Reflection on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ,

By Dr. Francis Mangeni (Jesuit seminarian)

Mother Church today solemnly asks of each one of us to profoundly declare and daily live out our loyalty and love to our beloved King, our Lord Jesus
Christ, forever. The context in which Pope Pius XI established this Feast very much resembles out times. What is more, is that out of the greatest affection, and with the wound of love in our hearts, it is our wish and decision to ever adore our adorable Lord Jesus Christ, with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength.
This is how this Solemnity came to be.
On December 23, 1922, Pope Pius XI issued his encyclical Ubi Arcano Dei Consilio on the peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ. He set out numerous evils plaguing society at the time: wars, social conflicts, famines, epidemics, profanation of Churches, immorality, greed for wealth and power, social injustice, class war, atheism, among others. The panacea to all these was the peace of
Christ (no.33). In his words, ‘33. First, and most important of all, for mankind is the need of spiritual peace. We do not need a peace that will consist merely in acts of external or formal courtesy, but a peace which will penetrate the souls of men and which will unite, heal, and reopen their hearts to that mutual affection which is born of brotherly love. The peace of Christ is the only peace answering this description: “let the peace of Christ
rejoice in your hearts.”
And he summed it all up as follows,

It is possible to sum up all We have said in one word, “the Kingdom
of Christ.” For Jesus Christ reigns over the minds of individuals by His teachings, in their hearts by His love, in each one’s life by the living according to His law and the imitating of His example. Jesus reigns over the family when it, modeled after the holy ideals of the sacrament of matrimony instituted by Christ, maintains unspotted its true character of sanctuary. …Finally, Jesus Christ reigns over society when [people] recognize and reverence the sovereignty of Christ, when they accept the divine origin and control over all social forces’ (no.48).
Building on this Encyclical, Pope Pius XI then issued Quas Primas on
December 11, 2025, in which he briefly referred to the social ills again; but greatly celebrated the good that had been happening lately, on the basis of which he
joyously declared this Feast day:

Since this Holy Year therefore has provided more than one
opportunity to enhance the glory of the kingdom of Christ, we deem it in keeping with our Apostolic office to accede to the desire of many of the Cardinals, Bishops, and faithful, made known to Us both individually and collectively, by closing this Holy Year with the insertion into the Sacred Liturgy of a special feast of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ.” (no.6)
Quas Primas devotes a great deal of it to explaining the Feast, for example:
It has long been a common custom to give to Christ the
metaphorical title of “King,” because of the high degree of perfection whereby he excels all creatures. So he is said to reign “in the hearts of men,” both by reason of the keenness of his intellect and the extent of his knowledge, and also because he is very truth, and it is from him that truth must be obediently received by all mankind. He reigns, too, in the wills of men, for in him the human will was perfectly and entirely obedient to the Holy Will of God, and further by his grace and inspiration he so subjects our free-will as to incite us to the most noble endeavors;’ (no.7) “8. Do we not read throughout the Scriptures that Christ is the King?” (no.8) “9. The testimony of the Prophets is even more abundant;” (no.9) “10. This same doctrine of the Kingship of Christ which we have found in the Old Testament is even more clearly taught and confirmed in the New;” (no.10) “11. Moreover, Christ himself speaks of his own kingly authority: in his last discourse,
speaking of the rewards and punishments that will be the eternal lot of the just and the damned; in his reply to the Roman magistrate, who asked him publicly whether he were a king or not; after his resurrection, when giving to his Apostles the mission of teaching and baptizing all nations, he took the opportunity to call himself king, confirming the title publicly, and solemnly proclaimed that all power was given him in heaven and on earth. These words can only be taken to indicate the greatness of his power, the infinite extent of his kingdom.”
Christ is law-giver, judge and executive (no.14); “15. This kingdom is
spiritual and is concerned with spiritual things;” (no.15) “18. Thus the empire of our Redeemer embraces all men;” (no.18) “19. When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well- ordered discipline, peace and harmony!” (no.19) and “20. If the kingdom of Christ, then, receives, as it should, all nations under its way, there seems no reason why we should despair of seeing that peace which the King of Peace came to bring on earth – he who came to reconcile all things, who came not to be ministered unto but to minister, who, though Lord of all, gave himself to us as a model of humility, and with his principal law united the precept of charity; who said also: “My yoke is sweet and my burden light.” Oh, what happiness would be Ours if all men, individuals, families, and nations, would but let themselves be governed by Christ!” (no.20).
In the Gospel reading (Lk 23:35-43), we see our Lord’s Kingship. His throne is the Cross; that is, He is love without any limit, giving all of Himself to us,
pleading with us, for our own good. He promises immediate access to paradise
to one of those crucified with Him. St. Paul is overflowing with praise in his song
of Christ (Col 1:12-20). And as we sing Psalm 122, we can only look forward to the
new Jerusalem, the new City, the new Kingdom.

And so,
Let our every breath, heartbeat, every bit of our bone and sinew, our
every thought word and deed, praise you Lord Jesus Christ; the trees
standing in permanent praise, the birds in their song and flight, the
rocks hills and mountains, the waters and animals, the landscape
unfurled out up to the horizon; the clouds that come and go, the skies of day and night, the stars; and the entire universe; may we all cry you tears of joy, healing all humankind and all creation; adoring you forever; O Sovereign Lord Jesus Christ, Our Eternal King.