As darkness comes tonight, we will pray at Evening Prayer:

“O King of all nations and the Deepest Desire of all, you are the precious Corner Stone that alone unites them: Come, Lord, O come to save all mankind whom you fashioned out of clay.” —Magnificat antiphon for December 22

“No photos! No photos!” was a constant announcement echoing in the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Standing amidst hundreds of people, my neck strained as I stretched to marvel at Michelangelo’s ceiling masterpiece, The Creation of Adam.

This masterpiece is the focus of this antiphon as we beg God to come and save the creature he formed from the dust. Michelangelo depicts this precise pause in the Creation Story: God has formed man in all his beauty and wonder, yet he remains lifeless.

Adam’s finger dangles, and the Father, who is depicted with kingly might, power, and glory, reaches out to lifeless Adam. This is the pivotal moment where God is about to touch man and infuse him with life. All of theology finds its center in this image: that we are made for greatness, created by a loving Father who knows everything about us. This Father is God, and this God is King.

References to a King who rules all nations appear frequently throughout the Old Testament.

The prophet Isaiah tells us that in this kingdom there will be no enemies. He says: 

He shall judge between the nations, and set terms for many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. -Isaiah 2:4

Jeremiah tells us that this kingdom will be governed by wisdom. The prophet says:  

Who would not fear you, King of the nations, for it is your due! Among all the wisest of the nations, and in all their domains, there is none like you. -Jeremiah 10:7

Daniel tells us this kingdom will stand as a sign of unity for all ages. Daniel says, 

He received dominion, splendor, and kingship; all nations, peoples and tongues will serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, his kingship, one that shall not be destroyed. -Daniel 7:14

So, where is this kingdom? It is closer to us than we can imagine. 

I serve 1100 students as their campus minister at Christian Brothers High School. In every prayer, we conclude with the phrase, “Live Jesus in our hearts forever.” It is a phrase we can adapt for our own prayer life. 

Jesus, my Shepherd King, live in my heart. You are not a distant historical artifact I merely possess; instead, you are the living presence within my being. You are the core of my emotions, temperaments, and thoughts. Reign here completely. Be the central force that guides, tempers, and molds my life. You formed this heart from the dust of the earth and breathed life into me; you will also be its judge when its final breath comes. The King and His kingdom are the cornerstone of our existence, the truth we affirm every Sunday at the Eucharist when we plead with one voice: ‘Thy Kingdom Come.’

Christmas holds a central place in our sacramental life. The Christmas liturgy magnifies the Incarnation, making this profound event present for all of us to witness through sacred art, music, and the preaching of the Gospel. This liturgical force then draws us to the altar, where we receive the entirety of the Christmas event into our bodies. 

Receiving the Kingdom and its King is not a self-help exercise; it is a mission. 

We are commissioned to reveal the Incarnation to every corner of our lives: our families, our workplaces, and our broken relationships.

The Eucharist commits us to serving the poor and calls us to bear witness to Christ. As Pope Francis reminds us, “To evangelize is to make the kingdom of God present in our world.” 

When we eat his body and drink his blood, he is not changed into us; instead, we are changed into him. 

Consider the moment depicted in Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, when God infused life into man with a touch of a finger.

It is the Christ child who reaches out to us and desires to give us life. This poor child will instinctively squeeze his mother’s finger, beg for her protection and nourishment. Yet, from that same hand, the universe lovingly came into existence. That same hand steers the stars in their courses that the wisest of all would adore him. That same hand now knocks at the door of our hearts, desiring a throne there for his kingship.

It is not solely Israel that longs for its King; this is the universal longing of all humanity. To pray Veni is to cry out as one human family to the King who governs all nations and hearts. He is coming toward us. My King is your King, disguised in poverty so that no one is beyond his reach. What humility! What irresistible love!

For your meditation this day. From the monks of Saint John’s Abbey: