All Things Were Created Through Him and For Him

11-23-2025Weekly ReflectionFr. Manasseh lorchir, VC

As it is customary with the liturgical calendar of the Church, we bring to a successful close the Liturgical Year “C” with the celebration of the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. This Solemnity, also simply referred to as Christ the King, was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 with his encyclical Quas Primas in order to off er the Church’s response to growing secularism and atheism. Pope Pius desired that the world and particularly all Christians remember that while governments come and go, Christ reigns as King forever. During the twentieth century, secularistic regimes threatened not just the Catholic Church and its faithful in countries like Mexico, Russia, and some parts of Europe. Quas Primas assured the despairing Christians that while governments around them crumbled the universal kingship of Christ is destined to endure permanent duration.

The Universal Kingship of Christ, which is rooted in the Incarnation, is demonstrated by the evidence of Scripture in the First Reading at Mass this weekend as David the ancestor of Christ in the flesh is made king of the whole of Israel to lead them against all adversaries. The Lord God Himself would later promise to make his dynasty last forever. As David’s descendants failed to take a[ er their ancestor in their relationship with God, the Father promised to rule over His people Himself. With the Incarnation of the Eternal Word who took our flesh so that God may dwell among us, this promise was beautifully and perfectly fulfilled. This is why Paul in the second Reading describes Him as the image of the invisible, the firstborn of all creation through whom and for whom all things were made, and it is by the will of the Father that He has transferred us from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of light. We see Christ exercising this prerogative by conferring upon a convicted thief (sinner) heirship to His kingdom of light even while dying on the cross.

As we celebrate the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, the Holy Church invites us to remember in our prayers and hearts those who suffer persecution for their beliefs all over the world, especially Christians who are persecuted for their faith in a world that is increasingly drifting into practical atheism. Here in the United States, it seems like “inclusivist” ideas which dictates that faith is a private matter to every individual who is required to not speak of or practice it in public so as not to offend others who ironically throw their own beliefs in his face. This is what many understand religious freedom to be: the shielding away from public view the practice of the Christian faith while others are allowed to publicly declare what they believe. Our Catholic faith is a public faith, it was for the purpose of evangelizing the world that Christ founded His Church and so the Church is alive only when her members are allowed to preach the Good News without hindrance not only by word of mouth but more practically by witnessing. The Catholic faith as envisioned by Christ was not designed to be compartmentalized into private and public practice, it was meant to be witnessed to all at all times.

Elsewhere, Christianity is facing persecution while the world watches silently. In my home country of Nigeria, there is an active persecution of the Christian faith going on. There are similar stories coming out of many other nations.

If our submission to the Reign of Christ should be total, it will spur us to pray and extend a hand of fellowship to those experiencing persecution for the practice of their faith in this country and elsewhere. May Christ truly reign in our hearts and may submission to His holy will lead us to become agents of His love and peace to all.

Please be kind and may God bless you.