To the Band of Brothers: November 26, 2025

Some of you may know I was in Spain last week. With the growing number of our alumni studying at universities in Madrid and many doing a semester abroad, it was time to visit. I also took advantage and visited an all-boys Catholic high school to set up our student exchange program, which we hope to launch next year. And, by pure luck, it just so happened the Miami Dolphins were playing a football game at the Real Madrid stadium (Bernabéu), so I figured I would attend.

Madrid is a fascinating city. Officially, it has become my favorite city in the world. Really, Spain in general is pretty spectacular—the history, the culture, the people, and, especially, the food. Because I was in Spain, I decided to break my diet and eat without any restrictions. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner; bread, dessert, and wine; I had all of it. Can you believe I only gained one pound? I don’t know what Castilian fairy dust they sprinkle on that food to keep it from attaching to your fatty cells.

During my stay, I had some free time. I decided to visit two places: el Museo Nacional del Prado and the Royal Palace. I have been to both on several occasions, but you can never grow tired of walking through el Prado and feasting on the amazing artwork that hangs on the walls and, with the Royal Palace, I heard they had installed new drapes. The time was well spent.

As I walked through the art museum, I couldn’t help but be impressed with masterpieces from such extraordinary artists. From Velázquez to Goya to El Greco, each artist expresses the mastery of his craft and expresses such power with each brush stroke. It’s also very impressive how much of their work focuses on religious themes. These guys not only understood art, they also understood theology. Whether it is Jesus, the Virgin Mary, or one of the saints, they depict what clearly seems to be not only an interest but also a true devotion.

As I walked through each section of El Prado, I made it a point to read each title and description. Something caught my attention. For many of these paintings, they inform you how they were owned or commissioned or bequeathed by a king. Several paintings by Diego Velázquez were commissioned by King Philip IV and gifted to a duke, a count, or a monastery somewhere in Spain. Some of El Greco’s paintings were given to King Philip III and hung in his private chapel or dining room or bathroom and placed just behind the sink so he could see its reflection in the mirror while he was brushing his teeth. Either way, these great monarchs of Spain had not only a passion for good art, but the gold to purchase them.

As for the Royal Palace, well, that’s a beauty in and of itself. It is the largest royal palace in Europe with over 3,000 rooms! You may not know that it was originally built in the 9th century by Muhammad I, Emir of Cordova, as a defensive structure during the Muslim period when they controlled most of Spain. Later, it was taken over by the Spanish and became the official residence of the Spanish monarchy. Since then, it has been expanded to the current magnificent structure it is today. There is no doubt that “Little House on the Prairie” is a fitting structure for the art-loving kings of Spain.

After this cultural experience in Spain, you can imagine my shock when last Sunday we celebrated the Solemnity of Christ the King. In our liturgical calendar, it marks the last Sunday of ordinary time and reminds us that the following Sunday is the first week of Advent. You know what that means… Christmas is right around the corner. This feast was instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI as a way of responding to what he believed was a dangerous growth in secularism and atheism around the world that not only threatened the Catholic Church, but civilization itself. It was his way of reminding us not to be fooled by temporal power and prestige. That while those who preside in government are necessary to maintain civil order and respect its liberties, there is truly only one who presides over all creation.

The gospel for last Sunday does seem to be in contrast to the feast day. Taken from the gospel of St. Luke (23:35-43), it relates the moment Jesus was crucified on Calvary. But the choice is oddly yet theologically perfect. Jesus had told Pontius Pilate his kingdom was not of this world. That claim was not simply because his kingdom was in heaven. The kingdom of Jesus was not of this world because his kingship was not like any other. It was a reign of love, not hate, of forgiveness, not vengeance, of compassion, not indifference, of humility, not pride. And these are not traits to be experienced simply in the afterlife, but virtues to be practiced here on earth, no matter country or creed, democrat or republican.

While Jesus is the subject of many great works of art, Christ the King never owned, commissioned or bequeathed any of it. Jesus, the King of kings, never owned a private chapel, dining room or bathroom to hang even a doodle. And as for a palace, besides the very humble abode he shared for a time with Mary and Joseph in Nazareth, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head” (Matthew 8:20). He did have a throne, but it was a cross of wood. He did have a crown, but it was made of thorns. And on the day of his enthronement, he did have two men next to him, a thief on his right and another on his left.

Such a stark contrast to what the world understands of royalty. The idea of power and prestige and wealth, usually associated with a king, is completely absent in the kingship of Jesus Christ. And yet, it is the one that counts. It is the one that matters. The conquest of sin and death was not achieved through the military exploits of Emperor Charles V. The salvation of mankind was not purchased with the silver and gold of King Philip IV. The salvation of mankind, the conquering of sin and death, was bequeathed to us by the death of Jesus Christ on Calvary. It was the sacrifice of the Son of God, fueled by his unconditional love for us, that opened the doors to paradise for us. This is why he is the true and only King. This is why, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:10-11).

Auspice Maria