Remember Me: Living the Kingship of Christ Today
Listening the Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Listening the Word: Luke 23:35-43
The rulers sneered at Jesus and said,
"He saved others, let him save himself
if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God."
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
"If you are King of the Jews, save yourself."
Above him there was an inscription that read,
"This is the King of the Jews."
Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
"Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us."
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
"Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal."
Then he said,
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
He replied to him,
"Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise."
Reflection
Today, we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, which marks the end of the liturgical year. Next Sunday, we will begin Advent Season, a time of preparation for Christmas.
Dear brothers and sisters, let me start with an important question: Who reigns in the world? The good or the bad? God or the devil? This feast reminds us that Jesus is the true King who reigns over all. Everything belongs to Him.
Following Jesus is about loving and serving others as we read in the gospel of Luke 23:35-43. The gospel presents two kinds of people, on one side, the rulers and one of the criminals, who say,“He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God.” Which shows their selfishness on their part, while the attitude of Jesus is different. Jesus is not showing off, being served by others, but he is offering everything for others until his death on the cross. He is doing the will of the Father until the end. In like manner, one of the criminals, the good one, who was crucified together with Jesus, acknowledged Jesus' kingship, saying “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” and Jesus answered “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” This criminal shows us the respect and the reverence we must have with the person of Jesus in our lives, asking “Jesus remember me.” All of us know that most of the people remember us because we may have done something good or something very bad. Let us ask ourselves how we would like Jesus to remember us? Like the criminal who humbles himself or the others in arrogance?
Let us ask ourselves, usually how do we remember Jesus? When do we remember Jesus? Usually we remember Jesus because he spent time with those who were marginalized by society—the sick, the sinners, the forgotten, etc. He lifted them up, reminding them that they are children of God, loved beyond any sin, sickness, or failure.
Today as we are sharers of the kingship and priesthood of Christ in the world through our baptism. We are called to live out our kingship in our daily life by being another Christ in the world. We have many chances to put into practice our kingship following the footsteps of Christ, we can go out of our comfort zone not only thinking of the good of our families and our personal good, but of the good of others. Many people nowadays are longing for help not only economically but also spiritually, one word or act of charity. Let us remember those who are suffering in many ways, those who are in difficult situations. May Christ the King remember them. May we remember our king in our everyday journey as we would like Him to remember us. Amen
Reflection Questions
- How would I like Jesus to remember me? Am I living with humility and trust like the good thief, or do I sometimes fall into attitudes of pride and self-centeredness?
- In what concrete ways can I live out the kingship of Christ this week? How can I step out of my comfort zone to serve, lift up, or encourage someone who is suffering or marginalized?
