The Feast of Christ the King

Pope Pius the XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King in 1925 to combat secularism, atheism, communism, fascism, and political turmoil, reminding people that their ultimate allegiance belongs to Christ. He stated in his encyclical Quas Primas:  “…those who belong to the Kingdom of Christ cannot be subject to any external power…. He must reign in our minds… He must reign in our wills… He must reign in our hearts.” Let us be reminded that it is Our Lord Jesus Christ who rules over all of creation, and all persons and principalities are subject to His reign.

This year The Feast of Christ the King falls on October 25th, the final Sunday of Ordinary Time, and the concluding day of the Liturgical Year. Before celebrating the triumph of All the Saints, we proclaim and praise the glory of Him who triumphs in All the Saints. Christ is King!

Saint Luke

October 18 is the Feast of Saint Luke. He was a native of Antioch and was educated as a physician. After being converted by Saint Paul, Saint Luke accompanied Paul on his missionary journeys. He was the author of the third Gospel as well as the Acts of the Apostles. The Gospel of Luke preserved the most extensive biography of Our Lord Jesus Christ and is recognized as being the largest volume in the New Testament out of all of its books.

It is believed that Saint Luke had a special connection with Our Lady because it is only in Luke's gospel that we read the narratives of the Annunciation, Mary's visit to Elizabeth including the Magnificat, the Presentation, and the disappearance of Jesus in Jerusalem. Saint Luke was also the founder of Christian iconography and is credited with painting several icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary, including the “Salus Populi Romani”, or the “Salvation of the Roman People”. This icon of Mary with the child Jesus was brought to Rome by St. Helena and has survived to this day. It is housed in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.