Attend Mass for Christ the King
The Feast of Christ the King, instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 through the encyclical Quas Primas, reminds us of Christ’s sovereignty over all earthly and spiritual powers. The feast is celebrated on the last Sunday of October in the pre-1962 calendar and on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time in the Novus Ordo. Attend Mass to honor the Kingship of Christ, and if you wish to attend a Traditional Latin Mass, you can find one near you (click here).
Attend Adoration After Mass
Spend time in Eucharistic adoration after Mass, reflecting on Christ’s sovereignty in your life. Kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament is a powerful way to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and King of the universe and of our hearts. Offer your prayers for the reign of Christ to be fully realized in the world, especially over your home, your family, and society.
Enthrone the Sacred Heart in Your Home
The Feast of Christ the King is a wonderful occasion to enthrone the Sacred Heart of Jesus in your home, an act that publicly acknowledges His rule over your family.
Jesus promised St. Margaret Mary Alacoque that He “will bless the home in which the image of my Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honored.” When we enthrone (display) the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a prominent place and signify that Jesus is the King, friend and brother of the family, we are responding to the invitation of the Church to make our homes “Domestic Churches”, wherein Jesus is the center and source of love for all. As the sanctuary church lamp reminds us of Christ’s presence in the tabernacle, the enthroned image of the Sacred Heart reminds us that Jesus is among us and with us. By this covenant we make our homes and hearts His tabernacle.
Teaching on Jesus’ Exposed Heart
In an Enthronement ceremony, a blessed picture or a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is used.
Any image is usable, as long as it replicates what St. Margaret Mary described seeing when Our Lord appeared to her:
- Around His Heart is a crown of thorns.
- There is a wound, from the soldier’s spear, showing that our sins hurt Him in the Heart.
- The flames coming from His Heart show the intensity of His Love.
- Above the flames is a cross showing that His Love for us was so great that He died for us.
These are the symbols of His passion. We were redeemed by the cross and we will be saved by it.
Catechesis on the Enthronement
The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart is an Apostolate founded by Father Mateo Crawley-Boevey, SS.CC. to win souls to Christ. It is a crusade to conquer the whole world to the love of the Sacred Heart. The essence of it is Love. It is rooted in scripture. The heart and soul of it is the Eucharist. The Redeeming power of it is the Mass. The goal of it is to unite the tabernacle of the church and the tabernacle of the home in order to make domestic churches of the homes.
The Enthronement Apostolate is rooted in Sacred Scripture and private revelation. The latter in particular refers to our Lord’s encounter with St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 17th Century and the many promises he made to those who honor His most Sacred Heart. In the 19th Century, these promises were abridged by an Ohio businessman named Phillip Kemper who documented twelve distinct statements (promises) approved by Pope Leo XIII in 1899. Father Mateo had a desire to put into effect all of Christ’s promises and to draw families into intimate relations with Jesus through the Enthronement.
The Preparation
Before inviting Jesus into our homes and proclaiming Him as the King and Head of our household, we must be well prepared. The real gift of the Enthronement is the awareness of the Living Presence of God in our homes, therefore we prepare our hearts and home with that gift of His coming foremost on our minds. When introducing the King of Love into any home, a forerunner is sent to ensure that the family fully realizes the importance of what is going to take place, and that the ceremony is performed with all the piety and reverence that it deserves. The nine day preparation period begins with a promoter coming to your home to offer support and to explain all aspects of the preparation and the ceremony. The promoter will also bring you a pilgrim picture of our Lady of Perpetual Help and lead the family in praying the Rosary. Mary leads the way for the Kingship of her Son. When you draw close to Mary, she will draw you closer to her Son. This time together will open your hearts and your home to the fullness of grace that the King of Kings wants to give you from His Heart. The greater the preparation the greater the graces.
The Meaning of the Enthronement
The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart means the official and social recognition of the loving kingship of the Heart of Jesus in the Christian family. The family acknowledges this recognition by solemnly installing an image of the Sacred Heart in a place of honor in the home and dedicating itself to Him by an Act of Consecration. The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart is the recognition of the living presence of our Lord in the home, where His Divine Heart, as King of Love, is the center of the family, attracting all its members.
Jesus is invited to participate in all activities of the family. He then sanctifies all the details of home life. By the Enthronement and under the influence of the Sacred Heart, each member learns intimacy with Jesus. Either as a family or individually, each will grow in confidence and love with the One who longs for our love. Thus, the gift of the Enthronement is an awareness of His Living Presence in the family and a source of grace and blessings for the family.
The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart is more than a mere veneration of an image or a transient consecration. It becomes a “way of life”, a sharing of hearts, a permanent state of devotion and love. The home becomes a “Domestic Church” – a place where Jesus is loved and where a family will render reparation to the King of Love.
A Powerful Aid to Pastors
As the Enthronement creates an intimate relationship between the Church and the home, and results in greater love for the Eucharist, so it also creates a close relationship between priests and families. The Enthronement is therefore a powerful aid to the pastor, for by its means the zeal of the flock entrusted to him will be rekindled and sustained. Families in which the Scared Heart reigns and which nourish the spirit of the Enthronement will be for the pastor a staunch support upon which he can confidently rely.
Because of its great importance, the presence of a priest at the Enthronement has always been urged by the founder of the work and by the Church itself. Whenever possible, it should be presided over by one of the parish priests, who thus has a splendid opportunity of meeting entire families. Many priests have experienced the beneficial results of these contacts.
(Excerpted from sacredheartapostolate.com)
Read Pope Pius XI’s Quas Primas
Reflect on the theological and social significance of Christ’s Kingship by reading Quas Primas, the encyclical by Pope Pius XI that established the feast. In it, the Pope explains that secularism and nationalism were on the rise, and this feast serves to remind the faithful that Christ’s authority extends beyond the Church and into the whole world. The encyclical is a beautiful meditation on Christ’s reign and its implications for both society and individual souls.
You can read Quas Primas here.
Read from Gueranger’s The Liturgical Year
Dom Prosper Gueranger’s reflections in The Liturgical Year offer rich insights into the significance of Christ’s universal Kingship. Gueranger underscores how Christ’s victory over sin and death is made manifest in His Church and in the hearts of the faithful. Reading this can deepen your appreciation for the day’s liturgical celebrations and offer insights into how we can practically live under Christ’s reign in our lives.
The last Sunday of October is consecrated to the feast of Christ the King. This solemnity was instituted by Pope Pius XI in his encyclical Quas Primas in 1925. The Holy Father desired to respond to the growing secularism and atheism that were spreading in the world at that time by reminding Christians that Christ reigns supreme over every aspect of life: personal, social, political, and religious.
The Church has always recognized Christ as King. In sacred scripture, Christ is often referred to as King. The prophet Isaiah describes the Messiah as the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), and the angel Gabriel tells Mary that her Son will “reign over the house of Jacob forever” (Luke 1:33). Christ Himself affirmed His Kingship during His Passion when He told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world,” but He also declared, “You say that I am a king, for this I was born and for this I have come into the world” (John 18:36-37).
The feast of Christ the King emphasizes that Jesus’ kingdom is universal. He is not only King of heaven but also King of earth. His kingship extends over all nations and peoples, regardless of their recognition or acknowledgment of His authority. As Pius XI wrote in Quas Primas, “He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to Him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls” (Quas Primas, no. 33).
The liturgy of the feast is filled with the theme of Christ’s kingship. The Introit proclaims: “The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power, and divinity, and wisdom, and strength, and honor: to Him be glory and empire forever and ever” (Revelation 5:12, 1:6). The Collect asks that “all the families of nations, now kept apart by the wound of sin, may be brought under the sweet yoke of His rule.” The Epistle, taken from the letter of St. Paul to the Colossians (1:12-20), presents the figure of Christ as the Head of the Church and the firstborn of all creation, in whom all things hold together. St. Paul emphasizes the supremacy of Christ and His role in reconciling all things to Himself, making peace through His blood.
The Gospel (John 18:33-37) recounts the dialogue between Jesus and Pilate, where Christ affirms His royal dignity and declares that His kingdom is not of this world. The Preface, added specifically for this feast, beautifully expresses the Church’s understanding of Christ’s kingship: “It is truly meet and just, right and profitable unto salvation, always and everywhere to give thanks to Thee, O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God: Who didst anoint with the oil of gladness Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, as eternal Priest and universal King; that by offering Himself on the altar of the Cross as a stainless sacrifice, He might accomplish the mysteries of man’s redemption; and that having all creatures subject to His power, He might deliver to Thine infinite Majesty an eternal and universal kingdom: a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace.”
This feast calls on all Christians to renew their dedication to Christ as King, and to strive to bring about His kingdom in their own lives, their families, and their communities. It is a reminder that Christ is not merely a symbolic king but the true ruler of all creation, and that His reign will one day be fully realized when He comes again in glory. Until then, we are called to live as citizens of His kingdom, working to bring His truth, His love, and His justice into every corner of the world.
Pray the Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart
This prayer, originally prescribed by Pope Leo XIII, is traditionally recited on the Feast of Christ the King. It is a profound act of offering, entrusting the entire human race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. If you are able to do so, gather with your family or community to pray this beautiful prayer together, asking for Christ’s reign of peace and love to extend throughout the world. The text of the prayer can be found here.
Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Your altar. We are Yours, and Yours we wish to be; but to be more surely united with You, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Your Most Sacred Heart.
Many indeed have never known You; many too, despising Your precepts, have rejected You. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Your Sacred Heart.
Be You King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken You, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned You; grant that they may quickly return to their Father’s house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.
Be You King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord 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 You King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism, and refuse not to draw them into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Your eyes of mercy towards the children of that race, once Your 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, O Lord, to Your Church assurance of freedom and immunity 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.