Meditation of His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa: solemnity of Christ, King of the universe

This Meditation is shared from the website of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Below you can find the Meditation of His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, for the solemnity of Christ, King of the universe, Sunday 24 November 2024.

John 18:33-37

The book of Exodus is permeated by a question that will accompany biblical Israel throughout the history of revelation: Who is the true king? The one who feeds me but oppresses me and takes away my freedom, like Pharaoh in Egypt, or the one who liberates and saves me, like the Lord God?

This question about the king in our lives, about the king we want, is basically a question we all have to ask ourselves.

Although the various liturgical celebrations focus precisely on the liberation from Pharaoh, biblical Israel often forgets its liberation from Egypt in the course of history: it forgets that God alone is its king, that God alone is the only liberator. And therefore, it will want its own king, like the king of all other nations.

That is, it succumbs to the temptation to have a strong and powerful man at its head, a brave man who can guarantee it wealth and security, who can feed it, as Pharaoh did.

But history will show that this temptation often turns out to be an illusion: with a few exceptions, these kings will not be able to offer the people what they expect from them. On the contrary, history tends to show the opposite: kings who are called to care for the people like shepherds for their flock, often turn into mercenaries as soon as they come to power, pursuing their own interests, unable to guarantee peace and security, unable to care for the poor and needy, unable to solve the many injustices among their people.

Hence the expectation of another king: would the time ever come when a king would truly care for his people?

The Gospel of John also asks this question, and in the passage we read today (John 18:33-37), Pilate is asked this very question: “Are you the king of the Jews?” (John 18:33)…

This news was originally published on the website of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Please click here to read the full text.