Message from Fr. Manny Alvarez

Church of the Little Flower, Coral Gables (St. Theresa)

My Dear Friends,

What an amazing Eucharistic celebration we had last week to celebrate our school’s centennial. We had well over 1,200 people join us on the school grounds for Mass and a historical walk. I thank all our alumni for coming to this once in a century celebration and thank all our school parents, teachers, and staff who worked so hard to make the School Centennial Mass one of the most memorable events in the history of our school. God reward all of you for your loving service.

In 1925, the same year the school was founded, Pope Pius XI instituted a new solemnity that we celebrate today: Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The pope's reasons were twofold: to combat the totalitarianism and the over pietism that existed at the time. Pope Pius was seeing the state become the dominant figure in many societies, so he wanted to emphasize that Jesus Christ was the only King of our lives, and he could not be replaced by a state, a person, or an ideology. Communism and Fascism were on the rise with Naziism in its infancy, so the people were reminded of Christ’s kingship in their daily lives and to not allow an ideology to replace Christ. Those three “-isms” have fallen into “the ash heap of history,” but have been replaced with other “-isms” like materialism and secularism. We live in a world where God isn’t relevant, necessary, or even acknowledged. This is why today’s feast is so important because we need to be reminded that Jesus is King!

Last week I wrote in this space about Christians persecuted in different parts of the world. Our Holy Father this past week mentioned Christians persecuted in Nigeria. Needless to say, it is not safe to worship Jesus Christ in some parts of the world. Yet many still go to worship Christ their King in spite of adversity even if it may cost them their lives as it has for so many martyrs during the history of the Church. Martyrs like Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro, whose feast we celebrate on November 23, who died during the Cristero War in Mexico in the 1920’s right around the time this solemnity of Christ the King began to be celebrated.

The Church was under great persecution in Mexico and Father Miguel, a Jesuit priest, was arrested and executed under false charges. While he was being executed he, as well as many who died during those times, proclaimed, “Viva Cristo Rey! (Long live, Christ the King!)” Those words should not only be on our lips, but engraved in our hearts every single day. Christ must reign in our hearts so that we might make his kingdom known to all even in the face of adversity. It is getting harder to be a Christian, but this is why Pope Pius XI instituted this great solemnity: to remind us that no matter what adversity we may face, Jesus Christ is King!

God Bless You All,

Fr. Manny Alvarez