My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

We often take for granted things that are the most familiar and most important in our lives.  This sometimes happens with our family members and friends.  This same tendency may also be true with things of faith.  There are some things that are so basic and important in our faith that we often taken them for granted.  We do not take the time to reflect upon them and try to appreciate more deeply their meaning in our lives. 

For this reason, the Church gives us the Feast of Christ the King, so that we may concentrate on the importance of Christ in our lives.  He is at the center of our lives.  He is, in fact, the King of our life, the King whom we serve as faithful members of His Kingdom.

Historically, the Feast of Christ the King is a feast that was very recently added to the calendar of the Church at a time when many countries were ruled by a political monarch or were having their monarch restored.  These monarchs often claimed divine right over all of their people, a right they claimed from God. 

The Feast of Christ the King, however, reminds all believers, including all of the kings and rulers of this world, that there is only one King who can claim allegiance of all humanity, since His Kingship far transcends what the world can claim or imagine.  Jesus is the King because He is the incarnation of God in human history.  The only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, the Lord in His Kingship is the one whose Kingship guarantees our salvation, which He won for us through His life, death and resurrection.  He is the King who can claim allegiance of all humanity because He is the one unique and irreplaceable Savior of the world.  He is the King, whose Kingdom is not of this world, as Jesus said so often.  Rather, His Kingdom is a matter of justice, peace and righteousness, a reestablishing of our relationship between God and humanity. 

It is the Church founded upon Peter and directly instituted by our King, who continues His saving presence in the world, especially in the gift of Communion and the Eucharist, the sharing of His body and blood.  It is the Church that will help us to establish the Kingdom in all of its fullness in communion with all humanity. 

Next week, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, will make a pilgrimage of faith to the historic city of Istanbul, which was once Constantinople, the seat of the Roman Empire after it had left Rome.  Our Holy Father is going on an ecumenical and interreligious pilgrimage.  He goes first to pray and meet privately with Patriarch Bartholomew on November 29 and 30, and will participate on the Feast of St. Andrew in the liturgy with Orthodox leaders.  The Feast of St. Andrew, the patron of the Orthodox Church, is very important, just as the Feast of Peter and Paul is for the Catholic Church.  In fact, the Orthodox Church has always sent representatives to Rome for the Feast of Peter and Paul on June 29.  This year, our Holy Father returns the favor by meeting with the Orthodox Church in Istanbul. 

One of the stated goals of the pontificate of Benedict XVI is to move to a closer relationship with the Orthodox Churches.  This has been difficult in years past, and yet we are so close in our preservation of the faith.  Continued dialogue may someday bring about the unity that Christ so much desired for His Church. 

Another purpose of the Holy Father’s trip is to meet with the Muslim leaders in Turkey.  As you know, a recent speech of the Holy Father when he was in Germany caused some tension between the people of the faith of Islam and the whole of Christendom.  This trip, scheduled long before the speech in Germany, brings an opportunity for the Holy Father to dialogue with representatives of Islam and to reaffirm his respect for our common father, Abraham, in the faith in one God.  The Holy Father will also meet with Jewish leaders in Istanbul during his pilgrimage.

It would be wonderful if we join our Holy Father spiritually during his pilgrimage to Turkey.  The Knights of Columbus have called for us to join the Holy Father spiritually as he moves in this ecumenical and interreligious gesture.

A prayer for the occasion has been composed by Bishop William E. Lori, Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus. It follows:

“Heavenly Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name, we humbly ask that you sustain, inspire, and protect your servant, Pope Benedict XVI, as he goes on pilgrimage to Turkey---a land to which St. Paul brought the Gospel of your Son; a land where once the Mother of your Son, the Seat of Wisdom, dwelt; a land where faith in your Son’s true divinity was definitely professed. Bless our Holy Father, who comes as a messenger of truth and love to all people of faith and good will dwelling in this land so rich in history. In the power of the Holy Spirit, may this visit of the Holy Father bring about deeper ties of understanding, cooperation, and peace among Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, and those who profess Islam. May the prayers and events of these historic days greatly contribute both to greater accord among those who worship you, the living and true God, and also to peace in our world so often torn apart by war and sectarian violence.     

“We also ask, O Heavenly Father, that you watch over and protect Pope Benedict and entrust him to the loving care of Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Fatima, a title cherished both by Catholics and Muslims. Through her prayers and maternal love, may Pope Benedict be kept safe from all harm as he prays, bears witness to the Gospel, and invites all peoples to a dialogue of faith, reason, and love. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.”

As our Holy Father, Benedict XVI, puts out into the deep in his pilgrimage with several purposes, let us assist him with our prayers and sacrifices for its success.  Christ is the King we serve whose Kingdom is universal.  Our King asks us to herald the Kingdom that is the reign of God to all who will hear.  Our Orthodox brothers and sisters, as well as those of other religious beliefs, search for the truth about God.  Let us hope that our witness to the truth will assist them.

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