Christ is Always King

Colossians 1:16-18: "For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent."

Revelation 19:16: "He has a name written on his cloak and on his thigh, King of kings and Lord of lords."

Split Level Living

There is an amazing little book written by Fr. Dom Wulstan Mork called Transformed by Grace. In it, Fr. Mork begins with a claim that Western Catholics often live in two different modes of existence. The first mode is the spiritual life, the times when we go to Mass, pray the Rosary, or perform any other explicitly pious action. The second mode is the secular world, the times when we work, drive the car, shop for groceries, pay bills, or handle the ordinary tasks that fill our days.

His critique is painfully accurate. Many of us profess Jesus Christ as Lord and may even volunteer as catechists on Sundays, but we often struggle to bring these two worlds together. We live a split level existence where faith is kept on the top floor and the rest of life remains below. God receives attention during moments that feel sacred, but our routines throughout the week operate by different rules.

This tendency to compartmentalize our faith is understandable, especially in a culture that encourages us to view spirituality as private and personal. Still, a vital question remains. Is this the kind of life we are truly called to live? Are we meant to stay divided within ourselves simply because we are not monks or clergy?

If we take an honest look within, many of us will admit the same truth. We do not want to separate our faith from the rest of our lives, yet we find it difficult to avoid doing so. The desire is real, but integration feels out of reach. We want Christ to rule every part of our life, not only the parts that look religious, but we are not always sure how to begin.

Inviting Christ to Be King

The Feast of Christ the King offers a powerful reminder about who Jesus truly is. He is not only a wise teacher or a comforting spiritual presence. He is the One through whom all things were made and in whom all things are held together. His kingship is not symbolic or poetic. It is an eternal fact.

In 1925, Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King in response to the rise of secularism. His age looks very similar to ours. In his encyclical Quas Primas, he wrote with clarity and conviction:

"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."

This is not simply devotional language. It serves as a blueprint for a fully integrated Catholic life.

Pius XI teaches that Christ’s kingship is not meant to reach only certain parts of us. He is meant to reign in every dimension of who we are. Our thoughts, desires, choices, habits, relationships, work, rest, hopes, fears, and even the smallest daily routines are meant to fall under His authority.

The liturgy this Sunday calls us back to this truth. Christ reigns whether we acknowledge Him or not. His kingship does not depend on our consent. It is declared by the Father. We do not vote Him into leadership. We do not negotiate His authority. He is King of kings and Lord of lords, the Alpha and the Omega, and the One who will judge the living and the dead.

Yet the most astonishing part of Christianity is not only that Christ reigns over the universe. He desires to reign personally within each human heart.

The Call to an Integrated Life

How do we move from a divided, compartmentalized existence toward a life that is fully unified under the kingship of Jesus Christ?

1. Recognize that everything already belongs to Him:

Colossians teaches that all things were created through Christ and for Christ. This includes every detail of ordinary life. When we remember that everything is under His sovereignty, we begin to see all of life as an opportunity for communion with Him.

2. Practice the presence of God intentionally:

Integration begins with awareness. Brother Lawrence wrote that holiness is found in the ordinary tasks of daily life when we offer them to God with love. Start with small moments. Say a short prayer before a meeting. Offer your commute to God. Thank Christ for the people in your life, including the difficult ones.

3. Bring virtue into your work place:

Your job is not a distraction from holiness. It is the primary place where your holiness is formed. Allow Christ to reign through the way you speak, the patience you show, the ethics you choose, the excellence you pursue, and the discipline you maintain. He desires to be King not only on Sunday but also in your office, classroom, worksite, or home.

4. Reorder your loves:

Pope Pius XI reminds us that Christ must reign in our hearts. This requires dethroning the false kings that often take His place. These include comfort, control, reputation, pleasure, fear, or ambition. These things can be good, but they become destructive when we treat them as ultimate. Once Christ becomes our first love, everything else finds its proper order.

5. Build habits that connect, not habits that divide:

Your morning routine, your meals, your workouts, your rest, and your responsibilities can all become moments of grace. A workout becomes an act of stewardship. A family meal becomes a moment of communion. A difficult day becomes an opportunity for offering your suffering to God. Holiness is not about escaping daily life. It is about allowing Christ to transform it.

Sons in the Son

The Feast of Christ the King ultimately calls us to remember who we are. We are sons and daughters of the King. We are not spiritual orphans trying to hold life together by our own effort. We belong to the One who truly holds all things together. Because we belong to Him, our entire life is meant to be lived under His kingship.

To let Christ reign does not diminish us. It brings us into the fullness of who we were created to be.

This Sunday, as the Church proclaims the “King of kings and Lord of lords,” may we ask for the grace to live with one heart, one mind, and one life that is unified, undivided, and fully surrendered to the eternal King who reigns forever.