Double of the First Class White Vestments

Instituting this feast, Pius XI pointed out in his encyclical letter of December 11, 1925, that people are instructed in truths of the faith, far more effectually by the annual celebration by our sacred mysteries than by any procurement, however weighty, of the teaching of the Church. This feast will draw attention to the evils which laicism has brought upon society. It sets the crowning glory upon the mysteries of the life of Christ already commemorated during the year; before celebrating the triumph of all the saints, we proclaim the glory of the King of all saints, in heaven, in purgatory, and on earth.

Jesus is our King in the true sense of the word: He has created us, redeemed us, vivified us by His grace, He nourishes us with His Flesh and Blood, He governs us with love, and by love He draws us to Himself. In the face of such considerations, the cry of St. Paul rises spontaneously from our heart: “Giving thanks to God the Father . . .Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption, the remission of sins.” Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world. His Kingdom is so sublime that no dishonor, no insults can eclipse it. But, He prefers to manifest His Kingship far more as a conquest of His Blood than as a title belonging to Him in virtue of His divine nature. We should go to meet this divine King with all the yearning of our soul. He presents Himself to us under an appearance so human, so loving, so welcoming, stretching out His arms on the Cross to invite all to come to Him, showing us the wound in His side as the symbol of His Love. Far from trying to escape His dominion, we should beseech Him to be the sole Ruler of our mind and heart, and the complete Master of our will.