In 1925, Pope Pius XI instituted the feast of Christ the King. Celebrated on the last Sunday before Advent, this feast concludes our liturgical year. Pius explained his reasoning for this feast in his encyclical Quas Primas “In the first”.
He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls. Or to use the words of the Apostle Paul, ‘as instruments of justice unto God.’ ~Quas Primas, 33.
1925 was between the World Wars. Secularism and atheism were growing rapidly across Europe. Two great ideas were forming in the general public: man is for himself, or man is for the State. Pope Pius released Quas Primas to call to his Catholic flock. He wanted to realign our hearts with the knowledge that Christ is King. Christ is Lord of the World. All of us, above every other duty to country or even family, belong to Christ.
Building the Church within our Families.
Luke says in his Gospel: “They will be divided, father against son and son against father. Mother against daughter and daughter against mother. Mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law” ~12:53. Despite the fourth commandment to honor our father and mother, duty to God is above us all. Over country, political party, family, friends, career, Christ is King.
Our job as parents is not to execute fierce authority over our children and control them until they move out. It is to teach our children how to serve God. Before we clog up our heads or our children’s heads with politics, we focus on morals. We cannot align ourselves with a political party before we align ourselves with God. Above all earthly authority, Christ is King. He must reign in our minds, our wills, our hearts, our bodies. We are instruments of the Lord, made in His image and likeness.
Our families must recognize Christ as King. We must orient ourselves and raise our children to follow God’s commands, not the world’s. The world is run by flawed men, whether Pope or president. But truth and goodness do not change, no matter who is in authority. Whether it’s 2024 or 2028, Christ is King and Lord of the World. Our duty is to Him, above any and all else. The world is in His hands, no matter who controls what small parts of it.
