Homily for the Feast of Christ the King

Undercover Boss! That’s the name of a relatively new TV reality show where the boss, usually the President or the CEO, goes undercover behind the scenes of his business. Their goal is to find out if business is being conducted effectively and efficiently. You just don’t expect to see the President or CEO of a big corporation dressed in work clothes while they clean toilets, stock shelves or take out the garbage.

Where I work we use mystery shoppers who are paid consultants who arrive at the bank and act like a customer. They score their visit with us to gauge our products and sales culture. For most of our staff, they least expect these “customers” to be mystery shoppers.

Throughout our everyday lives we may encounter a CEO or some well connected community leader and never know it. There may be someone who fits that description sitting next to you in church, ahead of you in the check out line or navigating that same car line at school just like we do.

Today we have arrived at the great feast of Christ the King. We know that Christ never really liked that title nor did he look or act like a king.

But as people of faith, do we honor Christ as King of our lives?

Today’s celebration will bring to an end our “ordinary time” for the cycle of St. Luke. We actually begin Advent next Sunday. The feast of Christ the King is somewhat new; established in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. Although the Church has long celebrated the belief of Christ as King no official feast existed before 1925. Pope Pius XI believed the time was right in post World War I Europe as more and more Catholics were exposed to communism and state secularism. Today we celebrate this feast right before Advent as a reminder that we joyfully await the coming of the newborn King.

In today’s Gospel we are reminded that being a “king” was a crime for which Jesus was crucified. Pilate had an inscription made that was placed above him on the cross which said simply yet sarcastically: This is the King of the Jews. We also hear of the encounter on the cross between Jesus and the two thieves. While one reviled Him; the other humbly and sincerely begged for mercy. And Jesus tells him: “today you will be with me in Paradise”. Tradition assigns the name Dismas to the “good thief”.

When we think of a king we have images of thrones, palaces and majestic crowns. The cross is where we least expect to find a king. The cross is His throne. His crown is far from majestic made of thorns that pierced his skull. His palace was with the peoples, along the roads where he depended on strangers to rest his head.

In his actions as King, Jesus gives us the model of self-giving. As he showed mercy to Dismas, we too are to show mercy to others; even the most incorrigible among us. Did you catch what Dismas said first? He admitted his fault; he confessed. And then he surrendered to the mercy of the King. We will never encounter someone dying on a cross but we will encounter someone frustrated and angry, tired and hungry, lonely and scared. Will we, like the King, show mercy.

Just this past Friday I attended the dedication of the chapel on the grounds of the state prison in Angie, La. Archbishop Hughes said Mass for the men and we celebrated Christ the King. These men, like Dismas, are thieves. Yet they have admitted their sins and turned to their King for mercy. Among thieves, I witnessed Christ the King!

As we prepare for Advent after this Thanksgiving week, will we, prepare ourselves to be of service to others? It is not too late to prepare a meal, invite someone for Thanksgiving dinner or prayerfully prepare our families for the coming of our King.

Today we will celebrate a Baptism. During the rite, we are reminded by the anointing that we share in Christ’s three-fold mission of priest, prophet and king. By our Baptism, we share in Christ’s kingship. May we offer that shared kingship in service to the King, His Church and each other.

Under Cover Boss, mystery shoppers; good ideas and you may never know when they are among you. Jesus as King; not as a king as we envision; the King of the Universe and the King of our lives and our hearts!

To Jesus Christ our Sovereign King!