Today we celebrate the last Sunday of our liturgical year with the Solemnity of Christ the King. Through all the liturgical seasons and holidays of our Church calendar, we reflect on the life and meaning of Jesus Christ and celebrate, day after day, the special relationship with God that we have as Christ’s disciples. So it is very appropriate that we conclude the Church year acknowledging Christ as our King.

This Solemnity provides us with an opportunity to reflect on not only the majesty of Christ but also what it can and should mean in our lives if Christ truly IS our King.  Do we truly submit ourselves to His authority – allowing His teaching, His example, and the Church He established to guide our decisions and actions – or is He our King in name only?  This Solemnity is also a time to reflect on the tremendous honor and dignity that He allows us to share when we accept His invitation to Communion with Him.

If royalty from another country traveled through Pittsburgh, or even a prominent political figure or celebrity, local media would give it all kinds of attention and many people would go to great lengths just to see the person and be in his/her presence.  Well someone of far greater significance is here with us, in a very real tangible way, every day.  Jesus Christ allows us to see, touch and taste his presence at every celebration of the Mass.  When we open our ears and hearts to His presence in the words of Sacred Scripture and we recognize His true presence – body, blood, soul and divinity – in the Eucharist, we come to realize that there is no person or thing more valuable in our world.  An opportunity to spend time in the presence of our King in this special, intimate way, SHOULD take precedence over any other activity or interest.  Hopefully we make time each day to spend with our King, through daily prayer and even daily Mass when possible.  And in a particular way, on “the Lord’s Day” above all others, we hopefully don’t approach time with our King as just one more thing we need to do, but instead, put Him first, by fully participating in the Mass and scheduling everything else around that special time.