An icon is an expression of beauty.  It helps us the see the splendor of the truth and the splendor of the good revealed in the beauty of life in the subject the icon represents.  Icons of Jesus the Christ reveal to us the beauty of God, his love, mercy and goodness as well as the beauty of the human person, united to the divinity of God and exalted in his glory.  Christoph Cardinal Schonborn, the cardinal Archbishop of Vienna, remarks, “The icon is an expression of his living remembrance; it commemorates not merely a man from the distant past, but him who as man was glorified through suffering and the Cross, who is alive now and “intercedes for us with the Father”, and whose return to us has been promised.  The icon is a connecting link between the Incarnation and the return, between the first and the last coming of the Lord.  The icon not only perpetuates the memory of the Incarnation, it is also a constant reminder of the promised return of Christ.”  Today the Church gazes into the icon of Jesus as Christ and Universal King, the glorified Son of God and Man who “will come again to judge the living and the dead” and “whose kingdom has no end.”  He will judge the world in beauty, in the beauty of justice, mercy, truth and love.  The beauty that the Lord is looking for in his human creatures is the beauty of holiness.  This quality of holiness is not some subjective, ephemeral quality but rather is attributed to a very objective, practical way of living life according the corporal works of mercy.  It is our practice of the corporal works of mercy that transforms us in beauty and helps us to share in the Lord’s life and glory.

     The icon of Christ the King reminds us that God is our Lord and King and has always desired to be our leader in the way of truth, goodness and beauty.  God, as our Lord and King, has always desired to share his divine life with us and in his providence has provided all the goods that we need for an abundant life.  In Christ the King God continues to bless us with life and love.  We are servants of this great King, but our service is not one of mere subjugation.  Rather, we are called to be the radiant and beautiful bride of the King and through our service in mercy to the world we help to distribute the goods of life and love to the world to those most in need through corporal works of mercy.  Through this service we reflect the beauty of the mercy of God and are recreated in the image of God through holiness to “cloth ourselves in Christ” and no longer bear the shame of nakedness but to share in the beauty of his glory, clothed in the wedding garments of the bride of Christ.

     Psalm 45 reflects this beautiful truth in this nuptial ode for the Messianic King, “My heart overflows with a goodly theme: as I sing my ode to the king, my tongue is nimble as the pen of a skillful scribe.  Fairer in beauty are you than the sons of men; grace is poured out upon your lips; thus God has blessed you forever.”  The King is exalted as the most beautiful, the fairest among the sons of men.  Christ the King is our icon of beauty.  We are called to be his beautiful bride in verse 11, “Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, forget your people and your father’s house.  So shall the king desire your beauty; for he is your lord, and you must worship him.  And the city of Tyre is here with gifts; the rich among the people seek your favor.  All glorious is the king’s daughter as she enters; her raiment is threaded with spun gold.  In embroidered apparel she is borne in to the king; behind her the virgins of her train are brought to you.  They are borne in with gladness and joy; they enter the palace of the king.”

     The beauty of the king and the bride are not just cosmetic, aesthetic or decorous beauty but a true, deep beauty of a virtuous and holy life.  In his lifetime, Jesus resisted all claims to a secular kingship, preferring the sacred and universal kingship granted to him by the Father.  His rule is not in the manner of secular powers but comes in the power of the Spirit, the power of true, good and beautiful eternal life.  We are transformed in beauty by our worship of Christ the King in Spirit and truth and our service to him in works of mercy and love that bring us grace and eternal life.  If we are united to him through the nuptial bonds of the sacraments of love then we will also reign with him in gladness and joy and share in his eternal beauty.  We pray that when Christ the King comes again that he will find us clothed in virtue and our baptismal garments will have become the wedding garments of grace and holiness.