From the Friars: Christ the King

Jesus said, “the Kingdom of God is within you.” (Lk17:21) As we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, we can ask ourselves if Jesus really is the King of my interior life, of my soul? St. Augustine taught that the soul has three powers, or faculties, which reflect the Holy Trinity. These are the memory, the intellect and the will. We can examine each part of our soul to see who or what is in fact ruling there.

The memory is like God the Father because it is the beginning and source of all human activity. It is the power to make present ideas and images in my mind. If Jesus is to be King of my memory, I must choose to make present only that which is pleasing to Him. Not only must we reject the impure and sinful but also strive to keep in mind what is good, beautiful and true. Discipline of the memory, which includes the imagination, is an essential first step in living a holy life. (Phil 4:8)

The intellect is like God the Son, the Eternal Word, the Truth and the Light of the World. And only by His Light do we come to fully understand reality. When a child asks her mother “why?” and the mother replies, “because I said so,” the little girl may accept this or not. When Jesus Christ speaks, there is no doubt that we hear the truth. (Jn 6:68-69)

Our free will is like the Holy Spirit, the Bond of Love. In His agony in the garden, Our Lord shows us a powerful example of union of His human will with the Divine Will. “Father, … not my will but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42) To have the strength to reject evil and choose the loving thing is to be truly free. The world thinks freedom is to be able to do as one pleases. But Jesus tells us, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” (Jn 8:34)

Our Blessed Mother is Queen of Heaven and Earth because her Son is King of her soul. May we too submit to His Kingship so as to reign with Him.

Amen.

–Fr. Peter