Christ the King Sunday – Year C
November 23, 2025
Gospel Lectionary Text
Luke 23:33-43
23:33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
23:34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots to divide his clothing.
23:35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!"
23:36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine,
23:37 and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"
23:38 There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews."
23:39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!"
23:40 But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
23:41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong."
23:42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
23:43 He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Context
Welcome to the final week of the liturgical year — “Christ the King” Sunday. The feast was established in 1925 amid global power struggles, as the era of Monarchies gave way to the rise of nationalism and secularism. Even Vatican City had become its own sovereign state. So what did the Church intend by calling Christ “King”? Was it an attempt to reassert its power over the nations, or to redefine it in light of Jesus’ self-giving love? Either way, the royal metaphor can be challenging for modern ears.
In truth, Jesus’ kingship doesn’t make much sense in any age. Every reference to “king” in this week’s text drips with irony. His kingdom is more like an un-kingdom, and it’s largely a source of mockery. The title above his crown of thorns — “The King of the Jews” — isn’t reverence but ridicule. His royal throne isn’t located in a gilded palace, but on a garbage heap. He isn’t “lifted up” and “glorified” in kingly garb, but stripped naked and placed on an instrument of torture and public shame. His courtly entourage is a ragtag band of friends who abandon him. And what is Jesus’ royal judgement on all this? Mercy. Whoa!
There are a few, however, who catch a glimpse of the hidden king coming into view: a handful of women, a Roman soldier, and a thief hanging next to him. On display was power made perfect in weakness. Love revealed in the face of human violence. This is the inner dynamic of Creation made visible. This kind of kingship doesn’t conquer territory or fortify borders. It transforms the human heart into the very image of God. It makes every foreign land a homeland, for in this kingdom there is nowhere Christ is not at home — even on Golgotha, the Place of the Skull.
Question
If this is what divine power looks like, what does it mean for all the ways we chase control, even in the name of change?
Reflections
The OG (Original Gangsta)
By Ojii BaBa Madi |
I know both the criminal and the “honorable.” I’m not saying I respect the criminals more than the “honorable,” at least not out loud. I’m rarely sure where to draw the lines between criminality and honorability. Armed with lethal force and a botched warrant for a criminal who was not at the scene, the “honorable”...
Forgive Them
By Kris Rocke |
By the light of being forgiven, we come to see what we are doing. The more we undergo forgiveness, the more we can tell ourselves the truth about the endless stream of scapegoats we produce.
The Way of the Cross?
By Lina Thompson |
“Build that wall! Build that wall” “Go back to where you came from.” “Pack your bags! Pack your bags!” On the heels of a divisive and highly contested election season in the U.S., we are seeing mocking and taunting on a grand scale: on playgrounds, college campuses, airports, shopping malls, in social media and the…
Praying Eucharistically - Weekly Homily by James Alison:
Understanding the Bible anew through the Mimetic Theory of René Girard.
Poetry
In this week’s text, Jesus is revealed as the hidden king of creation – not unlike the hidden king in The Lord of the Rings. Consider the poem, “The Riddle of Strider.” It appears in a letter given by Gandolf to Frodo. The poem is a reminder to help Frodo identify the hidden king (Aragorn). In fact, Bilbo himself recites the poem at the Council of Elrond when Boromir expresses doubts about Aragorn's claim as heir of the throne.
The Riddle of Strider
by J.R.R. Tolkien
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.
Prayer
This week, the call to prayer comes from the Street Psalms Centering Prayer:
Come, Holy Spirit, wild and free. Do as you please. Shine your light on me that I might see things as they are, not as I am. Free me to act in your name with courage, creativity, and compassion.
