Podcast: Christ the King, Year C

Hi and welcome to the Modern Psalmist Podcast. I’m Rebecca De La Torre.

This weekend we celebrate the feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, which marks the final solemnity of the liturgical year C, and the final Sunday of the Catholic church’s 3-year liturgical cycle.

Just like we celebrate the seasons of the year cyclically, the church has structured the readings for each Sunday to journey through the life of Christ.

We begin with the anticipation of the Messaiah in Advent
and Jesus’ birth at Christmas
Then, His trials and temptations during Lent
The Last Supper and his Passion during Holy Week
His glorious resurrection at Easter
His sending of the Holy Spirit to his disciples at Pentecost
And the remainder of Ordinary Time culminates with Christ the King Sunday, symbolizing the end the age and the final coming of the Kingdom of God.

And that’s where we are today.

The Psalm for today is attributed to King David from chapter 122:

“Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”

This is *our* song – the song of the people of God – that express two parallel ideas:

1. How our hearts ought to feel when we go to our own places of worship – our own churches
2. And also how we will sing and express exuberant joy at entering the gates of the New Jerusalem at the final coming of Christ, the one true King of the Universe.

The second reading for today sums up so succinctly who Jesus really is. Taken from St Paul’s letter to the Colossians, in chapter 1 verse 15 we read:

“He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.”

and in verses 17 and 18:

“He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.”

Then, in our communion antiphon from Psalm chapter 29 verses 10 and 11, which was written by King David long before Jesus’ birth, we learn that:

“The Lord sits as King for ever.
The Lord will bless his people with peace.”

This echos Jesus’ own promise of “Peace I leave you, my peace I give you” – not only in this life, but especially in the new Kingdom of God.

A very traditional song for Christ the King Sunday here in the US is based on an ancient Hebrew melody and titled “The King of Glory” that of course, I’m using at all my masses this weekend. There’s something hauntingly timeless about this song. The lyrics are a paraphrase of Psalm 24, and together with the melody, create a regal and majestic proclamation of the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.

That was “The King of Glory” for the feast of Christ the King, Year C. Sheet music and recordings for the music in this podcast can always be found in the show notes as well as on TheModernPsalmist.com.

This is the final episode of Season 4. Join me next week in Season 5 for the 1st Sunday of Advent and the beginning of the new liturgical calendar, Year A.

Have a blessed week.