Vive Christo Rey

Today is the feast day of Christ the King. It comes at the end of the Liturgical year as one last rally, one last celebration to totally dedicate our every action. And since it falls at the end of the year it invites us to review our year-- to reflect on the past year and ask ourselves where God was present in the past year; where God was calling us to give of ourselves in the past year; and how we can continue to respond to those calls.

Fittingly this past weekend also featured the installation of 24 new cardinals-- 24 men from around the world, now called princes of the Church, who may vote on and may become the next pope. The idea behind calling them princes, I think, is that they stand as leaders who are called now more than ever to be ready to embody the utterly sacrificial life of Christ. Let us not ever forget the king whom they are now invited to follow, as are we all.

This king, who we celebrate today, was one who chose as his chariot, his luxury car, a borrowed donkey. This king chose as his crown thorns which were given to him in mockery and rejection. This king chose for his support staff the rejects of society-- the fishermen and tax collectors. This king gained popularity and followership through preaching generosity, love, justice, service, peace, and above all forgiveness. And this king chose as his throne the cross.

Last night I had the opportunity to go into the Apostolic Palace, the pope's house, to greet the new cardinals, since the doors were open to the general public. And from talking to many of them, my classmates and I concluded that the most common thing that we heard from the new cardinals was an earnest request for prayers. They asked us to pray for them-- that they may be able to say yes to that which God is calling them. They asked us to pray for their home dioceses and Archdioceses. They asked us to pray for the people entrusted to their care. They asked us to pray for the Church.

The calling that they receive, I believe, is to be like Blessed Miguel Pro, SJ who pointed his every action towards the praise, reverence, and service of Christ the King. Pro was a free spirit who lived his priesthood and his Christianity to the fullest in a Mexico that outlawed any public display of Christianity. Pro disguised himself as a police officer, street cleaner, clown-- and did whatever he possibly could to bring Christ to everyone that he encountered. He put on different hats and different clothes to meet the people where they were. And although he knew that he was breaking the law and putting his life in jeopardy, Miguel Pro did all of this with a smile and is known for how joyfully he lived the Gospel.

Ultimately, though, Pro was martyred for his heroic efforts. He was placed before a firing squad and given one last chance to reject the faith. The news and propaganda cameras were rolling in sure hopes that Pro would meet their expectations-- but in his last words, the words that could have saved his life-- Pro cried at the top of his lungs-- "Viva Christo Rey-- Long Live Christ the King!"

I told these new cardinals that I would pray for them; and so I will. I will pray that they will embody the simplicity of purpose that Blessed Miguel Pro lived. I will pray that they embody the characteristics and humility fitting of a prince of Christ the King.