Dear friends in Christ

The feast of Christ the King this weekend, brings the liturgical year to a close. It is a synthesis of the entire mystery of salvation. Over the past twelve months since last Advent, we have celebrated all of the mysteries of the life of Our Lord. Now we contemplate Him in His glorified state as King of the Universe, and King of all hearts. But what a strange Kingship this is: in the Gospel at Mass we hear how Christ reigns from the Cross, and one of the first fruits of the redemption is the pardoning of a thief; he is the first person to recognise Christ the King: Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom. Although His divinity was obscured in the Passion, with the eyes of repentance and faith, He could be seen. As Saint Ambrose comments: The Lord always grants us more than we ask for. The thief merely asked to be remembered, but the Lord said: ’Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise'. The essence of life is to live with Jesus Christ. And where Jesus Christ is, there His reign is to be found.

During the final days of the Church’s year, as we do each year, we celebrate the Kingship of Jesus by enthroning Him at the heart of our Parish during the days of Solemn Eucharistic Exposition, or The Forty Hours’ Prayer. This begins on Thursday evening with the Mass at 6 o’clock and there is adoration of the Blessed Sacrament throughout the next days until Saturday evening Benediction at four o’clock, just before we begin another liturgical year with Advent. We all need to be generous with the time we spend in prayer before the Lord. Let us come with hearts full of our prayer intentions, confident that Jesus simply waits for us, to hear us, and grant us what we humbly ask of Him in faith and love.

God bless you!

Msgr Kevin Hale