Solemnity of Christ the King
Confirmation – Sacred Heart Glyndon
November 23, 2025
Christ the King
You are being confirmed on the beautiful feast of Christ the King. But what does it mean to call Jesus a king? Well, we think of kings as rich and powerful. In history, kings were often warriors. They lived in palaces and wore crowns and elaborate robes. Some were kind and just. But many were tyrants.
Jesus was not like that. He had no money and no place to lay his head. He wore no elaborate robes but a simple tunic. He wore no crown of gold but a crown of thorns. Yet he was and is more powerful than any king who ever lived.
That is because Jesus is truly the Son of God. He was with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit from all eternity. God the Father shared everything with his Son. It was through him that God made the world and through him that God redeemed the world. And God the Father bestowed on his Son an eternal kingdom. But what kind of a kingdom? Not an earthly kingdom but a heavenly kingdom. In this Kingdom of Christ, love reigns. Love conquers all. This is the kingdom we pray for in the Our Father when we say, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.”
The Crucified King
Unlike any other king, Jesus allowed himself to be crucified. He willingly died on the Cross to save us from our sins. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, that kingdom where love conquers evil and grace conquers sin. Many who looked at Jesus on the Cross, thought he was defeated. People jeered at Jesus: ‘If you are a king,’ they said, ‘save yourself.’ What Jesus was actually doing was saving us from sin and death. While still on the Cross he forgave the repentant thief. ‘This day you will be with me in paradise,’ Jesus said to him.
Which Kingdom Do We Belong To?
The great choice in life is which kingdom we will belong to. Will we belong to the kingdom of darkness or the kingdom of light? Will we belong to the kingdom of love or the kingdom where hatred and every other kind of evil reigns? We see our choice in the two thieves crucified on either side of Jesus. One mocked Jesus. The other asked for his forgiveness and followed him to paradise.
Today, in Confirmation, you receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit to help you choose to live in Jesus’ Kingdom every day of your lives. The gifts of the Holy Spirit, first given to you in Baptism, are ‘confirmed’ in you—they are made deeper, stronger, a part of who you will always be. The gifts of the Holy Spirit help you choose to be a part of God’s kingdom right now, when you are still growing up, and later on when you are an adult. With the strength of the Holy Spirit, for example, you will choose to come to Mass on Sunday, to ask forgiveness of your sins in Confession, and always to try to do the right thing for the right reason. With the help of the Holy Spirit, you will be generous to those in need. And you will ask the Holy Spirit to help you find out what your vocation is, what your calling from God is – perhaps to be a priest or religious or to get married and have a family. The choice to be a part of God’s Kingdom has to be made every day by how we live our lives, what we think is important, how we treat others.
Cristeros
Almost 100 years ago, there were some very courageous Christians in Mexico. At that time, the Mexican government was trying to do away with the Church. It was persecuting Christians, even putting them to death. Many chose to give their lives for Christ and his Kingdom, including some courageous priests such as St. Miguel Pro. These priests were not soldiers or warriors but pastors who loved their people. They show us what it means to choose Christ as our King, and not anyone or anything else. The last thing they said before they died was, “Long live Christ the King!” Viva Cristo Rey!
I invite you to open your hearts widely to the Holy Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you every day of your life to choose the Kingdom of Christ over everything else. Ask for the grace to say every day of your life, “Viva Cristo Rey!” . . . “Long live Christ the King! May God bless you and keep you always in his love!