Hari or hari-harian
Listening to the Spirit
Prayer to Christ the King
O Lord our God, You alone are the Most Holy King and Ruler of all nations.
We pray to You, Lord, in the great expectation of receiving from You,
O Divine King, mercy, peace, justice and all good things.
Protect, O Lord our King, our families and the land of our birth.
Guard us we pray Most Faithful One.
Protect us from our enemies and from Your Just Judgment.
Forgive us, O Sovereign King, our sins against you.
Jesus, You are a King of Mercy.
We have deserved Your Just Judgment
Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us.
We trust in Your Great Mercy.
O most awe-inspiring King, we bow before You and pray;
May Your Reign, Your Kingdom, be recognized on earth.
Amen.
Listening to the Word
Pilate said to Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own, or have others told you about me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But, as it is, my kingdom is not here.” So Pilate said to him, “Then, you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this, I was born and for this, I came into the world: to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Reflection
In the Philippines to distinguish fake from real, we used to put a suffix “-an” to the Filipino word like for example “akyat to akyat akyatan”; “bahay to bahay bahayan”; “tao- tao-tauhan” and many more. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. We celebrate Jesus as the King of the Universe, Hari ng Sanlibutan not as hari-harian. This reflection will tackle the difference between the Genuine kingship (Hari) and the Pseudo Kingship (Hari-Harian).
In the Gospel today, Jesus said to Pilate, “My kingdom does not belong to this world”. And what is the kingdom of this world? Jesus continued: “If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being over to the Jews”. It means the kingdom of this world is about saving “oneself”; protecting the self; the “me”; protecting the “King” “the leader” but the kingdom of Jesus is different, he will be the one to protect and save us. Jesus will allow himself to die than the others. The kingship of Jesus is not territorial like the President of a certain country. The kingship of Jesus is in the hearts and the lives of people.
The kingdom of Jesus operates according to the logic of love and the fake kingdom maneuvers according to revenge and lies. The reign of Christ is dominated by love. God is love. When love operates over us it means the reign of Jesus is within us. When we forgive the people that hurt us, it is not anger or resentment that reigns over us but forgiving love. When we give to our neighbors despite our poverty, it is not greediness that dominates us but love. When loneliness, sorrows, and difficulties are rampant in our lives but we give joy, happiness, and smiles to people what reigns over us is not selfishness but love. Truly the Kingdom of Jesus is unique.
In this Christ the King Sunday let love reigns in our hearts and lives. Hesus maghari ka sa aming puso at alisin mo ang mga naghahari-harian sa aming buhay.
Reflection Questions
Gospel Reflections
Allowing Jesus to Change Us
Who Is Jesus for Me? From Encounter to Mission
