Next Sunday, the season of Advent begins and it will also mark the start of the new liturgical year of the Roman Catholic Church.

In the last Sunday of Ordinary Time in the current liturgical year, this Sunday, we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, celebrating and honoring the Kingship of Our Lord, His Universal Dominion and Kingship, Mastery and Rule over the whole of Creation and over all things.

We glorify our Lord and King, proclaiming Jesus as our only Sovereign and Master, the One Who rules over our lives, renewing our commitment and dedication to Him as His followers and disciples, and as His one united people, the Church of God.

Brethren, the coming of Christ into this world is the revelation that God would send none other than His own Begotten and Beloved Son, the Divine Word of God, to be incarnated in our midst and to dwell among us, ruling over us all as our Lord and King. And as He came upon us in the flesh, adopting our human nature and existence, He also made His Kingdom to be manifest in our midst, as something that is real and tangible.

We are also reminded that, ultimately, our allegiance and obedience lie and rest in God. Of course, we are parts and members of our respective countries, states and other worldly authorities that we are under and subject to, but we must always keep in mind that all the authority and power they have ultimately comes from God, our true Lord and King, our Master and Ruler, Who has entrusted and delegated His power and authority to those whom He has chosen and called to exercise that power and authority on a daily basis, be it in the secular world, in our states and countries, our governments and worldly rulers, as well as in the Church of God, the Pope and the many bishops all around the world, to whom have been entrusted all of us, God’s flock and holy people.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listen to the words from the Scriptures and as we all ponder upon the reality of the Kingship of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, let us renew our faith and commitment in the Lord.

Let not only our words but more so our actions proclaim Him as our one true Lord and King. And if we truly believe and accept our Lord Jesus as King, then we must truly enthrone Him in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, in our whole being, and strive as always to put Him at the very center of our lives.

This is what we have been invited and reminded to do, to follow and obey Our King at all times and in all circumstances. As Christians, we must always be ready to proclaim our allegiance to God and our adherence to His ways and teachings, His Law and commandments at every moment of our lives.

Whether we admit it or not, the problem is many of us still do not truly proclaim and hold fast to the fact and belief that Our Lord Jesus Christ, our God, is our Lord and King, our Master and Ruler.

Why is that so? Because we often allow ourselves to be slaves of our ambitions, the temptations of power, money, worldly desires and attachments distract us and pull us away from God and His path.

And we also end up making those things our idols and masters instead of Jesus. Indeed, there are many false idols around us — money, possessions, ambitions and other forms of worldly pursuits and desires — that keep us from being truly committed and faithful to the Lord, our true Master and King.