King of My Life

A Reflection on the Gospel for Sunday, November 20th, 2022:
The Solemnity of Christ the King

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Luke
23.35-43

The leaders scoffed at Jesus saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked Jesus, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Language interests me; so, for better or worse, I often find myself ruminating on the words people choose to use. For years, a popular brand of soap claimed in its ads that it was 99.44% pure. We happened to use this brand of soap in our household when I was growing up, and I felt (bizarrely) proud of the fact that our chosen soap was pure — until the day I stopped to think about the words of that advertisement, and a question immediately popped into my mind: 99.44% pure what? Pure soap?

This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. It is the last Sunday in the liturgical year. The following Sunday, we will celebrate the First Sunday of Advent and transition to a new year with a whole new cycle of readings.

I have been aware for decades of the privileged position of the Feast of Christ the King in our liturgical year. However, full disclosure here, it wasn’t until this year that I had my “Ivory Soap” moment, and I stopped to think: Christ the King of what, exactly?

What is Christ king of for me?

My mind started clicking through hymn lyrics — King of Heaven, King of Creation, King of the Universe — but still I wasn’t satisfied. King of the World? No, that was Leonardo DiCaprio. And, besides, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). 

And then I thought, “It has to be ‘King of my life.’” That made sense; we often hear that we need to “make Jesus the centre of our lives,” so naturally He would be the King of my life if I’ve done this.

But that led me to another question: when we make the choice to invite Christ to be the King of our lives, what does it actually mean, for us?

Well, certainly, I know what it doesn’t mean. Jesus isn’t King of my life if I hive Him off into an hour a week. He’s not King of my life if I’m as nice as anything to people at Sunday Mass and then rolling my eyes at my work mates on Monday morning. He’s not King of my life if I “do it my way” and call on Him only when my way isn’t working. No.

Jesus is King of my Life when all my thoughts, all my words and all my actions are an open book for Him, not simply to see, but to write.

Jesus, this Sunday, when I celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, remind me that you are the King of my Life. Write Your Name on my heart, and point it out to me whenever I forget it. And give me the courage always to declare it to the world in thought, in word and in action.


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Donna Davis

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