The Christ the King statue has had a prominent place in the center of the corridor which leads to our Chapel in our Motherhouse since around the 1920’s. The eyes, made of glass, draw you to look up on it. For us it serves as an invitation to go deeper and learn more about Jesus.

The concept of king is often connected in thought to lack of freedom for those under authority, power and sovereign rule. God, full of goodness, turned this concept upside down in and through Jesus.

St Paul in writing to the Colossians (Col 1/12-20) gives us a hint of this turn around:
“God rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son… It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in Jesus and, by means of Jesus to reconcile everything in his person, both on earth and in the heavens, making peace through blood of his cross.

St Francis of Assisi took this converted concept a step further. “Peace and All Good” was his constant message both in his actions and words.
St Paul’s words: ” Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creatures. In ( Jesus) everything in heaven and on earth was created, things visible and invisible. All were created through (Jesus); all were created for (Jesus). (Jesus) is before all else that is. In (Jesus) everything continues in being…. “ led St. Francis to understand that all creation is a sister or brother to him.

In the 21st century, we, Sisters of St Francis of Assisi, continue to bring “Peace and All Good” to all our sisters and brothers by incarnating the image of seeing everything visible and invisible as a sacred web of life. “Everything, every person is to be revered and protected. Decisions are to reflect our care and concern for the well-being of the whole of creation. In this way we affirm the communion that is at the heart of the magnificence, magnitude and mystery of creation. ( 1999 Sacred Web of Life statement of the Sisters of St Francis of Assisi.)   

Please share your reflection with us: