Thankfulness and Christ the King

As I was preparing for this week's Faith Friday, I was in a funny mood. I was dreading driving the 3 hours south to visit with family because I thought the traffic would be crazy, my kids would be on their phones the whole time, and I would annoyed. The traffic was not bad at all. My kids were on their phones, but my son played a playlist my daughter made years ago with all of my favorites bands from the 80s and 90s. So I rocked out and sang my heart out the entire 3 hours south with a couple of good backup singers chiming in every now and again!! I digress. 

I know the holidays can be a challenging time for people because of missing loved ones, recent deaths, illnesses, depression, and anxiety. Just the anticipation of seeing people we might not see very often can be a lot for many. I thought I might take a lighthearted approach to part of my writing, so I Googled, "things to write about the day after Thanksgiving." Wow, what a wide range of answers. Lots of quotes about being thankful and grateful. Some funny ones about being glad the day was over and those long lost cousins were headed back home. Kevin James, comedian and actor, said, "Thanksgiving, man. Not a good day to be my pants." LOL. Despite the necessity for some of us to have stretchy waist bands on Thanksgiving, we know there is beauty in acknowledging our gift of life and our many blessings. So much to be grateful for, even when it can be hard to see through the things that obstruct our view. 

I decided a more serious and fitting quote would be more appropriate for this day especially with this Sunday being the Feast of Christ the King. So I found this quote by William Arthur Ward.

I love the beginning of each line. Adventure, purpose, nature, challenge, essence, opportunity, secret, spice, beauty, and joy. Each descriptive line can be applied to our lives and our faith. This seemed appropriate for this weekend because it is Christ the King Sunday, the last weekend of the liturgical year. It is a time for reflection and focus. How can we fulfill the purpose Christ has in store for us? How are we living a life with beauty and joy? How are we affecting others? The Feast of Christ the King can be a wake up call for us to reassess or align our lives in a way that He intended.

I did a little research and learned that Pope Pius XI in December 1925 established the Feast of Christ the King Sunday. He said that many people at that time had put Jesus out of their lives. As Pope Pius XI reflected, "He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm believe to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls." 

I hope each one of you had a Thanksgiving filled with peace, joy, and love. Continued blessings.