Fr. Jerry Pokorsky: Christ, the Great King

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture, Nov 23, 2021

Fr. Jerry Pokorsky is a priest of the Diocese of Arlington who has also served as a financial administrator in the Diocese of Lincoln. Trained in business and accounting, he also holds a Master of Divinity and a Master’s in moral theology. …

Good kings and rulers execute their civic duties in response to the lawful requirements of their subjects. They provide for the common defense. They tend to our perceived community, family, and individual needs. They collect taxes to pay expenses, and they guarantee reasonable freedoms.

A great king provides a striking contrast to the routine hard work of a good king. He wages glorious wars, and he builds magnificent buildings. His kingship not only costs much in blood and treasure, a great king (like Pharaoh) also typically abuses the freedom of his subjects.

Consider Herod the Great. Herod was born around 70 years before the birth of Jesus and raised as a nominal Jew. His father had good relations with Julius Caesar. As a young man, Herod also cultivated favor with the Roman elites.  …

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