Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King.
However, at times, it was almost impossible to see any trace of majesty in Him; but even so, He is a king, He is Lord of the Universe; Lord of all Creation.
And we are His brothers and sisters.
It is important to realise that, as brothers and sisters of the King, we are also members of the royal family. So, as members of God’s kingdom, we are royalty as well.
Through our baptism we have become full members of the Lord’s family and therefore we aretruly a royal people.
This means, of course, that each one of us is due respect; every human being deserves respect – none of us is worthless.
When we realise quite how much God cares about us, and quite how much He loves us, then we realise quite how much we are worth.
The dignity of our birth as human beings has now been enhanced by our membership of the kingdom.
It means that we have a role to play in the world, and it follows that we must respect the nobility of our calling.
We are to cultivate a profound respect for ourselves and for those members of the kingdom who have been called by God to be His chosen sons and daughters.
However, we are all human, and at times make mistakes.
Being part of the kingdom of God means respecting the brokenness of others.
It means being with them in their weakness, even recognising their sovereignty in the midst of much confusion and pain.
Think of the good thief hanging beside Jesus on the cross; there was not any grandeur in our Lord, nor must He have looked like a king.
Yet somehow, the good thief recognised it.
He honoured Jesus and asked to be a member of His kingdom and in return he was promised membership of the royal family of the Lord.
To be a Christian is to be a member of that family.
That is why todays gospel reading reminds us that we must care for the sick, visit the imprisoned, feed the hungry and welcome the stranger.
It is the right of every member of the kingdom to have this dignity and this respect.
It is also the duty of every baptised person to be truly royal;
to look after members of the family who are in difficulty, and to do all in our power to see that equality and fairness are alive in God’s kingdom here on earth.
Christ the King is in heaven at the right hand of the Father.
But you and I, the members of this royal family, are here among His people.
Today’s feast challenges us to live out our royal responsibilities and duties as completely as we can.
For the kingdom of God is not only caring for those within it; it is about loving and seeking out those who are outside it.
So today let’s celebrate Christ our King with great joy and let us celebrate also the fact that we too are royal members of His kingdom.
Amen