NOVENA TO

Christ the King
By REV. A. D. FRENAY, O.P., Ph.D.

THE PAULIST PRESS

New York, N. Y.



^mprimi potest:

Very Rev. T. S. McDermott, O.P., S.T.Lr.,

Provincial.

Nilpl OMistat:

Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.D.,

Censor Librorum.

Jlmprimatur:

Patrick Cardinal Hayes,

Archbishop of New York.

New York, September 24, 1932.



FOREWORD

On the eleventh of December, 1925, Pope

Pius XI published his Encyclical Letter on

“The Establishment of the Feast of Our Lord

Jesus Christ as King.” The feast is to be

celebrated every year and in all the world on

the last Sunday of the month of October, that

is, the one just preceding the celebration of all

the saints. “For thus, it will happen that the

mysteries of the life of Jesus Christ com-

memorated during the year will be completed

and fulfilled by the sacred solemnity of Christ

as King, and, before celebrating the glory of

all the saints, the glory of Him Who triumphs
in all the saints and elect will be preached and

emphasized. ... For imbuing the people with

the faith and leading them by faith to the

interior joys of life, far more efficacious are

the annual celebrations of the sacred mysteries

than even the most weighty documents of

ecclesiastical teaching. ... It is this annual

observance henceforth of Christ as King

which moves us to the highest hope that hu-

man society may auspiciously hasten to re-

turn to the most loving Savior. ...”

—From the Encyclical Letter on The Insti-
tution of the Feast of Christ the King.



CHRIST THE KING

Adored be Christ the King

!

In lowly human form

He came unto His own,
A manger for a throne,
A mad world to reform.

Praised be Christ the King

!

His own received Him not.
Rejected, crucified,

A cruel death He died,

—

Thus wrecking Satan’s plot.

Blest be Christ the King

!

His kingdom is this earth

Created by His word,

And ruled by Him as Lord,

Redeemed now by His birth.

Salve Christe Rex!

Your kingdom is the Church

Established on the Rock,

Designed to feed Your flock,

—

The souls You came to search.

Ave Christe Rex!

Your kingdom is my soul;
You reign within my heart;

From You I’ll ne’er depart.

May Heaven be my goal!

—Sister Mary Anselma^ O.S.D.,
St. Mary^s of the Springs.



NOVENA TO
CHRIST THE KING

FIRST DAY

The King of the Prophets

Scriptural Reading

David, the royal prophet, sings of the future

Messias, as follows:

“But I am appointed king by him over Sion
his holy mountain, preaching his command-

ment.

“The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my
son, this day have I begotten thee.

“Ask me, and I will give thee the Gentiles

for thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of

the earth for thy possession” (Ps. ii. 6, 7, 8).

Another prophet of the Old Testament is

Micheas, who prophesies of the coming Mes-

sias in the following words:

“And Thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, art a little

one among the thousands of Juda: out of thee

shall he come forth unto me that is to be the

ruler in Israel: and his going forth is from the

beginning, from the days of eternity” (Mich.

V. 2).

And Isaias, one of the greatest inspired seers

of the days before Christ, announces the com-

ing of the future King and Ruler in the fol-

lowing words

:

“Behold the Lord God shall come with

3



4 A Novena to Christ the King

strength, and his arm shall rule: Behold his

reward is with him and his work is before

him” (Is. xl. 10).

Meditation

With great anxiety, the prophets of the Old

Testament awaited the coming of the prom-

ised Messias. They longed for His speedy de-

scent from heaven, they foresaw His work

amongst men, they had visions of His passion,

of His death and of His resurrection and His

glory. They predicted His future kingdom.

Already one thousand years before the coming

of Christ, the great prophet and royal singer,

King David, composed hymns in praise of the

future King of Kings. Unsurpassed in beauty

of composition and in profoundness and wealth

of thought, these hymns are wonderful prayers,

breathing forth the spirit of devotion, adora-

tion and love for God and His anointed.

They speak of the future Christ as the great

king, Whom all other kings shall serve, as the
mighty ruler over all nations, as the Prince of

Peace, as the Lord Whose kingdom shall con-

sume all other kingdoms, and Whose rule shall

stand for ever and ever. King David rejoices

at the vision of so mighty, so wonderful, so

unending, so just and peaceful a kingdom as

that of the future Messias. And the other

prophets, Isaias, Jeremias, Daniel, Micheas,

Zacharias, etc., continue in the praise and

adoration of the future Messianic king and His

kingdom. They ardently long for Christ’s

coming, they rejoice at the vision of the future

greatness, might and glory of the promised

Messias and His kingdom.



A Nov’ena to Christ the King 5

Prayer

0 my dear and sweet Jesus. I am privileged

to have been bom in Thy kingdom, the Church
of Christ. I do not need to long, like the

prophets of old, for Thy coming. I, a son of

Thy Church, possess the inheritance of Thy

coming. I know Thy greatness, my Lord.
I know Thy divinity and humanity hypo-

statically united in Thy sacred person. I

see Thy kingdom, the universal Roman Cath-

olic Church, extending to the four corners of

the world. Notwithstanding this my knowl-
edge, I humbly beg Thee to let me learn from

these holy prophets a true desire and longing

for Thee, my dear Jesus. Create in me a burn-
ing desire to be always united with Thee, my
eternal Lord and divine King. Amen.

SECOND DAY

The King of the Magi

Scriptural Reading

On the second day of the novena, we place

before our minds the three Kings from the

East, adoring the child Jesus, and offering up

their gifts to the newborn King of the Jews.

Let us follow the beautiful description of this

episode in the life of Our Lord as given to us

by St. Matthew:

“When Jesus therefore was born in Bethle-

hem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, be-

hold, there came wise men from the east to

Jerusalem,



6 A Novena to Christ the King

“Saying, Where is he that is bom king of
the Jews? For we have seen his star in the

east, and are come to adore him.

“And king Herod hearing this, was troubled,

and all Jerusalem with him.

“And assembling together all the chief

priests and the scribes of the people, he in-

quired of them where Christ should be bom.

“But they said to him: In Bethlehem of

Juda. For so it is written by the prophet:

^^And thou Bethlehem the land of Juda art

not the least among the princes of Juda: for

out of thee shall come forth the captain that

shall rule my people Israel.

“Then Herod, privately calling the wise men,

learned diligently of them the time of the star

which appeared to them;

“And sending them into Bethlehem, said:

Go and diligently inquire after the child, and

when you have found him, bring me word

again, that I also may come and adore him.

“Who having heard the king, went their

way; and behold the star which they had seen

in the east, went before them, until it came

and stood over where the child was.

“And seeing the star they rejoiced with ex-

ceeding great joy.

“And entering into the house, they found the

child with Mary his mother, and falling down

they adored him: and opening their treasures,

they offered him gifts; gold, frankincense, and

myrrh” (St. Matt. ii. 1-11).



A Novena to Christ the King 7

Meditation

Descending from the heights of His heavenly

throne, the Incarnate Word selects as His

throne, which He is to occupy on the day of

His birth and in His early infancy, some few

boards of common wood which form the man-

ger of Bethlehem. Notwithstanding the sight

of such poverty and misery, the faith of the

three Kings remains unshaken and solid. In

all the wide country, no one even seems to

know of the new born King of Kings; in all

the surroundings of the blessed city of Bethle-

hem, scarcely anybody seems to care for the

arrival of the Messias, for Whom the prophets
longed; in all the neighborhood of the stable,

where the angels hover, no one finds it 'worth

the while even to salute the newly arrived king

of heaven. But all this does not weaken or

disturb the strong and living faith of the three

Kings from the East. They profess openly be-

fore all Judea and before an agnostic court at

Jerusalem, their belief in the weak and poor

infant Who is the Word of God. Give me, 0
Lord, the courage and firmness of mind always

to profess my Christian faith and never to feel
ashamed, before an unbelieving world, of being

a humble servant of the divine King.

Prayer

0 my dear Jesus, I join in spirit the
company of the three Kings, representing the

gentile world, and I kneel down before the

throne which You have selected for the years

of Thy youth and which is no other than the

manger of Bethlehem, asking and beseeching

Thee to accept the gifts I am offering up to



8 A Novena to Christ the King

Thy infinite Majesty, the gifts of prayer, self-

denial and love and to grant me the grace of a
firm and everlasting faith in Thee, my divine
Lord and King. Amen.

THIRD DAY

The King of the Church

Scriptural Reading

The prophets of the Old Testament an-

nounced the coming of the divine King in

terms which are clear and plain. Jeremias

sung of the days of the coming Messias in the

following words:

“Behold the days come, saith the Lord, and

I will raise up to David a just branch: and a

king shall reign, and shall be wise: and shall

execute judgment and justice in the earth”

(Jer. xxiii. 5).

The great prophet Isaias is not less emphatic

about the might and glory of the Messianic

king for he says:

“For a CHILD is born to us, and a son is

given to us, and the government is upon his

shoulder: and his name shall be called. Won-

derful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Fa-

ther of the world to come, the Prince of Peace.

“His empire shall be multiplied, and there

shall be no end of peace: he shall sit upon the

throne of David, and upon his kingdom; to es-

tablish it and strengthen it with judgment and

with justice, from henceforth and for ever: the

zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this”

(Is. ix. 6, 7).



A Novena to Christ the King 9

In like manner the prophet Daniel foresees

the Messianic kingdom, when he says:

“And he gave him power, and glory, and a

kingdom: and all peoples, tribes and tongues

shall serve him: his power is an everlasting

power that shall not be taken away: and his

kingdom that shall not be destroyed” (Dan.

vii. 14).

Meditation

As announced by the prophets, Christ, from

the very beginning of His earthly mission, set

out to establish His kingdom, “a kingdom of

God upon earth,” or, as St. Matthew calls it,

“a kingdom of heaven.” In this His kingdom

are to dwell the children of God: that is, those

of the good seed, who do not fall by the way-

side or wither away, but who bring forth fruit

a hundred-fold. “And the good seed are the

children of the kingdom”. (Matt. xiii. 38).

This kingdom is now an actual fact. Its

realization begins right now: “Do penance: for

the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. iii.

2). “The time is accomplished, and the king-

dom of God is at hand : repent, and believe the

gospel” (Mark i. 15). Christ lays down the

condition of membership to this His kingdom

when He says: “Amen, amen, I say to thee,

unless a man be born again of water and the

Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom

of God” (John iii. 5). Though establishing a

“spiritual” community, a “supernatural” realm,

a kingdom of “heaven,” on earth, Christ never-

theless rests this His kingdom upon a visible,

solid foundation: He establishes His kingdom

in the form of a visible Church. And this His

Church He builds upon the solid rock, which is



10 A Novena to Christ the King

Peter. This relation between the kingdom of

heaven and the Church becomes perfectly evi-

dent when we take the text of St. Matthew:

“Upon this rock I will build my Church . . .
And I will give to thee the keys of the king-

dom of heaven^* (Matt. xvi. 18, 19).

Prayer

My dear Jesus, You have founded the
Church as the kingdom of heaven upon earth,

that I may dwell therein. In Thy infinite good-

ness You have privileged me to be reborn of

water and the Holy Ghost, and to have en-

tered the kingdom of God. Grant that I may

always appreciate Your great charity towards

me and that I may ever profess my member-
ship in Thy holy Church with a heart filled

with gladness and gratitude. Oh, my Jesus, let
me ever live and die in Thy Holy Church.

Amen.

FOURTH DAY
Hosanna to the King of David

Scriptural Reading

Today we meditate on the triumphant en-

trance of Our Lord into the city of Jerusalem.

This event took place on Palm Sunday and is

related to us by St. John, the beloved disciple,

in the following words:

“And on the next day, a great multitude

that was come to the festival day, when they

had heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

“Took branches of palm trees, and went

forth to meet him, and cried : Hosanna, blessed



A Novena to Christ the King 11

is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, the

king of Israel.

“And Jesus found a young ass, and sat upon

it, as it is written:

^^Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy

king cometh, sitting on an ass^s colt” (John

xii. 12-15).

Meditation

The glorious entrance of Our Lord into the

city of Jerusalem took place on the eve of His

bitter passion. The public ministry of Our

Lord had come to a close. For three years

Our Lord had been teaching, preaching and

ministering to the people. But now, He came

once more into the city of Jerusalem with a

special purpose and mission, to suffer and die

for all of us and to redeem humanity. Before

He is to ascend Mount Calvary it is to be

made public that He is no ordinary person,

but the true and real King of Israel, the prom-

ised Messias, so that no man of good will may

ever doubt His sacred mission or His royal

dignity. As the Son of David, He is the King

of Israel, and as King of Israel, He is the

promised Messias. Privately, many good and

faithful people had paid royal homage to

Christ, had venerated Him as the King of

Israel, and had addressed Him as the Son of
King David. But all these instances had been

more or less of a private or an occasional na-

ture. To a real and true king, however, is due

public and solemn reverence. On Palm Sun-

day, the people who resided in and around the

national capital, unite and join the strangers

from afar who had flocked into Jerusalem to



12 A Novena to Christ the King

celebrate the Paschal Feast, to receive into

the gates of the capital city in public, solemn

and triumphal procession, the King of Israel.

The multitude acclaims Him as the Son of
David. They sing His praise: “Hosanna,

blessed is he that cometh in the name of the

Lord, the king of Israel.”

Prayer

0 my dear Lord and supreme Master! In
spirit I follow Your triumphant entrance and

I hear the joyful cries of the multitude. I

bend my knee in worship and adoration before
Thee, the divine King, and I proclaim from

the depth of my heart the exalted dignity of
Your infinite Majesty. I gladly join the ranks

of Thy holy procession and following Thy sa-

cred footsteps I beg and beseech Thee, my
divine King, to bless me, to save me from the

great misfortune of ever becoming separated

from Thee, and to keep me ever nearer and

nearer to Your sacred self. Amen.

FIFTH DAY
‘‘My Kingdom Is Not of This World”

Scriptural Reading

On the fifth day of the novena, we follow

our dear Lord and Savior, as He is privately

questioned and examined by the Roman Gov-

ernor, Pontius Pilate. St. John the Evangelist

relates to us the conversation which took place

between Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Roman

Governor. He says

:

“Pilate therefore went into the hall again,

and called Jesus, and said to him: Art thou

the king of the Jews?



A NoVENA TO Christ the King 13

“Jesus answered: Sayest thou this thing of

thyself, or have others told it thee of me?

“Pilate answered: Am I a Jew? Thy own
nation, and the chief priests, have delivered

thee up to me: what hast thou done?

“Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this
world. If my kingdom were of this world, my
servants would certainly strive that I should

not be delivered to the Jews: but now my
kingdom is not from hence.

“Pilate therefore said to him: Art thou a

king then? Jesus answered: Thou sayest that

I am a king. For this was I born, and for this

came I into the world; that I should give testi-

mony to the truth. Every one that is of the

truth, heareth my voice” (John xviii. 33-37).

Meditation

Pharisees and high priests, envious and jeal-

ous of Our Lord Jesus Christ, accuse the inno-

cent Lamb of God before the Roman Governor.

Not having any charge to bring against His

personal conduct or private or public life, they

resort to the strategy of accusing Him of His
claim to royal dignity. Blinded by anger,

en\^ and passion, high priests and Pharisees

become an instrument in the fulfillment of the

prophecies. By charging Christ with His claim

to royal dignity, they wish to provoke the sus-

picion of the Roman Governor, for any crime,

but this, may be easily forgiven by Roman

authorities. The Emperor in the capital and

the Roman Officialdom were ever on the out-

look to suppress any political uprising. In

vdew of the seriousness of the accusation.

Christ, calmly and with solemnity, reaffirms



14 A Novena to Christ the King

before the Roman Governor His claim to the
kingship. But He is no political rival to the
imperial throne at Rome. In the midst of all

the injustice shown to Him, Christ is so good

and so willing as to explain to the political

authorities the real nature of His kingship.

“My kingdom is not of this world.” It has
nothing to do with the political state. It is a

spiritual kingdom. It is a kingdom of truth.

And He Himself is a spiritual king, the prince

of truth and justice, the ruler of a real king-

dom, which, by its nature, is spiritual.

Prayer

Grant, 0 dear Lord, that I may learn to
abandon more and more all thoughts of

worldly power and of earthly goods. Help

me, I beg Thee, 0 Jesus, that I may
understand better and better the true na-

ture of the spiritual kingdom of Christ. I

promise Thee, O my divine King, that in fu-
ture, all my concerns shall be directed to ad-
vance the things of the soul, to spread the

kingdom of God and to consider worldly af-

fairs only of lesser and secondary importance.

Grant me, 0 divine King, the grace to perse-

vere faithfully in this resolution. Amen.

SIXTH DAY

The Cross—the Throne of Christ
Scriptural Reading

St. John the Evangelist has preserved for us

the text of the inscription affixed to the cross,

which reads as follows:



A Novena to Christ the King 15

“And Pilate wrote a title also, and he put

it upon the cross. And the writing was
:
Jesus

or Nazareth, the King of the Jews.

“This title therefore many of the Jews did

read: because the place where Jesus was cruci-

fied was nigh to the city: and it was written

in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin.

“Then the chief priests of the Jews said to

Pilate: Write not. The King of the Jews; but

that he said, I am the King of the Jews.
“Pilate answered: What I have written, I

have written” (John xix. 19-22).

Meditation

It was the custom of the ancient world to

attach a little inscription to the instrument of

torture, explaining the crime of the one com-

mitted to die. Our Lord was treated like a

comfnon criminal. No guilt could be ascribed

to him. His crime is that of being the king

of the Jews. It is no crime, but a prerogative

to die for the sins of the people. He bows

His head in death to expiate, as king and royal

victim, the sins of the world. Christ’s royal

death is proclaimed in the languages of the

then-known world. His kingship is held up as

a reproach to the Jewish people. His royal

dignity is announced to the Greeks, the repre-

sentatives of culture, learning and refinement

of the ancient world. His kingship, again, is

placed, in Latin, before the eyes of those in

power and authority, the Romans. The Jews

feel reproached and guilty of the crime com-

mitted on the dying Jesus. They hurry to

Pontius Pilate to ask him, though in vain, to

change the text of the inscription.



16 A Novena to Christ the King

Prayer

The cross calls to mind the countless sins 1

have committed. I, by my sins, by my count-
less sins, have helped to prepare for Thee, the

royal victim, a throne so hard, so painful, so

cruel, so outrageous, that no meaner instru-

ment of torture could be found in the whole

world. 0 my dear Jesus, I look at my in-
numerable sms and then at Thy cross, on

which ihou so patiently suffered the most

ignominious death. I am sorry for having

caused Thee, my dear Jesus, these terrible
pains and sufferings. I prostrate myself be-

fore Thy holy cross which forms the throne

of Thy infinite majesty on Mount Calvary,

and from the bottom of my heart, I repent
my shameless sins and I beg Thee, to pardon
my faults and to forgive my guilt. Amen.

SEVENTH DAY

The Eucharistic King

Scriptural Reading

The Psalmist chants the praise of the Eu-

charistic King in the following words:

“With thee is my praise in a great church:
I will pay my vows in the sight of them that
fear him.

“The poor shall eat and shall be filled: and

they shall praise the Lord that seek him : their

hearts shall live for ever and ever.

“All the ends of the earth shall remember,,

and shall be converted to the Lord: And dl



A No\*ena to Christ the King 17

the kindreds of the Gentiles shall adore in his

sight.

“hor the kingdom is the Lord’s; and he

shall nave dominion over the nations.

“All the fat ones of the earth have eaten

and have adored; all they that go down to the

earth shall fall before him.

“And to him my soul shall live: and my
seed shall serve him.

“There shall be declared to the Lord a

generation to come: and the heavens shall

shew forth his justice to a people that shall be

born, which the Lord hath made” (Ps. xxi.

26-32).

»

Meditation

What holy joy would have filled the hearts

of the prophets if they had seen, in vision, the

royal banquet the Messianic king was going to

prepare for the sons and daughters of the

coming kingdom. And after having come into

this world, Christ Himself rejoiced anticipat-

ing the infinite gladness of His divine soul, to

give Himself as food and nourishment to the

children of men. “With desire I have de-

sired to eat this pasch with you, before I suf-

fer. For I say to you, that from this time,

I will not eat it, till it be fulfilled in the king-

dom of God” (Luke xxii. 15, 16). In His

infinite love for us, Christ wishes to give Him-

self entirely to us, to be with us, to dwell and

reign within the sanctuary of our human soul:

“He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my
blood, abideth in me, and I in him” (John vi.

57). Surely and truly, the prophet is right

when he says of the Lord: “My delights were



18 A Novena to Christ the King

to be with the children of men” (Prov. viii.

31). With the greatest tenderness of heart,

the divine king invites His beloved ones to His

Eucharistic repast: “Come to me, all you that

labour, and are burdened and I will refresh

you” (Matt. xi. 28). “Come, eat my bread,
and drink the wine which I have mingled for

you” (Prov. ix. 5) With solicitude, the great

King of heaven knocks at the door of the hu-

man heart, desiring to be let in and to dine

with us. “Behold, I stand at the gate, and

knock. If any man shall hear my voice, and
open to me the door, I will come in to him,

and will sup with him, and he with me” (Apoc.

hi. 20). In His infinite goodness and kindness

of heart, the Lord promises eternal life to all

who approach worthily His sacred table: “He

that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood,
hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up

in the last day” (John vi. 55).

Prayer

0 my dear Lord and Jesus, I humbly
prostrate myself before Thy sacred altar and

adore Thee in the Blessed Sacrament. I firmly

believe that Thou art here present with Thy

sacred body and soul, with Thy humanity and

divinity. I hope in Thee, Thou Who art my
salvation and my eternal life! I love Thee,
from the depths of my heart, with my whole
soul and with all my strength, and I wish ever

to be united with Thee, nly dear, sweet Jesus

and Euchairistic King. Amen.



A Novena to Christ the King 19

EIGHTH DAY

The King of My Soul

Scriptural Reading

The great prophet Isaias understands well

the longing of a human soul, for he writes:

“Behold my servant, I will uphold him: my
elect, my soul delighteth in him: I have given
my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judg-
ment to the Gentiles” (Is. xlii. 1). The

Psalmist brings forth the same truth in the

following words:

“And to him my soul shall live: and my
seed shall serve him” (Ps. xxi. 31).

That intimate union of the soul and the

divine King is, again, spoken of by the same

royal singer when he says:

“And the king shall greatly desire thy

beauty, for he is the Lord thy God, and him

they shall adore” (Ps. xliv. 12).

And again:

“For thou art the most high Lord over all

the earth: thou art exalted exceedingly above

all gods.

“You that love the Lord, hate evil: the

Lord preserveth the souls of his saints, he will

deliver them out of the hand of the sinner.

“Light is risen to the just, and joy to the

right of heart.

“Rejoice, ye just, in the Lord: and give

praise to the remembrance of his holiness”

(Ps. xcvi. 9-12).

Meditation

Though Christ, as God, had power over this

world, He did not claim this earthly power.



20 A Novena to Christ the King

He wishes to take possession of the kingdom
of human souls, of human hearts. He longs
to rule the hearts of men, to enter into the

innermost sanctuary of human feelings, senti-

ments, wishes, and thoughts. He aims to
reign from the throne of the human heart.

He desires to control every vein, every mus-

cle, every beat, every drop of blood which ac-

counts for the activities of the human heart.

He longs for love: that this His infinite love

for man may be, in some way, answered by a

pure and holy love of men for Jesus. He

wishes to enkindle our cold and distant hearts.

He longs to inflame the fires of true love and

charity in our soul. He craves for a burning

and consuming fire of love, for a love that is

divine, for a love that culminates in a true

union of the human soul with God Himself.

Truly, Thou, O God, hast created me for Thy-
self and my heart is restless till it rests in
Thee, 0 my Lord and God (St. Augustine).

Prayer

In my human weakness, I have only a faint
idea of Thy infinite love, 0 Jesus, for me, a
poor sinner. But I beg Thee, dear Jesus, do

not despise the poverty of a supplicant heart.

In all humility I desire to prepare myself for

Your joyful entrance into my heart. Adorn it
with Thy sacred presence. Take possession of

me, 0 dear Jesus, of all the faculties of my
body and soul, of my whole being, that now
and in future, I may not live for myself, but

for Thee and in Thee, 0 my sweet Jesus.
Amen.



A Novena to Christ the King 21

NINTH DAY

The King of Eternal Glory

Scriptural Reading

The glory of the divine King in heaven is

the subject of the 149th Psalm and reads as

follows

:

“Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: let

his praise be in the church of the saints.

“Let Israel rejoice in him that made him:

and let the children of Sion be joyful in their

king.

“Let them praise his name in choir: let

them sing to him with the timbrel and the

psaltery.

“For the Lord is well pleased with his peo^

pie : and he will exalt the meek unto salvation.

“The saints shall rejoice in glory: they shall

be joyful in their beds.

“The high praises of God shall be in their

mouth: and two-edged swords in their hands:

“To execute vengeance upon the nations,

chastisements among the people:

“To bind their kings with fetters, and their

nobles with muscles of iron.

“To execute upon them the judgment that

is written: this glory is to all his saints. Alle-

luia.’’

Meditation

Christ, the king of the prophets, the king

of the Church, is also the king in the heights

of heaven, the king of eternal glory. Seated

on the throne of eternity. He receives the
homage and adoration of the legions of angels



22 A Novena to Christ the King

and archangels, of the multitudes of saints, of

the armies of martyrs and confessors, of the

choirs of holy virgins and priests, bishops,

patriarchs and popes. All heavenly powers

will bend in adoration, proclaiming the unend-

ing praise of the eternal king of Israel, of the

mighty ruler of heaven and earth, of the Lord

of time and eternity. There will be no end

of joy and happiness, and eternal praise will

reecho under the ceilings of the celestial

palace. And from one end of heaven to the

other will resound the name of the king of

eternal glory. St. John, in holy vision, de-

scribes heaven opened, and gazing on the glori-

ous king of heaven he writes: ‘‘And I saw

heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and

he that sat upon him was called faithful and

true, and with justice doth he judge and fight.

And his eyes were as a flame of fire, and on

his head were many diadems, and he had a

name written, which no man knoweth but him-

self. And he was clothed with a garment

sprinkled with blood; and his name is called.

The Word of God. And the armies that are
in heaven followed him on white horses,

clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And

out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp two-edged

sword; that with it he may strike the nations.

And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and

he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of

the wrath of God the Almighty. And he hath

on his garment, and on his thigh written: King

OF Kings, and Lord of Lords” (Apoc. xix.

11 -16).



A Novena to Christ the King 23

Prayer

Thou, 0 King of Kings, I adore Your in-

finite majesty. Thou art the Lord of Lords,

the mighty ruler of the universe. I adore

Thee, I worship Thee. Humbly I prostrate

myself before Thy infinite throne begging

and beseeching Thy infinite goodness to grant

to me a life of faithful service to Thee, 0
Lord, here below, and eternal bliss, hereafter,

that one day I may be counted with the blessed

in heaven to sing Your eternal praise. Amen.

PRAYER

{To be said every day of the Novena)

Almighty, eternal God, Who wishes to renew
everything in Your beloved Son, the king of

the whole world, grant, we beseech Thee, that

all the families of nations, divided by the

wounds of sin, may be brought under His

sweet rule. Who livest and reignest, world
without end .—From the Missal.

CHRIST THE KING

We sing to Thee, 0 Christ the King,
And gladly raise the songs of praise

Of Thy great glory, till they ring

Adown the aisles of time, ablaze

With all the pageantry of power.



24 A Novena to Christ the King

Thou art the Christ, and dost impart

Thy love to all who dwell above,

And to the clean and pure of heart

On earth, who like the simple dove,

Fulfill Your will, inquiring not the cause.

Thy kingdom come on earth apace.

Thy will be done by us, until

We see Thy glories face to face,
And join angelic choirs that trill

Sublime hosannas to our Christ the King.

O Christ the King, we worship Thee
With our whole heart and soul and mind,

Adoring Thee on bended knee.

And begging grace for all mankind

To reign with Thee for all eternity.

—Sister Mary Anselma, O.S.D.,
St. Mary^s of the Springs.

THE EPISTLE OF THE FEAST OF
CHRIST THE KING

“Brethren: Giving thanks to God the Fa-

ther, who hath made us worthy to be partak-

ers of the lot of the saints in light: Who
hath delivered us from the power of darkness,

and hath translated us into the kingdom of the

Son of his love. In whom we have redemp-

tion through his blood, the remission of sins;

Who is the image of the invisible God, the
first-born of every creature: For in him were

all things created in heaven and on earth, visi-

ble and invisible, whether thrones, or domi-

nations, or principalities, or powers: all things

were created by him and in him. And he is



A Nov^na to Christ the King 25

before all, and by him all things consist. And

he is the head of the body, the church, who is

the beginning, the first-born from the dead;

that in all things he may hold the primacy:

Because in him, it hath w^ell pleased the Father

^

that all fulness should dwell; And through him

to reconcile all things unto himself, making

peace through the blood of his cross, both as

to the things on earth, and the things that are

in heaven; in Christ Jesus Our Lord” (Col.

i. 12-20).

THE PREFACE OF THE MASS

It is truly w’orthy and just, right and whole-

some, that WT should give thanks, alw^ays and

everywhere, to Thee, 0 holy Lord, Almighty

Father, and eternal God; Who didst anoint
with the oil of gladness Thine only begotten

Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord, the eternal Priest

and the King of the whole wmrld; that offer-

ing up Himself on the altar of the cross, as an

immaculate and peace-bringing Victim, He

may perform the sacrament of the world’s re-

demption. Uniting all men under His rule.

He mayest deliver to Your infinite Majesty an

everlasting and w’orld-wdde kingdom, a l^g-

dom of truth and of life, a kingdom of sanc-

tity and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and

peace. And therefore, with the Angels and

Archangels, whh the Thrones and Domina-

tions, wdth the whole heavenly army, w^e sing

a h\Tnn to Your praise, saying without ceasing:

Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God Sabaoth!

Heaven and earth are full of Your Glory!

Hosanna in the highest! Blessed be He who



26 A Novena to Christ the King

cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in

the highest!

THE KINGSHIP IN THE APOCA-
LYPSE OF ST. JOHN

“Grace be unto you and peace from him

that is, and that was, and that is to come, and

from the seven spirits which are before his

throne.

“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faith-

ful witness, the first begotten of the dead,

and the prince of the kings of the earth, who

hath loved us, and washed us from our sins

in his own blood,

“And hath made us a kingdom, and priests

to God and his Father, to him be glory and

empire for ever and ever. Amen ” (Apoc.

i. 4-6.)

CONSECRATION OF THE HUMAN
RACE TO THE SACRED

HEART OF JESUS
Prescribed by His HolinesSy Pope Pius XI

Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human

race, look down upon us humbly prostrate be-

fore Thy altar. We are Thine, and Thine we
wish to be; but to be more surely united with

Thee, behold each one of us freely consecrates

himself today to Thy Most Sacred Heart.

Many indeed have never known Thee
;
many

too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected

Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merci-

ful Jesus, and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart.

Be thou King, 0 Lord, not only of the faithful



A Novena to Christ the King 27

who have never forsaken Thee, but also of the

prodigal children who have abandoned Thee;

grant that they may quickly return to their

Father’s house lest they die of wretchedness

and hunger. Be Thou King of those who are

deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom dis-

cord keeps aloof, and call them back to the

harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that

soon there may be but one flock and one

Shepherd. Be Thou King of all those who are

still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of

Islamism, and refuse not to draw them all into

the light and kingdom of God. Turn Thine

eyes of mercy toward the children of that

race, once Thy chosen people. Of old they

called down upon themselves the Blood of the

Savior; may It now descend upon them a laver

of redemption and of life. Grant, 0 Lord, to
Thy Church assurance of freedom and im-

munity from harm; give peace and order to all

nations, and make the earth resound from pole

to pole with one cry: Praise to the Divine

Heart that wrought our salvation; to It be

glory and honor forever. Amen.

CHRIST THE KING

Praised be Christ the King!

His kingdom come on earth today.

Where passions strive and sirens sing.

Where men have lost all virtue’s way.

Blest be Christ the King!

Forever modern, sympathetic, true.

Forever dying for His sheep astray;

For faithful saints, for me, for you.



28 A Novena to Christ the King

Hail to Christ the King!

He comes to rule the Church His bride,
His mystic body here on earth;

His kingdom vast for which He died . .
How infinite must be its worth.
—Sister Mary Anselma, O.S.D.,

St. Mary^s of the Springs.

CHRIST, KING AND SHEPHERD

Christ was king in the types and prophecies

of the Old Testament. The royal character of

the future Messias was fully announced by

the prophets. The prophecies reach far back

in time. The psalms are already very distinct

in announcing the future Messianic kingdom.

“For the kingdom is the Lord’s,” sings the

royal singer (Ps. xxi. 29). “Thy throne, O
God, is forever and ever: the sceptre of thy

kingdom is a sceptre of uprightness” (Ps.

xliv. 7). The future Messias is styled “the

ruler that is to come out of Jacob” (Num.

xxiv. 18), “who is constituted by the Father,

King over His Holy Mount of Sion, and who

will receive the nations as His inheritance, and

the things of the earth for His possession”

(Ps. ii. 8).

Ezechiel, as many of the other prophets,

speaks of the Messias as the king of peace.

“And I will make a covenant of peace with

them, it shall be an everlasting covenant with

them: . . . And my tabernacle shall be with
them: and I will be their God, and they shall

be my people” (Ezech. xxxvii. 26-27). Zacharias

speaks thus: “Rejoice greatly, Q daughter of



A Novena to Christ the King 29

Sion, shout for joy, 0 daughter of Jerusalem:

BEHOLD THY KiNG will come to thee, the just

and saviour” (Zach. ix. 9). “He shall speak

peace to the Gentiles” (Zach. ix. 10).

While the great mass of the Jews at the

time of Jesus Christ had absolutely lost sight

of the supernatural nature of the Messianic

kingdom, there remained still a small group of

pious men and women who were not spoiled

by earthly and political aspirations. They

longed for a Messianic kingdom of truth and

justice. Zachary is one of these holy souls,

who prayed for a “kingdom of the remission

of sins,” “of the knowledge of salvation” and

“of the enlightenment of those that sit in the

darkness and in the shadow of death” (Luke

i. 77-79). The three wise kings came from the

east to “adore” the newborn king of the Jews.

Anna, the prophetess, “who departed not from

the temple,” “spoke of him to all that looked

for the redemption of Israel” (Luke ii. 37, 38).

Simeon, too, was a man whose soul breathed

forth no worldly ambitions,- but was “wait-

ing for the consolation of Israel” (Luke ii. 25).

Joseph of Arimathea, the noble counsellor,

is another pious man who belongs to this group

of chosen souls (Mark xv. 43).

When Christ appeared in this world, He
claimed royal dignity. Scarcely had He been
born when the question was asked: “Where is

he that is bom king of the Jews?” (Matt. ii.
2). The Jews wished to make Him their king.
Pious men addressed Him reverently as their
king: “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou

art the king of Israel” (John i. 49). Christ en-

ters as king the city of Jerusalem: ^^Fear not,



30 A Novena to Christ the King

daughter of Sion, behold thy king cometh, sit-

ting on an ass's colt” (John xii. 15). “Ho-

sanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name

of the Lord, the king of Israel” (John xii. 13).

The Jews resort to His kingly claim to accuse

Him before Pontius Pilate. “Shall I crucify
your king.?” (John xix. 15). The conversation

of the Roman governor with the accused cen-

ters around Christ’s claim of the royal dignity:

“Pilate therefore said to him: Art thou a king

then? Jesus answered: Thou sayest that I am a
king” (John xviii. 37). The inscription on the

cross, finally, confirms the kingship of Christ:

“Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the

Jews” (John xix. 19).

Christ during His life had accepted royal

homage. Christ in the hour of death had

claimed the royal title. However, Christ sel-

dom referred to Himself as king when speak-

ing to the plain people. He substituted for the

word king a term which contained all the ele-

ments of His royal leadership, yet revealed

better the true nature of His kingship. This

new term, too, permitted a more intimate re-

lationship between the royal majesty and the

simple hearts of His people. In ancient times,

the kings, when not engaged in actual warfare

or the concerns of their government, spent

their time of leisure by watching over the

herds. The pastorship was a royal occupation.

As kings led their flocks to their pastures, so

the divine king will lead His flock to the

heavenly meadows. Christ the king speaks of

Himself as the true shepherd.

Christ is the true shepherd of the Christian

flock. Christ is the shepherd of sheep. Why,



A Novena to Christ the King 31

we may ask, did Christ choose the symbol of

sheep? Are not cattle and horses by far more

valuable than sheep? Certainly they are. But

the parable of the sheep permits the divine

Master to illustrate the true character of His

royal leadership. Cattle and horses must be

driven at the point of a stick, or with the

swing of a whip. Sheep willingly follow their

shepherd; the shepherd leads his flock. Christ

does not wish to drive His followers by means

of force. He wishes them to follow His foot-

steps willingly, joyfully and confidently. The

leadership of Christ and the free will following

of the sheep may never be lost sight of in the

Messianic kingdom.

Christ was king. Christ was shepherd. In

their last analysis, both the kingship and shep-

herdship of Christ are identical. In virtue of

the kingship of Christ, His foundation became

a real kingdom, a church. In virtue of the

shepherdship of Christ, the Bishops and par-

ish priests have jurisdiction over their flock;

they are the pastors of their congregation.

‘For Christ therefore we are ambassadors” (2

Cor. V. 20). “Take heed to yourselves, and

to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost

hath placed you bishops, to rule the Church

of God” (Acts XX. 28), and “Feed the flock

of God which is among you, taking care of it,

not by constraint, but willingly according to

God” (1 Pet. V. 2). The shepherdship of the

pastor, therefore, as well as of the Church

which is the supernatural and visible kingdom

of God. originated in the kingship of Christ.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd
eriveth his life for his sheep” (John x. 11).



61 A NOVENA TO Christ the King

“Feed my lambs, feed my sheep” (John xxi.

The kingship of the parish priest demands

the supervision of his parish. This supervision

is to be seen first in the pastor’s endeavor to

keep from his flock all that is pernicious to

the spiritual welfare of his sheep. To fight

evil, it is best to supplant it by good. To in-

troduce good Christian newspapers, magazines

and books in his parish, to establish parochial

schools, to promote a well-regulated family

life, to foster and cultivate Christian societies,

to attend to every form of Christian organiza-

tion, is the task of the zealous pastor. His

care must not be exercised merely in a sum-

mary way. The good pastor attends to the

individual cases, to the children, to those to

be married, to the sick, the poor, the aged,

to converts, and to the vocations. He tries

to extend the Christian influence over insti-

tutions located in his parish, such as asylums,

prisons, and endeavors to win the authorities

of the state, city and county for the recogni-

tion of Christian principles.

Needless to say, the good sheep should fol-

low their shepherd. They are to hear his

voice, they are to harken to his footsteps. The

exhortation St. Paul gave to the Hebrews ap-

plies, too. to the Christian of the twentieth

century: “Obey your prelates, and be subject

to them. For they watch as being to render

an account of your souls: that they may do

this with joy, and not with grief. For this is

not expedient for you. Pray for us” (Heb.

xiii. 17, 18).



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