Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost

Thoughts for the Week - Fr. R. Taouk 
23rd October 2016

The Reign of Christ the King by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre

We do not know how fortunate we are to have Our Lord Jesus Christ as our Father and the Blessed Virgin Mary as our Mother. For if the Blessed Virgin Mary had a most loving heart, her love was all for Our Lord Jesus Christ and for all those "attached" to Him, and to lead all souls to Our Lord Jesus Christ, to her Son Jesus. She lived for this love. And because she loved Our Lord, she was never able to offend Him; she simply couldn't. She was conceived immaculate, born immaculate, and she remains immaculate all her life. She is then for us a model of purity of heart, of obedience to the law of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

And because she loved Our Lord, she wanted to suffer with Him and share His sufferings. When the Heart of Jesus was pierced, so was hers, the heart of Mary! These two pierced hearts lived in unity for the glory of God, for the reign of God, for the reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ. They fought for that alone. And for this reason we too must be ready to suffer for the reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ. He no longer reigns in our societies, nor in our families, nor in our own selves. Yet we need His reign. It is the only reason for the existence of our souls, our bodies, of humanity, and this Earth and all of God's creation: That Jesus Christ may reign; that He may give to souls His life, His salvation, His charity, His glory.

It is because we are aware of what has been happening in the Church for over 15 years - a true revolution has occurred, attacking the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ, clearly and evidently intending to destroy His reign - that our eyes were opened and that we were able to see this. Our Lord Jesus Christ's law is no longer followed, and, unfortunately, those who should teach us to follow His law encourage us on the contrary to disobey it. For seeking the secularisation of the state brings about the destruction of Christ's Kingship. When doubt is cast on the reality of the sanctity of marriage and its laws, the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ in our homes is destroyed. When we fail to speak, or fail to speak loudly and openly against abortion, we do not build Christ's reign.

When devotion to Christ the King is torn down, the reign of Christ in souls is destroyed. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is nothing other than the proclamation of the reign of Christ the King. How did Our Lord Jesus Christ reign? He reigned by the wood of the Cross. He defeated the Devil and defeated sin with the wood of the Cross. So the renewal on the altar of the Holy Sacrifice of Our Lord at Calvary is a declaration of the royalty of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a declaration of His divinity. And so somehow, by destroying the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, one destroys the affirmation of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This is why adoration of the Blessed Sacrament has diminished so much in our times. Rather let us say that sacrileges have grown innumerably since the Council. Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist has been sent away from the altar. He is no longer adored. People do not genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament any more. But recognising the reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ means recognising that He is God. And this means He is our King!