Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Mass Readings

• First Reading Daniel 7:13-14
• Responsorial Psalm Psalm 93:1, 1-2, 5
• Second Reading Revelation 1:5-8
• Gospel John 18:33b-37

Open the Mass Readings on USCCB.org →

Step Into the Story

Daniel 7, likely from the 160s B.C., sees four beasts rise from the sea, the brutal empires that had trampled Israel. Then “one like a son of man” comes on the clouds and receives a kingdom that will never be destroyed. Jesus took that title for Himself. Revelation calls Him “ruler of the kings of the earth.” Pontius Pilate, prefect of Judea from 26 to 36 A.D., was a minor Roman official with the power of life and death.

1. 160s B.C.Daniel sees the Son of Man
2. 63 B.C.Pompey takes Jerusalem
3. 14 A.D.Tiberius becomes emperor
4. 26 A.D.Pilate becomes prefect
5. This week’s scene: c. 30 A.D.Jesus before Pilate

Go inside the Praetorium in Jerusalem early on the morning before Passover, a day most scholars date to 30 A.D. The chief priests stay outside in the courtyard so as not to be defiled before the feast, so Pilate goes in and out between them. Hear their voices through the doorway. Smell the lamp smoke of the night watch and the leather and iron of the soldiers standing guard.

In the hall stands a prisoner, bound, after a night with no sleep. Pilate comes back in and looks Him over. “Are you the King of the Jews?” he asks, as if the answer were obvious. Stand by the wall, among the guards. Look at the prisoner’s face, and wait for the King to answer.

Encounter the Lord

Stand in Pilate’s headquarters early on Good Friday. The most powerful man in Judea faces a bound and beaten prisoner and asks, “Are you a king?” The irony is complete: the true King stands judged by a governor who will soon be forgotten.

Jesus’ kingdom does not rule by armies or fear. He reigns from a Cross, by love and by truth. His crown is thorns; His throne is the wood. Yet He is the Alpha and the Omega, and every earthly power will pass before Him. The question for you is the one Pilate avoided: will you listen to His voice? To let Christ be King means letting Him rule your choices, your time, your money, your relationships. As St. Cyprian says, the kingdom is Christ Himself.

As the liturgical year ends, kneel before the Blessed Sacrament this week and tell Jesus where you want Him to reign more fully in your life.

Know Your Faith

Christ, Lord and King

Jesus’ kingship was revealed on the Cross, and by His Resurrection He is Lord of the universe (CCC 440, 668). His kingdom is not of this world; it is present already in mystery in the Church (CCC 669, 763).

Christ the Judge

Christ will come in glory to judge the living and the dead; He has acquired this right by His Cross (CCC 678-679, 1038).

Thy Kingdom Come

In the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come” refers primarily to the final coming of the reign of God through Christ’s return (CCC 2816-2818). The Kingdom of God has been coming since the Last Supper and in the Eucharist it is in our midst (CCC 2816).

Witness to the Truth

Jesus came into the world to bear witness to the truth. The Christian is called to bear witness to the truth, even unto martyrdom (CCC 2471-2473).