Homily Christ the King Sunday November 20, 2022
Franklin Fong, OFM
Here we are today celebrating the Feast of Christ the King. Yet, in this day, Jesus fled from those who would make him King. The images we connect with kingly power are confined only to the first two readings this Sunday. By contrast the Gospel portrays Jesus as a crucified man.
So what kind of king is Jesus? How did he come to be crowned a king? We are challenged to think through these questions because we hope to reign with him forever.
At the time of the historical Jesus most of his fellow Israelites were expecting a powerful messiah-king, a direct descendant of the great King David who we heard about in the first reading.
The second reading tells of a triumphant king who has primacy in everything.
In contrast, the Gospel presents a suffering man, mockingly crowned with a crown of thorns.
So what kind of a king is Jesus? Glorious? Suffering and crucified? Can he be both? Or better yet, was he the latter and now the glorious one?
How did he become a glorious king? The spectators below the cross tauntingly invite his suffering “king” to save himself! But, Jesus is wholly concerned with saving the condemned criminal who has responded to him as the suffering Messiah-king.
Jesus wins paradise both for the thief-who-turned-good and for himself. Jesus’ victory is over sin, despair and death. Yes, the person who rules over himself/herself enters into the kingdom of Jesus.
So this feast of Christ the King raises a number of questions concerning power.
What is true power?
Who is powerful?
To what authority are we loyal?
To Whom do we obey?
Why?
Who rules over us and gives us our set of values?
What gives us promise of reigning with Christ forever?
To conclude Jesus radically reinterprets our understanding of the power of God. His is a power of love, of forgiveness, of grace, of peace, and of justice.
In our many spheres of influence we also wield power over the lives of others, If we are not dedicated to service, we sin in the exercise of power . We have the power to oppress or liberate.
So in the coming remaining days of our liturgical year, reflect on how do you use your power in the lives of others?
Brothers and sisters of the Chinese Catholic Community
that is the Good News for Christ The King Sunday !
Alleluia, Alleluia !
Fr. Fong
(中文翻譯.原文以英文為準.)
2022 年 11 月 20 日主日講道 - 基督普世君王節
鄺神父主日道理中譯本
今天，是慶祝基督普世君王節的日子。就正是這一天，耶穌逃離那些擁戴他為君王的人。這主日的兩段經文，可令我們聯想到何謂王權。而福音卻記載着主耶穌被釘在十字架上的經過。
究竟耶穌是位怎樣的君王？祂是如何被加冕為王呢？若希望與基督永遠作君王，我們得要好好思考這兩個問題。
第一篇經文提及耶穌時期，大多數以色列人都期待著一位默西亞-君王，這位默西亞正是達味王的直系後裔。
第二篇講述了一位君王，祂戰無不勝，擁有至高無上的地位。
相比之下，福音卻呈現耶穌戴著荊棘冠冕，受著苦，被眾人嘲諷謾駡。
那麼耶穌是位怎樣的君王呢？祂是滿有榮耀？還是滿受苦難? 衪是既得榮耀，又受苦難？或是祂先受苦難，後得榮耀？
耶稣是如何成為光榮的君王？聖經記載刑埸衆人嘲諷被釘在十字架上的耶穌：＂君王，你來救救自己吧！＂可是，耶穌只關心拯救那被判有罪的罪犯，因為只有他才承認耶穌是默西亞-君王，為他受苦。
耶穌不單為自己，也為改過自新的強盜打了場勝仗。耶穌戰勝了罪惡、絕望和死亡。那些與耶穌同行，管理好自己生命的人，也必能進入上主的國度，得到永生。
基督普世君王節，正好讓我們思考一些關於權力的問題：
什麼是真正的力量？
誰是強大的？
我們忠於什麼權威？
我們服從誰？為什麼？
誰統治我們並賦予我們一套價值觀？
是什麼給了我們與基督永遠作君王的應許？
總而言之，耶穌重新闡釋我們對天主的力量。祂就是愛，寬恕，恩典，和平和公義。
在生活的不同範疇，我們是很有力量影響別人，而這股力量可以是壓迫他人，或是
援助他人。又如果我們沒有致力服務他人，其實這也算是沒有行使力量的過犯呢！
趁禮儀年還有些剩餘日子，我們該做點反思：我們如何發揮力量，影響別人？
親愛的弟兄姊妹, 這是基督普世君王節的喜訊！
亞肋路亞，亞肋路亞！
