Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The Gospel from Luke 23:35-43, recounts the crucifixion. Beneath Jesus, the crowds mock, shame, and ridicule him. Roman soldiers and onlookers jeer, and the impenitent thief crucified beside him says, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.”
In such a moment, it would be easy to fall into despair and accept the world’s conclusion that death is the end. Yet the other thief turns to Jesus in humility, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus responds with the revelation of God’s enduring love: “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” This same enduring mercy is available to us whenever we cry out to Jesus.
We live in a world inundated with information, yet so much of it fails to offer true good news. When we lift our eyes to Christ the King and rely on him, we rediscover the hope of his promises. From that hope flows our call to confront injustice, carrying the light of Christ and the assurance of eternal life into a world that longs for both.
This Solemnity invites us to examine our gaze: Have we fixed our eyes on the King of the Universe?
As we prepare to enter the anticipation of the Advent season, today offers us a beautiful moment to reorder our lives—remembering where we belong, and to whom we belong: Christ, the King of the Universe!
