Reflection by Dianne Bergant CSA
Each one of the readings depicts the enthronement of Christ who is revealed as the messiah-king. Until his trial, Jesus himself refused to be identified as king. The royal messianic expectations that prevailed during his lifetime were predominantly political. If he assumed them, his followers might have instigated a rebellion against the Roman occupiers. When finally he did acknowledge his royal identity, he insisted that his rule was not like that of other kings.
Enthroned in heaven, Christ is revealed as the faithful witness to all that God has done and will continue to do. As first-born from the dead, his resurrection is the promise of our own resurrection. The dominion that he received from God is universal and exclusive and it will last forever. When he comes again on the last day, he will be revealed in all his glory.
Christ's kingdom is a kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice and love and peace. We need not stand at a distance from him, afraid to approach because of our human vulnerability. He is the one who loved us so much that he handed himself over to suffering and death so that we might live. He has already brought us to birth in this kingdom through Baptism and he has taught us how to live in it. Today we look to that time when his glory will be revealed, when we will all be gathered into the embrace of God, there to sing praise to that glory forever.
© Dianne Bergant CSA, Source: https://www.liturgyhelp.com/calendar/date/2024Nov24/0/ComDiBer