Posted by The WORD in other words (2022) by Fr Narciso Cellan SVD – University of San Carlos, Cebu City
Solemnity of Christ the King
Photo: The Blessed Sacrament, St Joseph’s Convent of the Pink Sister, Quezon City
Two long-lost friends got reconnected through a social media platform. They chatted online for some weeks before agreeing to meet in their favorite restaurant. The appointed day came, and one of the two arrived in the restaurant that was no more, forgetting that it was closed down a year ago. The other arrived in another restaurant, misremembering its name. Eventually, they agreed to meet in another place.
It is important to remember, for memory is part of who we are. Our song choices, admired movies, favorite food, places, and faces make us cherish an aspect of our past that helps us remember and hold on to memories. Yet, as we endeavor to remember people and events, we also need to be remembered. Cursed be the day when we are forgotten, when friends and loved ones no longer think of us.
Today’s Gospel reading presents a very humbling picture of the Lord in Calvary. Sentenced and condemned to death, Jesus, an innocent victim, is crucified between two thieves. The first thief remains defiant and mocks Jesus. The second thief is repentant and asks the Lord to remember him. He is scared not of dying but of being forgotten.
Today’s solemnity of Christ the King reminds us of two important things: 1) Christ is the eternal King of the universe; 2) His kingdom is also personal; he cares for us and remembers everything about us.
Prophet Isaiah heard Yahweh telling his people: “I will never forget you” (49:15). David cries to God when he thinks that God is no longer thinking of him (Ps 13:2- 3). Jesus, experiencing the horrible feeling of being abandoned, addresses the Father in a most haunting of words: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46). Indeed, misery dwells in a person who thinks he/she has been forgotten, especially by God.
To remember is to forge a connection, nourish a relationship, or deepen a communion. In Africa, for example, naming a baby after a parent or a relative is a way of showing respect and ensuring that the memory of an elderly or deceased person lives on in the life of the new member of the community. Hence, Africans imagine hell, not as a fiery furnace or a burning place, but an experience of isolation – a state of not being remembered, thought about, or being forsaken by the family, clan, or tribe.
Thus, to re-member is to continue being a member and part of a social, organizational, or spiritual bond. This is what we hope to achieve in commemorating the solemnity of the Lord’s kingship. We remember the forgotten – the last, the lost, and the least because they are the ones closest to the King and remember God most.
