Christ the Cornerstone

God alone deserves glory, empowering our lives with his love

All glory, laud, and honor to you, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. You are the King of Israel and David’s royal Son, now in the Lord’s name coming, the King and Blessed One. (hymn text of Theodulf of Orléans)

What does it mean to “give glory to God”? The Greek word “doxa” which we translate into English as “glory,” literally means “weighted” or “heavy.”

In the Bible, doxa relates to the importance or esteem afforded to powerful people such as King Solomon. But this word is also used to refer to the “brightness” or “luminosity” of God as in the transfiguration of Jesus on

Mt. Tabor: “Jesus was transfigured before them; his face shining as the sun, and his garments became white as the light” (Mt 17:2).

Only God is deserving of supreme honor or glory. Only God stands as the source of unsurpassable light in this world’s darkness. Only God is worthy of our unqualified thanks and praise.

Next Sunday, we conclude the Church’s year with the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Jesus Christ is the one to whom we give all glory, laud and honor. It’s true that we regularly sing the praises of celebrities, politicians and athletes, giving what might be called a “lightweight” form of glory and honor to the rich and famous members of our society. Their importance, and their luminosity, are a dim reflection (sometimes an outright distortion) of the glory that is found in God alone.

The first reading for Christ the King Sunday from the Book of Daniel emphasizes the importance and the universality of divine kingship:

“As the visions during the night continued, I saw one like a Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven; when he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, ­nations, and languages serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his ­kingship shall not be destroyed” (Dn 7:13-14).

God is no ordinary political leader or celebrity, one who comes and goes without leaving any lasting impact. His dominion, or lordship, is eternal and indestructible. People from every nation, language and culture recognize his sovereignty, serve him and give him glory.

In Sunday’s second reading from the Book of Revelation, we hear a powerful confirmation of the glory of God:

“Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the Earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen” (Rv 1:5-6).

The man Jesus, who is like us in all things but sin, gives powerful witness to the grandeur of God. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty” (Rv 1:8). In him, we see the face of God shining more brilliantly than the sun. In him, all darkness is dispelled, and we are given the power to see and understand the mysteries of God’s creation.

But as if to prevent us from being overwhelmed by the dazzling brilliance of God’s glory, the Gospel reading for the Solemnity of Christ the King (Jn 18:33b-37) brings us back from the magnificent heavens to the cold, cruel Earth.

Here we see the man, Jesus, who has been beaten, scourged and condemned to death. The Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, who stands for every political leader in every age and culture, challenges Jesus on his claim to be king. The Lord’s response is chilling in its simplicity and clarity: “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here” (Jn 18:36).

God alone is deserving of glory, but his majesty and power are totally unlike what we experience or expect from earthly rulers or celebrities. Christ our King rules with humility, integrity and self-sacrificing love. He never looks down on his subjects or dismisses their needs or concerns. His glory is never pompous or self-important. His brilliance never obscures reality; instead, his light drives out darkness and confusion in order to reveal the truth.

This Christ the King Sunday, let’s resolve to give glory where it is due. Let’s sing the praises of our Redeemer who has freed us from our sins and made us into a kingdom of faithful, missionary disciples called to love and serve others as Jesus taught us. †