+ I would like to begin my homily by having you think about "creation" – all of it:
the sun, the moon, the stars, the oceans, the mountains; the plants, the flowers, the trees; the fish, the animals, the birds; and people: all people, everywhere.
Now I would have you continue that thinking process: someone "created" all these things: someone very intelligent, very powerful and very loving – because it all fits together and works together so very well – when operated by instructions given by the creator and maker.
The "someone" who "created" all these things was "God" – He is "Creator," Provider, Sustainer, Father, and Friend. He gives creation – all of it – what it needs to keep going, as created, as intended – if certain conditions are met: which are found in the "Owner's Manual" called: Sacred Scripture, among other important documents.
Now in God's plan for creation he had the idea of making his Son: who was later named Jesus – King of all of it! He could do that because he was the Creator / Father and he had the power to do it, and so he did it. Jesus was made King of the entire Creation / Universe – even before he was born into our world. He has always been King of it, and he always will be King of it. Now when he was finally born here, he started making claim to that kingdom, right away, because it was his, but it was always the opposite way of what people thought he would be doing if he were really king of it all, starting with the fact that he was born in a stable, and not a royal palace; and he died on a Cross, and not in a luxurious hospital setting. His main job, while he was here among us, would be to get everyone on earth ready to meet God one day when a new kind of experience of life would begin – in a new kind of kingdom.
In the "getting ready" process, he would share his authority and power to rule with many men and women – so that people could feel safe and happy and provided for concerning the basics of this life, while making their way to the next one. They could enact laws based on his laws, and act as judges in cases of figuring out the real meaning of things according to the way he made them. But these rulers would be wise never to forget that they are temporary rulers, that their power comes from God, and that he will expect a full accounting of how they used the power given them.
But Jesus' kingdom (or nation or country) was not to be like other kingdoms that we think about in earthy terms (which are geographical territories that have limited power and constantly changing rules); his Kingdom would not be an external kingdom (made up of palaces and servants, and subjects) but an internal one: a kingdom of the heart and mind and spirit: it would be a very special sharing by everyone of what is really true about every subject and topic, of a living of life that could not even possibly be imagined beforehand, of holiness (which is simply a wonderful sensing and feeling that, through and through, we know who we are, and we are very happy because we are God's children, of the power of doing good constantly flowing through us and helping us in all situation, of being completely fair and just with everyone all the time, loving and willing to help everyone and at peace with ourselves and with each other and God and his saints and the angels FOREVER!
WOW! What a wonderful kingdom! And this is what we celebrate today on this Feast of Jesus Christ King of the Universe, King of our Families, King of our hearts, minds, bodies, spirits and King of all people everywhere – whether they even know about or have heard about Jesus.
He is everyone's King!
We thank God our Father for sending Jesus to be our Savior and our King, and our Friend. And we thank them for sending the Holy Spirit to us so that we could have the power to be loving subjects of this amazing and different, never ending and reaching everyone, everywhere - kind of Kingdom.
Perhaps we can promise Christ the King today to put our thanks into practice by listening to his voice, hearing the truth and giving evidence of it in our actions which promote holiness of life, doing good for others, establishing true fairness and justice, and deep abiding peace which this world cannot give!
Dominion, glory and kingship belong to Jesus, forever! His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away; his kingship shall not be destroyed! And, if we live like we want it, we shall be a very integral part of it!
God bless you!
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