Jesus Christ is King! For Catholics, this fact is no private devotional consolation, but rather forms the basis for our interaction with every aspect of the world. The Kingship of Jesus has consequences in our lives. It is the authority of Jesus that motivates our actions, our striving for virtue, our works of charity, our prayerful devotion, and even our activity in the public square. His Kingdom is a present reality, as well as something not yet fully realized, which means that whatever our present joys or difficulties might be, we always look to the day of eternity as our true hope, with the confidence that only Christ our eternal King will satisfy that ultimate desire of human hearts.
Though Jesus makes clear in the Gospel today that His Kingdom is not of this world, still His Kingdom is present in this world. On numerous occasions, our Lord tells those listening to Him that the Kingdom of God is among them. This tension is spoken of in theological study as the “already but not yet.” That is, the Kingdom is present on earth, most especially in those places where Jesus is present through the Church’s ministry. And yet we still pray, “Thy Kingdom come,” for only in heaven will the Kingdom of God be made perfect. This reality allows the Church, as is often said, to think in centuries. That is, our Catholic faith in Jesus Christ is valuable in every historical moment and in every culture. In times of peace, of war, of tranquility, of persecution, the Catholic Church endures because her true King is Jesus Christ. This is good news for us here and now.
We Americans have a tendency to view our political landscape in messianic and apocalyptic terms (n.b. – people of every political stripe are equally prone to this way of thinking). This or that leader will be touted as the savior of the country, or the downfall of our civilization. Perhaps, though, we need a bit more of that Catholic historical and eternal thinking. In the here and now, we must build up the Kingdom of God. World history shows us that there have been great civic leaders who understood this assignment very well. Think, for example, of the many kings, queens, and other leaders counted among the Church’s saints: St. Louis of France, St. Edward the Confessor, Good King (St.) Wenceslaus, St. Margaret of Scotland, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, and many more. A few years ago, a viral video showed Andrzej Duda, the president of Poland, attending Mass and preventing accidental desecration of the Eucharist when a host was dropped. The Church can rejoice when civic leaders are striving to live exemplary and devout lives.
While world history might show us some outstanding examples of good leaders, we also know that there are many examples of morally corrupt kings, queens, prime ministers, presidents, and elected officials. In almost every historical era (including our present day in places like Nicaragua and Pakistan – see Aid to the Church in Need for more on the global persecution of Christians) the Church has experienced state-sponsored persecution and even violence. The Church is able to rejoice in those situations not because of the occupants of leadership positions, but because the Kingdom of God is no mere earthly reality. As our Lord reminds us, His Kingdom is not of this world but of the next, and it will be fully realized only on the day of eternity. In those times when the Church suffers persecution, her members look to Christ the King as their true hope and salvation. One of the great martyred heroes of the Mexican Cristero war was Bl. Miguel Pro, a Jesuit priest whose dying words at his execution were “¡Viva Cristo Rey!”
Whether the circumstance is perfect peace, violent persecution, or the ordinary challenges of life, we Catholics are called to embrace the tension of living in the already but not yet. That is, we are called to bring Jesus into the world, to further the building up of the Kingdom here and now, while also keeping our eyes fixed on the heavenly promise of the Kingdom that is to come. Jesus Christ is our King, now and forever!
