“My kingship is not of this world.”

John 18:33-37

It is not the songs we sing to Jesus (“He is the King of Kings) or the clothes we wear that shows us to be his followers. Jesus said to Pilate: “My Kingdom is not of this world.” This means simply that in its origins, methods, and values, Jesus’ Kingdom comes from God.
Some time ago, a parishioner from a Catholic parish complained loudly about an exorbitant fee that was being asked for the performance of a relatively simple rite. To her it was as if the parish considered itself as an enterprise to be run like any business. This memory came back to me as I reflected on the fact that our proclamation of Jesus as our ‘King’, has to be seen in the manner we conduct our lives as individuals and how we manage our affairs as a community. This is an important reminder for our Catholic communities.
Lord, help us to remember your command to take up our cross and follow you goes for us as individuals and as entire communities as well. Amen.