Last week, millions of people around the world watched the coronation ceremony of Charles III as the King of England and the United Kingdom. Charles technically became Britain’s monarch the moment his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died last year. He was proclaimed king in the days that followed. Although there is no legal requirement for a coronation, it was felt that this ancient ritual is a tangible way for the country to confirm Charles as head of state, head of the Church of England, and a leader invested with authority and power derived from history and tradition.
Throughout the coronation, the prayers, blessings, and actions emphasize the belief that leadership is best shown in service. As Christians, we know that this is a fundamental value and sign of God’s kingdom. Through service and discipleship, the king and his subjects must work to forgive and set right those issues that need resolve. Real leadership will lead to real reconciliation – with God and one another.
As the Church celebrates the Ascension of Our Lord today (or, this weekend, depending on your diocese), I can’t help but see comparisons between the coronation of a worldly king and the mystery of the Ascension of a heavenly king.
When Jesus returned to the Father, He began His true reign. Even though He had already achieved His greatest triumph when He rose from the dead, this is the triumphant coronation of the Messianic King. This is the culmination of the cross and Resurrection. This is the completion of the Paschal Mystery.
Like ancient kings who saved their people from their enemies, Christ has defeated sin and Satan and takes His place on the throne of mercy and grace.
In the Second Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul tells us that “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19).
Throughout his life, St. Francis de Sales was a source of reconciliation in the Church and the world. He worked to bring about healing and understanding among Christians. He took seriously the role of leader as someone who brings resolutions – someone who works to bring about a kingdom of justice, love, and peace.
In his General Audience of March of 2011, Pope Benedict reminded the Church that the teachings of St. Francis de Sales show that “…a reconciled humanity is expressed in the harmony between prayer and action in the world, with the help of God’s grace permeating the human being, and without destroying him, purifies him, raising him to divine heights.”
The Feast of the Ascension is a reminder that as Christ returned to the Father, He begins His reign, He raises us to divine heights, and He brings about reconciliation between heaven and Earth.
