LIVE IT TODAY: Sunday, November 23, 2025 | Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
My mercy is stronger than your sin. Nothing is too late for Me.
LIVE IT TODAY: Sunday, November 23, 2025 | Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
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GOD’S DECLARATION TO YOU TODAY
My mercy is stronger than your sin. Nothing is too late for Me.
INVOCATION
Come, Holy Spirit! Through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother Mary, open my heart to hear and receive all that You desire for me. Draw me ever more deeply into the Love and Life of the Blessed Trinity!
GOSPEL | Luke 23:35–43
The rulers sneered at Jesus and said,
“He saved others, let him save himself
if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God.”
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
“If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.”
Above him there was an inscription that read,
“This is the King of the Jews.”
Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
“Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us.”
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
“Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal.”
Then he said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
He replied to him,
“Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.”
EVERY DAY QUESTION
What struck you? Challenged you? Inspired you? What questions did it raise?
GOING DEEPER
The King who reigns from a Cross
Today, on the feast of Christ the King, we are given the most unexpected throne imaginable: a Roman cross. Every detail of this Gospel cuts against human expectations. Kings command armies, display power, crush enemies. Yet Jesus reigns by refusing to save Himself in order to save us. His crown is thorns, His scepter is a nail, His royal inscription is meant as mockery—but heaven reads it as truth.
Saint Luke gives us one of the most moving scenes in all of Scripture. Two criminals hang beside Jesus. One joins the chorus of mockery. The other—the “good thief,” St. Dismas in tradition—sees differently. In Greek he calls Jesus mnésthēti—“remember me,” a covenant word drawn from Israel’s deepest prayers. This isn’t a last-minute bargain; it is an act of surrender, trust, and recognition. Dismas sees what the rulers, soldiers, and crowds miss: that Jesus is a King whose kingdom is mercy.
On this solemnity, the contrast couldn’t be sharper. Earthly kings rule by domination. Christ rules by self-giving love. Earthly kingdoms rise and fall. Christ’s kingdom breaks into the world from a place of suffering—and from that place opens Paradise. The Cross is not a failure of power; it is the revelation of true power.
Families today feel cruciform pressures—financial strain, exhaustion, broken relationships, cultural hostility, wounds that feel beyond healing. The Enemy whispers that it’s too late, that we’ve failed, that nothing can change. Yet Jesus responds to the good thief with a word that shatters despair: “Today.” Not someday. Not after you fix yourself. Today you will be with Me in Paradise. Heaven begins where surrender happens.
This solemnity also reminds us that every home is meant to be a small kingdom—ordered not by fear, anger, or exhaustion, but by the lordship of Christ. His reign is not abstract. It is revealed in forgiveness offered when we are tired, patience shown when we feel justified in frustration, tenderness extended when resentment feels easier. These are the places where Christ reigns as King.
Parents, your home becomes a kingdom when you enthrone Christ through daily, concrete surrender. Tonight, pray over your spouse and children by name, asking Jesus the King to reign in their fears, wounds, choices, and desires. Ask Him to break the lie that anything is too late and to bring each heart into His merciful “today.”
“‘Christ’s kingship consists in the supreme exercise of his authority over creation and over human history.’” (CCC 450)
LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS
A King on a Cross:
What part of your life challenges your understanding of Jesus’ kingship, and how is He inviting you to trust Him there?
Your “Today”:
Where do you need to hear Jesus’ promise right now—not someday, but today?
A Kingdom at Home:
What concrete act of mercy can you practice today that allows Christ to reign more fully in your family?
FAMILY LIVE IT
Make some time today to gather together and, going around, each person shares one place where they need Jesus, the King of Mercy, to reign more fully.
Pray over each person by name: Lord Jesus, our King, reign in ___ today. Break every lie that it is too late for healing or change. Flood their heart with Your mercy, Your courage, and Your peace. Let Your kingdom come alive in their life and in our home.
Daily Challenge: Choose one simple act of mercy today—an apology, a gesture of kindness, a word of encouragement, or a sacrifice offered with love—that lets Christ’s kingship be felt in your home.
DAILY PARENT & GRANDPARENT BLESSING
LORD JESUS CHRIST, let Your holy anointing be upon each of our children, grandchildren, and godchildren this day and week, including all to whom they are called in vocation, and all future generations! In Your Sacred Name we claim them for You! We renounce all whispers, lies, and influences of the Enemy! We pray right now that each know Your loving Presence, be forged in virtue, and be flooded with an abundance of Your Holy Spirit to live fully their identity and mission in You now and through all eternity, through the intercession of our Blessed Mother! Amen.
PARENT BLESSING PROJECT: bit.ly/ParentBlessing
GOING VERTICAL
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
Just as the vertical beam upholds the horizontal beam of the Cross, so too does undistracted, dedicated daily turning to God as our lifeblood uphold and strengthen every part of life. Start with just three minutes. Wait patiently for the breakthrough beyond the noise. Let Him speak.
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