Feast of Christ The King

Fr. Joonbin Lim

Preached: November 23. 2025

Have you ever seen the movie Titanic? It is based on the true story of the ship that tragically sank. One of the most memorable scenes for me is when Jack takes Rose to the bow of the ship and shouts, “I’m the king of the world!” Why does he shout that? Probably because, in that moment, he feels as if he possesses the whole world. When we think of a king, we usually imagine someone who holds power,
authority, and wealth. But the kind of king Jesus reveals is completely different from the image we usually carry.

As I reflected on today’s Gospel, a memory from my past came back to me. One of the most difficult ministries I ever experienced was caring for patients in the ICU at a hospital. My responsibility was to change their diapers and clean their bodies at set times throughout the day. Looking back, I began to understand why that work felt so difficult. Watching people who were near death made me think, “One day, I too will face this moment,” and at the same time, I carried a hidden pride within me: “I’m going to become a holy priest—should I really be doing this kind of work?”

To be honest, part of me wanted to be treated like a “king” within the Church. Yet that experience taught me something essential: looking holy is not the same as being holy, and holiness does not come from a role, a title, or a position; it comes from the heart that chooses humility, service, and love.

Our life exists between two realities: the certainty that we will one day die and the uncertainty of not knowing when. In Buddhism, life is described as an ocean of suffering. No one enters the world smiling; a baby cries the moment it leaves the comfort of the mother’s womb. From the moment we are born, we begin walking toward our final moment. This is a fate we cannot avoid, but how we choose to fill
that journey is up to us. We cannot escape suffering, but how we receive it is our decision.

When Jesus was crucified, two criminals hung beside Him. Among them, Dismas was the first to recognize the One wearing a crown of thorns as a King and the first to understand that the cross was not a sign of defeat but a royal throne. From a life marked by loss and wrongdoing, he offered one of the most profound confessions of faith in all of Scripture: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

This prayer rose from the depths of his life, a cry of surrender and trust, a declaration of total dependence on God. For this reason, the early Church called him the “Paradise Thief,” not because he had stolen throughout his life, but because, with a single prayer, he “stole” heaven. Jesus responds with the full authority of the true King: “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.” This is not merely a word of comfort but a royal decree, a promise of salvation granted immediately to the heart that recognizes the Lord. The kingdom of God is not only a distant future reality; it begins today, wherever a soul turns to Christ in faith.

When we truly look at ourselves, we discover new choices, and the Lord invites us, even until our final breath, to choose “the path of life.” In this way, God’s judgment is not merely a judgment of actions but ultimately a judgment of choices.

As we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, we are invited to reflect on what kind of King Jesus is for us and what kind of kingship He calls us to imitate. Jesus is the true King—the One who gave His life completely, who wore a crown of thorns instead of gold, who chose rags instead of fine clothing, and who lived without a home or palace. He did this because He desired to be the true King of the weakest
and the least.

This does not mean that we are all called to wear rags or live as wanderers; rather, we are called to remember why Jesus chose such a life. He is the Truth, yet to bring the truth to all people, He chose to live like the poorest and most vulnerable.

Now, at the end of the Church’s liturgical year and as we celebrate Christ the King, we look again to our King—greater than any king the world has known, yet more humble than any king could ever be; the One who saved the world not by force but by laying down His life. Honoring His kingship today, may we also choose a life that gives itself for others—a life shaped by the Cross.

Amen.