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Contents: Volume 2 November 23, 2025
1. -- Dennis Keller OP -2. -- Lanie LeBlanc OP - 3. --
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Christ the King (A) November 23, 2025
2nd Samuel
5:1-3;Responsorial Psalm 122; Colossians 1:12-20;
A few weeks ago more than forty million people protested over a couple of weeks what appeared to be a moved toward establishing a royal governance. The protest was forceful but not violent. That demonstration clearly denied any desire of the people of this nation to serve a king. Thee lies the difference between Christ the King and we celebrate this week end and the self-serving kings the world has endured and rebelled against over the ages.
The King we celebrate this weekend is the model for real kings. This king follows the rule of law. When God established the Law on Mount Sinai the closing statement God made was about the purpose of the law he revealed to the people. This was and is for their benefit. That you may have long life. And good order will exist in the community so that the community will live in peace and harmony. “See, I set before you life and prosperity, death and disaster. If you obey the commandments, his laws, his customs you will live and increase and Yahweh your God will bless you in the land you are entering to make your own. But if your heart strays, if you refuse to listen, if you let yourself b dawn not worshipping other gods and serving them, I tell you today, you will most certainly perish; you will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today. Chose life, ten, so that you and your descendants may live.”
The law of God is for the guidance of the community so it may prosper. In the Reign of the Christ this King is one who serves the community.
Dennis Keller Dennis@PreacherExchange.com
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It is a rare moment when I can summarize things really succinctly. I am a detail kind of person it seems, verbally and in writing! The readings for this Sunday when we celebrate Jesus as the King of the Universe, however, prompted three main ideas surprisingly quickly for me: the origin of power, the inheritance we have been granted, and Who Jesus really is.
Now there have been many books about each of those topics, so I will attempt to conform to reasonable verbiage! From ancient times until the present, history has shown us that power comes and goes rather quickly for authority figures and even for ourselves. Let me not dissect government officials though.
We can influence people substantially, well sometimes, and then we can feel powerless in a flash. The only commonality between power and permanence is the initial letter of each word, however. But the Word has Permanent Power!
As we are told so beautifully in the letter to the Colossians, Jesus, the Word made flesh, is the image of the invisible God. Jesus “holds it all together” for us. That is pure power over absolutely everything, yes, everything.
I love the thought of that and wish it was always in the forefront of my mind and actions especially when I become deeply discouraged because I am powerless to change or “fix” a critical problem. An example of such incredible recognition is given to us by the words of the “good thief” in the Gospel story. "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus had the power then and still does now. That power embraces everything, all the good and all the evil, actually all of creation. That includes you and me and all our loved ones … and those we do not love as we have been called to do... and all the universe's problems, too.
The King of the Universe used an ordinary human life to be not so ordinary, to show us how to live powered by the Almighty One. Jesus is indeed the King of the Universe! How can each of us make Jesus the center of our lives each day so we can follow the Divine Plan of peace made possible through the blood of the Cross?
Blessings, Dr. Lanie LeBlanc OP Southern Dominican Laity
****************************************************** ****************************************************** 4. ****************************************************** ****************************************************** 5. ****************************************************** Volume 2 is for you. These reflections follow the Liturgical Calendar and appear here about mid week each week. They are written by various guest authors. If you would like to submit a reflection of your own, then click here to send an email request to post to the Webmaster. Deadline is Monday morning of each week for the upcoming Sunday.
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A service of The Order of Preachers,
The Dominicans. (form revised 10/13/2025) |
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The
Solemnity of 
