The Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, brings the Church’s year to a close, and calls us to celebrate again Jesus’s victory over suffering and death. As servants, we offer all that we are, and invite him to reign within our hearts, so that we can play our part in bringing God’s truth, love, justice and peace to the world.

Foretelling the coming of Jesus, the First Reading describes Daniel’s vision of a ‘son of man’ coming on the clouds of heaven to be crowned King, with everlasting sovereignty, ruling over an empire that will never be destroyed. Such is his glory that people of all nations and languages become his servants.

The Psalm rejoices in the glory of the Lord – the king with majesty enrobed. Through the verses, we are told of the eternal nature of the Lord’s power and the trust we can place in him.

Again in the Second Reading, Jesus is described as coming on the clouds and as ruler of the kings of the earth. The depth of his love for us has been shown by his sacrifice on the cross, and brings us ever closer to the God who is, who was, and who is to come.

In the Gospel, we witness the scene in which Pilate asks Jesus the question, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ In his reply, Jesus speaks of a kingdom in which those who seek the truth listen to his voice and follow his ways.

This week, we ask God for the grace to open our hearts and minds to the needs of those who do not yet know his voice. We pray that by the service of our lives we will draw others to his loving embrace.