Nagpur: “Nourished by the Eucharist, nourish others,” said Archbishop Abraham Viruthakulangara during his homily on the annual celebration of Feast of Christ the King at St Francis de Sales Cathedral, in Nagpur.
The prelate was quoting the theme of the National Eucharistic Congress which concluded a week ago in Mumbai, western India.
More than 50 priests from various parishes and religious houses under Nagpur archdiocese concelebrated Mass with Archbishop Viruthakulangara on November 22.
Speaking about the Kingship of Jesus the archbishop said, “Like people of Jesus’ time, our contemporaries also recognize Jesus as the most powerful man and they are also afraid of Jesus and his Kingdom.
“Jesus did not come to establish a political Kingdom. He came rather to create a Kingdom of joy, peace and love and justice. ‘Repent and believe in the Gospel,’ he said and repeats the same to us even today because that is his manifesto.
Emphasizing the importance of reaching out to others, he said, “Jesus has a two-point program: Love of God and love of your neighbor. Where there is love the Kingdom of God reigns there. And Jesus is the King.
“The Kingdom of Jesus has no boundary as love has no boundary. The kingdom is in our hearts and from there it has to reach out to others.
“Speaking about the common misunderstanding about the Catholics he said, “People think Christianity is the ‘institutions’ that we run. Rather through our institutions we proclaim the Kingdom values to others, the value of love, peace and justice. There are those who think the Kingdom of Jesus will end, but it will never end.
“Jesus tells us ‘I want to be in your heart’. The person of Christ has to dwell in our hearts. We have to make place for him in our hearts. Yes, the Kingdom of Jesus is in our hearts. And our mission is to spread it in to the hearts of others.”
Around 5,000 people attended the Holy Eucharist held prior to the Eucharistic procession on the Feast day.
It was an occasion for the people of the archiocese to thank and acknowledge Christ as their King and to witness him, said Fr Jerome Pinto, the vicar general of the archdiocese and the cathedral parish priest.
What attracts and impress the faithful of the Archdiocese of Nagpur on the Occasion of the Feast of Christ the King is the 40 hour long adoration prior to the feast day Eucharist and Procession.
Started in 2005 by Archbishop Abraham, the Adoration is well planned, as institutions, youth groups, parishes and religious houses taking turns to conduct each hour.
The Solemnity of the Feast of Christ the King was instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius Xl in his encyclical letter Quas primas, in response to growing nationalism and secularism. In 1970 its observance was moved to the last Sunday of the Ordinary time and adopted by Anglicans, Lutherans, and many other Protestant groups.
The Feast is intended to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Christ’s Kingship over individuals, families, society, governments and nations.
On this day the Universal Church proclaims that Christ is God, the creator of the universe and hence wields a supreme power over all things.