Today, the Church asks her children to gaze upon and contemplate the pivotal moment in human history: Jesus Christ crucified.
From one perspective, it’s a disastrous event. It shows mankind rejecting and destroying its Creator. Yet, today is the day when the whole Church throughout the world celebrates the Lord’s universal Kingship.
Aren’t kings supposed to be powerful? Aren’t they supposed to be successful and victorious? So today, why are we staring at a dying, helpless man hanging on a cross? The answer is simple: Because the Cross is our King’s throne.
Jesus doesn’t reign not from a velvet-covered, diamond-encrusted, gold-plated seat, like some earthly kings have done in the past. Instead, he reigns from the Cross.
So how does this work? How can this sign of utter defeat also be the sign of our King’s everlasting victory? This is what Pope John Paul II called “the paradox of Christ’s Kingship.” His Kingdom begins in this world, but it’s not of this world. It begins in our hearts, and the Church and the saints are livingsigns of this eternal Kingdom. And so, since the Lord’s Kingdom transcends this world, it makes sense that his throne should be completely different from all other earthly thrones.
Christ’s Kingdom is built on the unconquerable power of God’s unconditional love for each of us. On the Cross Jesus reveals that love by suffering and dying for our salvation, even while we were still sinners. In his Resurrection he reveals his unconquerable power.
One Thief Gets It
The Good Thief in today’s Gospel understood this; the bad thief didn’t—and neither did the Jewish leaders. As Jesus hung on the Cross, revealing God’s amazing love, they all sneered and at him. They knew he claimed to be the Messiah, the King of Israel, but they could only imagine kingship in earthly terms. And so they challenged Jesus to show that he was truly a king by coming down from the cross.
But Jesus didn’t do it. He didn’t even respond to them with an explanation. He simply kept suffering unfairly until the very end. And as he suffered, the Good Thief realized the truth. He realized that there is more to the human story than what we see, experience, and understand. He realized that Jesus held the keys to a Kingdom much greater than any on the earth. He realized that Christ’s Kingdom could begin on earth, through faith, hope and obedience, but that it would only reach its fullness in heaven. And so he prays, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus did.
He didn’t take away the man’s suffering. Instead, he gave it purpose: he made it a path to Paradise. And as the Good Thief hung on the cross, dying in excruciating pain, he was joyful because he had placed himself under the King’s protection.
We Remember
The Lord’s death on the Cross isn’t something trapped in the past. It’s the greatest act of love in human history, and God makes it present for us every day at Mass, because every Mass is a reminder of Christ’s love for us. So whenever we come here to worship, we’re standing at Calvary. All the power of Christ is here. All his love and all his suffering for our salvation are here at this very moment.
Let me end my homily today by reminding you that Advent is just around the corner. So here’s a challenge for you. In addition to Sunday Mass, come to a daily Mass at least one day a week during Advent. The Lord, who from the Cross rules from his throne, wants us to come so that he can shower us with his love. He is a King who loves more that we will ever know.