In 2006, Kenrick-Glennon Seminary began a program for the seminarians to learn Spanish. My classmates and I were the first participants in this program, which sent us to Mexico City to be immersed in the language and culture of that country. We spent five weeks of our summer learning the basics of Mexican culture and language. We discovered some crucial information very quickly: don't drink water from the tap, don't eat fruits or vegetables washed with tap water, and make sure that the water you buy has an unbroken seal around the top. Some of us found this out the hard way. But one of the most interesting things I learned during my time there was the popular devotion surrounding a young man named Blessed Miguel Pro.
Blessed Miguel was born in 1891 in the area of Guadalupe to a prosperous family. By all accounts he was the life of the party, often disposed to practical jokes, mischief, and dangerous stunts. He was a handsome young man, very intelligent and witty, and he enjoyed socializing with the senoritas as much as they liked spending time with him. As the eldest son in the family, he was in line to take over the profitable family business and live a comfortable life.
But when he turned twenty, Blessed Miguel discovered God was calling him to the priesthood. He gave up everything he had and joined the Jesuit order. He had to study outside of his native Mexico because the country had become violently anti-catholic. He was finally ordained a priest in 1925, at the age of 34 and he returned home the following year. From this time on, Blessed Miguel Pro became something of a legend to both friends and enemies, because of his courage and cleverness.
The persecution of Catholics was in full-swing, churches were closed, and the only priests remaining were those who were hiding. Blessed Miguel used all of his cleverness to disguise his identity in order to carry out his priestly ministry. He dressed up as a beggar to do baptisms, he would disguise himself as a police officer to visit Catholics in jail, and he would wear a fancy suit to visit wealthy neighborhoods, appearing as a salesman while begging for the poor.
Eventually he was captured by the government and sentenced to death by firing squad. Unafraid, he knelt down, a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other and prayed for the men who were about to shoot him. He refused a blindfold and faced his executioners bravely. In his final moments on this earth, he stretched out his hands, imitating Christ on the cross and exclaimed "Viva Christo Rey" - which means "Long live Christ the King." His death energized the Cristeros movement, which eventually forced the Mexican government to stop persecuting the Catholic Church and recognize the rights of the poor. This struggle was made into a movie, called For Greater Glory.
The life and witness of Blessed Miguel Pro points to the feast we celebrate today, the feast of Christ the King. His last words of "long live Christ the King" were the culmination of a life that loudly proclaimed that truth. Here was a man who was able to give up all he had, including his life, because his allegiance was first and foremost to Christ. This feast day invites us to do the same in our own lives. It should make us ask questions about what or who it is that we serve.
Do we allow Christ to be Lord of our lives and king of our hearts? Or do we allow a desire for earthly power, personal autonomy, and worldly comfort to take hold of us? Do we choose Christ’s version of power, with its mandate to serve and sacrifice ourselves? Or do we seek the power of this world, which so often crushes and dominates?
At this time, we still enjoy religious liberty in our country. But anyone who is aware of the social climate knows that even now in our country some of the core values of our faith are under attack. In many corners of our culture, it is not Christ who is king but rather cash, power, prestige, comfort, convenience, and unlimited personal freedom. Sadly, we see people who call themselves Catholic who embrace these things rather than Christ. The same can happen to you and me, if we do not give Jesus pride of place in all that we think, do, and say.
So how, practically speaking, do we make Christ the king of our lives? How can we be sure that we are not just paying lip-service to the King of kings and the Lord of lords? Asking a few simple questions can put us on the right track. Do I give Christ some quality time each and every day in silent prayer? Do I allow him to speak to me and do I listen to what he says? Or, do I simply assault him with requests, demands, and complaints? Do I worship him at Mass, at least once a week on Sundays or am I counting the minutes until I am out of church? Do I know who Jesus is, both through reflective prayer and through the Scriptures, in which he reveals himself? Is my life about taking care of myself or is it centered on pleasing God and taking care of others? Am I investing the best of who I am, the best of what I have into the things of this world or do I give the best of everything to the greater honor and glory of God?
In some way, each of us can do better in most, if not all, of these areas. Celebrating Christ as King means letting him rule over us in our daily lives and not just in the times we find ourselves here in church. Jesus has promised wonderful things to those who love him and follow him during their time on earth. But he does require us to listen to him and to be led by his word. This is demonstrated not by what we say but by how we live. Through the grace of God and the example of Blessed Miguel Pro, may our lives daily proclaim, "Long Live Christ the King!"
