34th Sunday: Solemnity of Christ the King – 2 Samuel 5:1-3; Ps 93; Col 1:12-20; Luke 23:35-43
Three times they shouted, “Save yourself!” But once, only once, there was the cry, “Remember me.” Those first three cries fell on deaf ears – not because God didn’t hear, but because they missed the heart of what salvation truly is. It was never about spectacle or entertainment. God is not a master of religious pageantry; He does not delight in fireworks or dramatic displays. He does not need to justify Himself before human judgement.
Rather, God’s heart beats strongest for the little ones, the lost, those who thirst not for fleeting emotion but for genuine deliverance. And so, it was that single, humble plea – “Remember me” – that could not be ignored.
In the art of our Church, holy martyrs are often shown holding a white cloth, upon which God places the instrument of their martyrdom. This is a profound image: the Lord’s gift was not accepted with bare hands. It was received with readiness and grace.
Every day, we echo that cry for deliverance. Every Mass, the priest prays, “Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days.” God hears us always. Yet, often it is we who struggle to accept one particular gift: the gift of the cross. When that moment comes, we sometimes drop the cloth we have prepared, hesitant to receive the salvation offered.
But the message remains clear: Do not seek to escape the cross. Instead, like the penitent thief, say, “Remember me.” And in doing so, find true deliverance. May we open our hands and hearts gratefully to the cross, the sign of our salvation, trusting that in remembering Him, we too shall be saved.