’s standards.

Yet, these are the principles of treason to Christ the King. They are the ideals of traitors who directly contradict the perennial Church teaching of Quas Primas; the very same apostolic doctrine which inspired generations of Catholic faithful to defend the Church at all costs. So bravely portrayed in the cruel martyrdoms of English Recusants in the Tudor/Elizabethan Terror; or in the courageous Catholic and Royal Army of insurgents in the Vendée French Resistance; or in the fidelity of Fr. Miguel Pro and so many of his fellow Cristeros. May God grant us all the grace to follow their heroic example. - adapted & edited: Born of Revolution, Vol 2; Dr. C. Byrne


Related: The First Liturgical Breach of Christ's Social Kingship: https://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTop...gue_43.htm and continued Here

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A blessed Feast of Christ the King to you all!