In Festo Domini Nostri Jesu Christi Regis ~ I. classis
“Hoc est enim regnum Dei in vobis.” (Luke 17:21)
On this Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King, celebrated with the highest rank (I. classis) in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, the Church directs our gaze to the eternal sovereignty of the Word made flesh. The propers of this day, drawing from the Epistle to the Colossians and the Gospel of St. John, present a profound paradox: the King whose throne is the Cross, whose scepter is the Reed, and whose kingdom is not of this world, yet encompasses all creation.
As we contemplate the readings of the day, we find that the Kingship of Christ is not merely a title of honor, but the ontological reality of His dominion over the cosmos and the intimate reign of grace within the human soul.
The Cosmic Dominion: Christ as Head of All Creation
The Epistle of the day (Col 1:12-20) offers a majestic hymn to the divinity and supremacy of Christ. St. Paul writes:
“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love: In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. For in him were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, dominations, principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and in him. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he may hold the primacy.” (Col 1:13-18, Douay-Rheims)
Here, the Apostle establishes the universal scope of Christ’s Kingship. He is not a local monarch, but the Imago Dei, the very image of the Father. St. John Chrysostom, in his homilies on Colossians, marvels at this mystery, noting that Paul does not say Christ was “made” king, but that He is the King by nature, for “in Him were all things created.”
Chrysostom comments: “He is before all things… that in all things He may have the preeminence.” The Saint explains that Christ’s primacy is twofold: by right of creation, as the Architect of the universe, and by right of redemption, as the Victor over sin and death. The “firstborn from the dead” signifies that His Resurrection inaugurates a new creation, a kingdom where death no longer holds sway.
St. Augustine, in his City of God, echoes this cosmic vision, teaching that the true peace of the universe is found only in the submission of all things to their Creator. “The peace of all things,” he writes, “is the tranquility of order; and order is the disposition of equal and unequal things, in such a way as to give to each its proper place.” Christ, as King, restores this order which was fractured by the Fall.
The Kingdom of Truth: Pilate’s Question and the Divine Answer
The Gospel reading (John 18:33-37) brings this cosmic reality into the courtroom of history, before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. The scene is stark: the King of Glory stands bound, accused by the very creatures He made.
Pilate asks, “Art thou a king then?” Jesus answers with the clarity of divine truth: “Thou sayest that I am a king. For this was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice.” (John 18:37)
This exchange reveals the unique nature of Christ’s Kingdom. When Pilate asks if His kingdom is not of this world, the Savior confirms it: “My kingdom is not from hence” (John 18:36). St. Augustine interprets this not as a denial of Christ’s authority over the world, but as a distinction in origin and end. The kingdoms of this world are built on force, ambition, and temporal power; the Kingdom of Christ is built on Truth and Love.
St. Thomas Aquinas, in his Catena Aurea, gathers the wisdom of the Fathers on this passage. He notes that Christ’s kingship is spiritual because it rules the mind and the will through truth. As the Fathers teach, “Truth” here is not merely intellectual assent, but the Person of Christ Himself, who is Veritas. To hear His voice is to submit one’s will to the Divine Will.
St. Leo the Great, in his sermons, reminds us that Pilate represents the worldly power that judges the Divine, yet it is Pilate who is judged by the Truth standing before him. The King does not come to conquer by the sword, but to liberate the captive soul by revealing the Truth that sets men free.
The Reign of Grace and the Duty of Submission
What, then, does this Kingship mean for the faithful? The Catechism of the Council of Trent teaches that the Church is the Kingdom of Christ on earth, established for the salvation of souls. To acknowledge Christ as King is not merely an act of devotion, but a total surrender of the self.
Just as St. Paul speaks of being “translated into the kingdom of the Son of his love,” we are called to live as citizens of this heavenly realm while dwelling on earth. This requires a rejection of the “power of darkness”—the world, the flesh, and the devil—and a wholehearted adherence to the Truth.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a Doctor of the Church, beautifully articulates the sweetness of this reign: “To serve God is to reign.” In the modern age, where relativism often denies absolute truth, the proclamation of Christ the King is a necessary correction. We must recognize that there is no area of life—public or private—that falls outside the jurisdiction of Christ.
Practical Application for the Faithful
How shall we honor this Sovereign today?
- Submission of the Intellect: Since Christ is the King of Truth, we must strive to align our thoughts with the Magisterium of the Church. We reject the spirit of the age that elevates opinion over dogma.
- Reparation for Blasphemy: The Kingship of Christ is often denied in public life. We offer our prayers and sacrifices for the conversion of nations and the restoration of Christian civilization.
- Interior Devotion: We invite Christ to reign in our hearts. As the Collect of the day prays, we ask that “we may be subject to Thy laws” and “attain to the joys of Thy kingdom.”
Let us imitate the saints who, like St. Thomas More, chose death rather than deny the Kingship of Christ over conscience. Let us wear the “uniform” of the faithful, bearing the sign of the Cross as our badge of allegiance.
Conclusion
On this feast of the First Class, as the bells ring out and the incense rises, we proclaim with the Church: Christus Vincit, Christus Regnat, Christus Imperat! (Christ Conquers, Christ Reigns, Christ Commands!).
May the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, obtain for us the grace to hear His voice and follow Him, until we behold Him face to face in the glory of His eternal Kingdom, where He shall reign forever and ever.
O God, who willed that Thy Only Begotten Son should take upon Himself our flesh and suffer upon the Cross, that Thou mightest redeem the human race; grant, we beseech Thee, that we may ever reverence the sacred humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and may deserve to reign with Him in glory. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.