“Christ the King”

November 30, 2023 at 1:51 p.m.

I’m good at loading too much on my plate. I mean this in both the literal and metaphorical sense. At Thanksgiving Dinner I’ve always got some of every single dish on my plate. I mean this meal only comes around once a year and I’m certainly going to make the most of it! I’m going to quickly move past this topic before this entire blog post turns into a review of Thanksgiving Dinner.

Instead, I’ll focus on putting too much on my plate in the metaphorical sense. I don’t even realize I’m doing it sometimes, but I was reminded early this week. I just recently got married in June! Life with my new husband has been amazing. We spent the whole summer working days and home cooking dinner together most nights. But that shifted with the start of the academic year. Now all the different groups that we’re apart of started up, and our Youth Ministry nights have started up, and his friends watch football some Mondays, and my friends bake together some Tuesdays. Now, each week my husband and I have to stop to look at our calendar together and find the one night a week that we’ll both be home for dinner together. Our lives are filled, and our plates are full.

Maybe you’re wondering what this has to do with the Feast of Christ the King. Well, my realization was this: sometimes I don’t live as though Jesus is the King of my life.

Am I as intentional about scheduling in my time with God as I am about scheduling my time with my husband? Sometimes I try to do things my way. Sometimes I say yes to things without first asking the question, “Is God calling me to do this?” Other things I might feel him prompting me to go out of my comfort zone to help someone in need or stand up for my faith and I chicken out. Then I think about other “what if’s” if I really lived with Christ as my King. My trust in him would be stronger. I’d be able to keep my eyes fixed on him amidst the chaos of life.

Jesus Christ is King. The Gospel reminds us that Christ is a King that will come at the end of time to judge, but I know that I often need a reminder that he is King now. He is the King of mercy, the King of glory, the King of the Universe. Still, more, Jesus wants to be King of my life. He wants to be King of my every moment. He wants to be the King that says, “be at peace.” He wants to rule my life, but he wants to rule it in love, in gentleness, in peace.

May Christ be the King and Ruler of all our hearts. May we not forget that he is not a king who come to simply exert power over their kingdom. He is a King who comes to rule our lives because he alone brings freedom. Happy Feast Day!