The celebration of the Solemnity of Christ the King at the end of the Church’s liturgical year is like a jewel set in a crown. It is a reminder to us of the ultimate reality: Jesus Christ is Lord of all. Our gospel for this Sunday shows our King beaten and broken. He wears a crown, not of gold, but of thorns. This is a very different sort of king from what we might imagine. Yet he is king.

We cannot let our hearts be troubled over political turmoil or unrest in the world. The trials of this world are crosses we must bear until the Second Coming; until that glorious day when the sun of justice rises with its healing rays (Mal 3:20a).

Marriage won’t exist in heaven; not because marriage isn’t good, but because marriage points to something greater. Those who choose celibacy for the sake of the kingdom testify to our faith in the resurrection and belief that our relationship with God is sufficient, because our relationship with God will be everything.

Zacchaeus couldn’t see Jesus because of the crowd. Is there a “crowd” in our lives that might be keeping us from seeing Jesus? The question is, how do we rise above the crowd? Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore. So what tree do you need to climb?