The Last Sunday of October: The Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King

[Stone]

~The Feast of Christ the King~

"That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in Heaven, on earth and under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10-11


Christ Himself speaks of His Own kingly authority: in His last discourse, speaking of the rewards and punishments that will be the eternal lot of the just and the damned; in His reply to the Roman magistrate, who asked Him publicly whether He were a king or not; after His resurrection, when giving to His Apostles the mission of teaching and Baptizing all nations, He took the opportunity to call Himself king, confirming the title publicly, and solemnly proclaimed that all power was given Him in Heaven and on earth. These words can only be taken to indicate the greatness of his power, the infinite extent of His kingdom. What wonder, then, that He Whom St. John calls the "prince of the kings of the earth" appears in the Apostle's vision of the future as He Who "hath on His garment and on His thigh written 'King of kings and Lord of lords!'." It is Christ Whom the Father "hath appointed heir of all things"; "for He must reign until at the end of the world He hath put all his enemies under the feet of God and the Father."

It was surely right, then, in view of the common teaching of the sacred books, that the Catholic Church, which is the kingdom of Christ on earth, destined to be spread among all men and all nations, should with every token of veneration salute her Author and Founder in her annual liturgy as King and Lord, and as King of Kings. And, in fact, she used these titles, giving expression with wonderful variety of language to one and the same concept, both in ancient psalmody and in the Sacramentaries.

- Pope Pius XI, Encyclical Letter, QUAS PRIMAS, #11-12

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Citations on the Kingship of Christ from Scripture
[All citations from the Douay-Rheims Bible.]

But I am appointed King by Him over Sion His holy mountain preachng His commandment.~ Psalm 2:6

The Lord hath said to Me: Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of Me and I will give Thee the Gentiles for Thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for Thy possession.~ Psalm 2:7-8

Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron and shalt break them in pieces like a potter's vessel.~ Psalm 2:9

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of David His father; and He shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of His kingdom there shall be no end. ~ Luke 1:32-33

The time is accomplished, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe the Gospel. ~ Mark 1:15

Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now My kingdom is not from hence. Pilate therefore said to Him: Art Thou a king then? Jesus answered: Thou sayest that I am a king. For this was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth My voice. ~ John 18:36-37

For the kingdom is the Lord's; and He shall have dominion over the nations. ~ Psalm 31:29

The Lord maketh the flood to dwell: and the Lord shall sit king for ever. ~ Psalm 28:10

O clap your hands, all ye nations: shout unto God with the voice of joy, For the Lord is high, terrible: a great king over all the earth. . . . Sing praises to our God, sing ye: sing praises to our king, sing ye. For God is the king of all the earth: sing ye wisely.~ Psalm 46:2, 3, 7, 8

For the sparrow hath found herself a house, and the turtle a nest for herself, where she may lay her young ones: Thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my king and my God. ~ Psalm 83:4

Sing praise to the Lord on the harp, on the harp, and with the voice of a psalm: with long trumpets, and sound of cornet. Make a joyful noise before the Lord our king. ~ Psalm 97:5, 6

I will extol thee, O God my king: and I will bless Thy name for ever; yea, for ever and ever. ~ Psalm 144:1

Let Israel rejoice in Him that made him: and let the children of Sion be joyful in their king. ~ Psalm 149:2

There is one most high Creator Almighty, and a powerful king, and greatly to be feared, Who sitteth upon His throne, and He is the God of dominion. ~ Ecclus. 1:8

He that liveth for ever, created all things together. God only shall be justified, and He remaineth an invincible king for ever. ~ Ecclus. 18:1

I will give glory to thee, O Lord, O King, and I will praise thee, O God my Saviour. ~ Ecclus. 51:1

And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day there shall be one Lord, and His name shall be one. ~ Zach. 14:9

Cursed is the deceitful man that hath in his flock a male, and making a vow, offereth in sacrifice that which is feeble to the Lord: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and My name is dreadful among the Gentiles. ~ Malach. 1:14

Now to the king of ages, immortal invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.~ 1 Tim. 1:17

I charge thee: . . . That thou keep the commandment without spot, blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, Which in His times He shall show Who is the Blessed and only Mighty the King of kings, and Lord of lords. ~ 1 Tim. 6:14, 15

O Lord God of our fathers, thou art God in Heaven, and rulest over all thl kingdoms and nations, in thy hand i strength and power, and no one can re sist thee. ~ 2 Paral. 20:6 [2 Chronicles]

Thou art Thyself my king and my God, Who commandest the saving of Jacob. ~ Psalm 43:5

But God is our king before ages: He hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth. ~ Psalm 83:12

For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king: He will save us. ~ Is. 33:22

But the Lord is the true God: He is the living God, and the everlasting king. ~ Jer. 10:10

O Lord God, Creator of all things dreadful and strong, just and merciful Who alone art the good king. ~ 2 Mach. 10:24.

When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is He that is born king of the Jews? For we have seel His star in the east, and are come to adore Him. . . . But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Juda. For so it is written by the prophet: And thou Bethlehem the land of Juda art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come forth the Captain that shall rule My people Israel. ~ Matt. 2:1, 2, 5, 6

And on the next day a great multitude that was come to the festival day, when they had heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm-trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried: Hosanna, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel. And Jesus found a young ass, and sat upon it, as it is written: Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy king cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. ~ John 12:12-15

Then therefore Pilate took Jesus, and scourged Him. And the soldiers platting a crown of thorns, put it upon His head; and they put on Him a purple garment. And they came to Him, and said: Hail, king of the Jews; and they gave Him blows. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith to them: Behold, I bring Him forth unto you, that you may know that I find no cause in Him. (Jesus therefore came forth, bearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment.) And he saith to them: Behold the Man. ~ John 19:1-5

And it was the parasceve of the pasch, about the sixth hour, and he saith to the Jews: Behold your king. But they cried out: Away with Him; away with Him; crucify Him. Pilate saith to them: Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered: We have no king but Caesar. ~ John 19:14, 15

And Pilate wrote a title also, and he put it upon the Cross. And the writing was: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. ~ John 1919

Thou art great, O Lord, for ever, and Thy kingdom is unto all ages. ~ Tob. 13:1

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of Thy kingdom is a sceptre of uprightness. ~ Psalm 47:7

The Lord hath prepared His throne in Heaven: and His kingdom shall rule over all.~ Psalm 102:19

They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom: and shall tell of Thy power: To make Thy might known to the sons of men: and the glory of the magnificence of Thy kingdom. Thy kingdom is a kingdom of all ages: and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. ~ Psalm 144:11-13

The Lord shall reign for ever: thy God, O Sion, unto generation and generation. ~ Psalm 145:10

Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a kingdom.~ Luke 12:32

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And there shall come from the east and the west, and the north and the south; and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. ~ Luke 13:28, 29

So you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand.~ Luke 21:31

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot possess the kingdom of God: neither shall corruption possess incorruption.~ 1 Cor. 15:50

For know you this, and understand that no fornicator, or unclean, or covetous person (which is a serving of idols), hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.~Eph. 5:5

But you are come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the company of many thousands of Angels, And to the Church of the first-born, who are written in the heavens, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect. ~ Heb. 12:22, 23

And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of great thunders, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord our God the Almighty hath reigned.~ Apoc. 19:6

Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be glad: and let them say among the nations: The Lord hath reigned. Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all things that are in them. Then shall the trees of the wood give praise before the Lord: because He is come to judge the earth.~ 1 Paral. 16:31-33 [1 Chronicles]

And He shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. . . .And all kings of the earth shall adore Him: all nations shall serve Him. ~ Ps. 71:8, 11

For a Child is born to us, and a Son is given to us, and the government is upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace. His empire shall be multiplied, and there shall be no end of peace: He shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom; to establish it and strengthen it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth and for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. ~ Is. 9:6, 7

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb: and the leopard shall lie down with the kid: the calf, and the lion, and the sheep shall abide together, and a little child shall lead them. The calf and the bear shall feed: their young ones shall rest together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp: and the weaned child shall thrust his hand into the den of the basilisk. They shall not hurt, nor shall they kill in all my holy mountain, for the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the covering waters of the sea. ~ Is. 11:6-9

For He that made thee shall rule over thee, the Lord of hosts is His name: and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, shall be called the God of all the earth. ~ Is. 54:5

And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day there shall be one Lord, and His name shall be one.~ Zach. 19:9

Thy kingdom come. ~Matt. 7:10

The kingdom of Heaven is like to a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.~ Matt. 20:1

He said therefore: To what is the kingdom of God like, and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden, and it grew, and became a great tree, and the birds of the air lodged in the branches thereof.  And again He said: Whereunto shall I esteem the kingdom of God to be like? It is like to leaven, which a woman I took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened. ~ Luke 13:18-21

And the seventh Angel sounded the trumpet: and there were great voices in Heaven, saying: The kingdom of this world is become our Lord's and His Christ's, and He shall reign for ever and ever. Amen. ~ Apoc. 11:15

All the glory of the King's daughter is within in golden borders. ~ Ps. 44:14

Another parable He spoke to them: The kingdom of Heaven is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened. ~ Matt. 13:33

The kingdom of Heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in a field. Which a man, having found, hid it, and for joy thereof goeth, and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.~ Matt. 13:44

And being asked by the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come He answered them, and said: The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say: Behold here, or behold there. For lo, the kingdom of God is within you.~ Luke 17:20, 21

God is a spirit; and they that adore Him, must adore Him in spirit and in truth. ~ John 4:24

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but justice, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. ~ Rom. 14:17