The Solemnity of Christ the King
Scripture:
Daniel 7:13-14
Revelation 1:5-8
John 18:33b-37
Reflection:
"Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen." Rev. 1: 5-6
Today is one of the great solemnities of the church, "Christ the King". We celebrate Jesus’ triumph over death, His splendor and majesty as King of all creation and we look forward to His second coming when He will reign in peace forever in the kingdom of heaven. We revel in his glory and proclaim Him as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords for He alone is worthy of our praise and His is the Name above all names. Praise You Jesus!!!
Jesus is Lord of the universe and will reign forever, but is He the Lord of our lives? I shared last month about my struggle with over-eating and God has helped me make some big changes in my life. Because I have a lot of weight to lose, I have pretty much cut sugar from my diet and cut way back on fat. I’m learning to balance slow carbs, fast carbs and proteins, and to eat fresh, whole foods versus processed ones. I also eat every three hours and drink a lot of water to keep my metabolism burning fat rather than storing it.
The surprising benefit is that when I go shopping, I’m not even tempted to buy the food I used to eat, because it isn’t an option for me right now. Rather than feeling deprived, I’m experiencing incredible freedom. It’s so wonderful to have some self-control again (or is that Holy Spirit control?) and not let food control me! The fruit of obedience is freedom! Where do you need more balance in your life? Ask God to show you, and then let Him help you do it!
What I love about the Lord is how patient and gentle He is with us. He never forces us to grow and change, but constantly invites us to go deeper in our relationship with Him. May we each put God alone on the throne of our hearts and invite Him into every area of our lives. Rejoice today in God’s awesome love for you, and worship Christ the King!!!
Janice Carleton and her husband Jim live in Portland, OR and partner with Passionist Fr. Cedric Pisegna in Fr. Cedric Ministries. Janice also leads women’s retreats. She is the mother of 4 grown children and grandmother of 6. Visit Janice’s website at http://www.jcarleton.com/ or email her at janic[email protected]