Nov 24 – Solemnity of Christ The King
Christ The King is a title of Jesus based on several passages of scripture and used by all Christians. The name is found in various forms in scripture: King Eternal (1 Timothy 1:17), King of Israel (John 1:49), King of the Jews (Matthew 27:11), King of kings (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16), King of the Ages (Revelation 15:3), and Ruler of the Kings of the Earth (Revelation 1:5).
Many denominations including Catholics, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and some Lutherans and Methodists celebrate the Feast of Christ the King on the last Sunday of the liturgical year.
The ideological movement of Christ’s Kingship was addressed in Pope Pius XI’s encyclical Quas Primas (‘In The First’). In it, he quotes with approval St. Cyril of Alexandria, noting that Jesus’ Kingship is not obtained by violence: “Christ has dominion over all creatures, a dominion not seized by violence nor usurped, but his by essence and by nature.”
Pope Benedict XVI has remarked that Christ’s Kingship is not based on “human power” but on loving and serving others. The perfect exemplar of that acceptance is the Virgin Mary, he pointed out. Her humble and unconditional acceptance of God’s will in her life, the Pope noted, was the reason that “God exalted her over all other creatures, and Christ crowned her Queen of heaven and earth”.
- Wikipedia
Dan 7:13-14
Apo 1:5-8
Jn 18:33-37
“But my kingdom is not of this kind.”
Today would have been my father’s 83rd birthday. 9 years on from his passing, I recently found myself wondering, ‘What if he were still alive today? Would my life be different?’
The past few months have been a tough, uphill slog. Since we decided to sell the family house, I have been busy discarding things and packing up stuff for storage. The house is filled with items which mum and dad (well, mostly mum) acquired over the 40 years we lived in it. Dad’s paintings have been taken down and my sis has restored some of them. Photo frames have been wiped clean and prepared to be packed up or given away. I also unearthed a collection of trophies and awards dad received during his glittering public service career.
My brother and his wife recently came back from Perth as well, to clear up their room and that has added to the items for ‘giving away’ or to bring to the new house. Needless to say, the house is now filled with boxes and random stuff lying around. Amidst all this shedding, mum has also been making decisions on our new living space, asking for help on administrative matters involving general maintenance and opening/closing of utilities.
Added to all this, my ongoing work responsibilities, as well as ministry commitments, have begun to pile up. Last week, I found myself at my centre every evening/night attending a meeting or a practice P&W session. In a nutshell, I have been struggling to find a ‘place of solitude’ of my own. Even my regular gym sessions and vocal classes (on Saturday mornings) have had to be cancelled.
That said, I recently messaged my vocal coach (while on holiday) to thank him for his fatherly guidance all these years…and told him that I find much joy, and solace, in singing.
Amidst all this ‘uncertainty’ and constant to-ing and fro-ing, one thing I have appreciated is to be a lot more present/settled in prayer – whether in a P&W session or just saying the rosary (even if it is one decade). I have begun to fathom how in such seemingly desolate times, God reveals even more of His hand in my life. And while I have been missing my dear, departed dad of late, it is my heavenly Father who has continued to beckon, to coax and to then embrace me in His loving arms. How else do I explain a recent invitation to sing with another choir, after a dinner invite from a new ministry member had to be moved? God truly knew what I needed – to just offer up my gifts without having to worry about anything else.
Brothers and sisters, our heavenly Father truly knows what’s best for us, especially in trying times. I never truly appreciated my father until he went back to heaven…and I sometimes wish I could have him back in my life, just to have a final heart-to-heart. But I know that God is facilitating that conversation for me through prayer…and in my ongoing relationship with Him.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Desmond Soon)
Prayer: We pray for all those who have lost their father. That God may heal, lead and guide them on their journeys and bless them with His everlasting love and peace. Thanksgiving: We give thanks for our fathers and godfathers. May we always honour them while they remain with us.
OXYGEN 
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