The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
The last Sunday of the Church Year
Sunday, November 24, 2024
On the last Sunday of the Church Year, we celebrate Christ the King. The Lord Jesus is a king who serves, sacrifices, and redeems—a ruler who establishes a kingdom not by military might but by love, justice and the ultimate sacrifice of himself on the cross. His resurrection is the vindication of his kingship and his ascension as his enthronement.
Christ the King expresses our understanding of the Lord Jesus as the Messiah whose reign exists as both a present reality and a future hope.
The roots of Christ the King emerge from the devastation of World War I. the loss of life, economic collapse, massive unemployment, starvation and political upheaval. Pessimism and helplessness were fertile ground for tyranny, figures like Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, and Joseph Stalin began to rise. In their distress, the people gravitated to anyone who could offer them hope.
Pope Pius XI saw people turning away from Christ, seeking hope, guidance, and sustenance from emerging dictators. There was a growing inclination to relegate morality and the Church’s teachings to the annals of history, deeming them irrelevant in the modern age.
Recognizing that people were turning their backs on Christ in favor of secularism, materialism and the false promises of tyrants, Pope Pius XI issued his encyclical letter “Quas Primas (In the First)” in 1925 and established the Solemnity of Christ the King. Pius’ motivation was clear: to reaffirm the kingship of Christ, emphasizing that Jesus holds ultimate authority over all aspects of human life, including the political and economic realm. Pius boldly proclaimed that Christ’s kingdom transcends worldly powers. Pius called on the faithful to consecrate themselves to the lordship of Jesus, reminding them that Christ must reign in our minds, wills, and hearts and that they must love God above all things and cleave to him alone.
Our world today is not so very different from the world of Pope Pius XI. Peace remains elusive, political, social, and economic orders continue to falter, and most nations reject the kingship of Christ in their lives. The Feast of Christ the King remains as relevant today as it was in 1925.
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You are welcome to watch our 10:00 am Sunday morning Mass on YouTube either live or later Sunday afternoon or evening.
Thanksgiving is November 28th. Mass on Thanksgiving morning will be at 9:00.
For Thanksgiving Day Keith and Antoinette Ward prepare a glorious Thanksgiving dinner for the clients of Loaves and Fishes. The dinner is held is at noontime at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Van Nuys Blvd. the seventh-grade students of St. Francis de Sales School serve the Thanksgiving meal to the people assembled.
Donations to this Thanksgiving Day dinner are welcome. Please bring your canned/dried food items and/or frozen turkeys to the Parish Center by this Thursday, November 21st.
The Lighting of our parish Christmas Tree at the corner of Dixie Canyon and Moorpark is the Monday after Thanksgiving, December 2nd at 6:30 pm
Rosary Procession led by Men of Exodus 90 immediately following the 8:15 am Mass on Saturday, December 7th.
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception observed as a holy day of obligation on Monday, December 9th at 8:15 am and 12:05 noontime and 7:00 pm
Our parish Simbang Gabi is Wednesday, December 18th at 7:00 pm
