Homily – November 23rd, 2025 – Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, C 2 Samuel 5:1-3; Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5; Colossians 1:12-20; Luke 23:35-43 – Fr. Cristiano, ShCC
Let me start today with a fun little New York secret that’s actually been hiding in plain sight: right across from St. Patrick’s Cathedral, on Fifth Ave by Rockefeller Center, there’s this iconic four-story bronze statue—a giant bronze “dude” holding up a massive globe on his shoulders. That’s the mythic heavyweight himself: Atlas.
In Greek mythology, Atlas was a Titan who lost his battle against Zeus and the other gods, and his punishment was to hold up the heavens—literally carrying the weight of the sky on his shoulders for all eternity. So, in this city overflowing with power and glamour, somebody thought it’d be a great idea to place Atlas right in front of the cathedral, staring at it with this somewhat threatening look.
And there he stands, with his muscles tight, the knees are just slightly bent, as he carries this huge ‘celestial sphere’ on his back like he’s saying to the Church in front of him, “Look what I can do!” But here comes the fun part. Some of you may have never noticed—so let me play ‘the New York tour guide’ for a second, ok?
If you step into the Church, and walk behind the main altar, between the altar and the Our Lady Chapel, you’ll find another statue. Much smaller. Much quieter. No bulging muscles. No cosmic posture. It’s simply Jesus as a Child—a boy. And He’s holding… the whole globe of the Earth in His left hand. The “non-dominant” hand. Almost like He’s casually holding a baseball, right?
And at the base of the image, the words: “Holy Child of Earth and Heaven.” So , every day, between 5th Avenue and the sanctuary of the Cathedral, New York City is preaching a beautiful homily: The Mighty Atlas, surrounded on all sides by powerhouse investment banks, top-tier law firms, and the biggest media companies, struggling under the weight of the heavens… while the Child Jesus, the Humble Boy, barely past toddler age, holds the whole world without even trying.
What is powerful in the world brags, like: ‘Look what I can carry.’ Meanwhile the Lord, in a deep and even disarming humility, in the simplicity and smallness of a child—in that calm tenderness that only love can give—says: “Watch what I can hold.”
The first reading talks about the anointment of King David. And it’s interesting: David wasn’t acclaimed by his people because he had ‘royal blood’, or had a sort of super power, but they loved him because they knew he was there—always walking with them, bleeding with them, and fighting for them.
That’s why God calls David not just a commander, but a shepherd. A shepherd-king. Someone who doesn’t rule from above, but leads from within! And this image gives us a first clue to understand today’s feast: When we celebrate Christ the King, we’re not talking about this sort of ‘cosmic monarch’ perched on a throne of lightning bolts.
We’re talking about a King whose greatest act of ruling was kneeling down to wash feet, whose crown is a circle of thorns, and whose throne is a rough wooden Cross.
This is the first striking truth: Our King isn’t a tyrant; He’s a shepherd! He doesn’t bark orders; but He goes sometimes before us, sometimes in our midst, sometimes even behind, just like a Shepherd does! He doesn’t demand our fear; He wins our hearts.
And if on the one hand, Samuel gives us the snapshot of a shepherd-king, St. Paul, in the 2nd reading (Colossians), basically says something like: “You know that King who leads you like a shepherd? Well… surprise: He’s also holding the galaxies in His hand!”
He is the One through whom “all things were created”—the visible, the invisible, the stuff we understand, and the stuff our best scientists are still scratching their heads about. But let’s blend these two images together, the Shepherd and the Cosmic Ruler:
That same tender, loving, merciful shepherd-heart IS the heartbeat (the very pulse) of the whole universe: the Beginning and the End; in Him all fullness dwells! The very Heart of the cosmos is the Heart of a merciful Shepherd! At the center of everything that exists, the logic that created the universe and holds it together is the love of a Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep.
That’s the King, the Lord of the Universe: One who is Astonishing yet Approachable! Infinite yet Familiar! A King who stoops low enough to wash feet, yet stands tall and rises high enough to rule over all the Universe. (Awesome, right?)
And then the Gospel takes all of this and puts a King where we would never expect: on a Cross, between two criminals. According to all regular monarchic standards, it’s only proper to a king to bring people down on their knees, right? But our King is different: He is the One who falls on His knees before us… to reconcile us with the Father!
And it’s intriguing that while everybody was straight-up mocking Jesus and His crown of thorns, there’s this thief—a criminal— who looks at Him and sees a Kingdom.
‘Hold on… behind this Innocent Lamb—who everyone keeps teasing and pushing, asking Him to pull off something spectacular, yet He stays there in silence and humility—behind that merciful ‘powerlessness,’ I can see a Kingdom! This King is different… but He’s the real one! ‘Please, Jesus… remember me,’ he says.
And this ‘remember me’ means: find a place for me inside Your heart, Jesus. Take me into the depths of Your memory! Where You are, I want to be. And Jesus answers with the ‘signature word’ of Mercy: ‘Today.’ Not someday. Not after we get some paperwork done. No! But… “Today you will be with me.”
Where Everyone else could see failure, weakness, the end of the story—we see a new beginning, we see a Kingdom! That tiny spark of trust from that thief, born right there in the ruins of his life, is enough for Jesus to swing the gates of Paradise wide open. Even when we’re at the end of our rope, one honest look at Jesus can change everything.
This is the King we celebrate: A Shepherd. A Savior. A King whose power is Forgiveness, and whose Kingdom has room for everybody, even for a thief who dares to hope.
Fr. Cristiano Pinheiro, ShCC
Brooklyn, New York, Nov 23rd, 2025
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
shalomnewyork@comshalom.org
