Daily Catholic Lectio
Mon, 22 December ‘25
Christmas Novena – Day 6
1 Samuel 1:24-28. Luke 1:46-56
King of Peace
As we journey closer to Christmas, the Church places on our lips today a powerful prayer – the sixth day of Christmas novena: “O King of the Nations, come!”
We acclaim Jesus not as a king of domination, but as the King of Peace, the deepest desire of every people and the cornerstone who unites what is divided. Peace is not merely the absence of conflict. Peace is the fruit of God’s reign—when God truly rules the human heart.
1. A King Born from Prayer and Offering
In the first reading, we meet Hannah, a woman marked by pain, silence, and longing. Her prayer is not demanding; it is trusting. God hears her cry and gives her a son, Samuel. But Hannah does something extraordinary: she returns the gift to God. “This boy is the one I prayed for… therefore I give him to the Lord.” From this surrendered child will arise a great prophet and leader. Through Samuel, Israel will receive its first king. Here we learn an important truth: true leadership is born from prayer and self-gift, not ambition. Peace begins when what we receive from God is placed back into God’s hands.
2. The Longing for a Just King
Israel’s history shows us that human kings often failed. The kings the people demanded led them to injustice, idolatry, and exile. Prophets repeatedly challenged the selfish exercise of power and kept alive the hope for a different kind of king—a king of justice, integrity, and peace. In a messianic reading, we understand that Jesus alone fulfills this longing. He is the King not imposed by force, but received in faith. He reigns not from a throne of gold, but from humility and self-giving love.
3. Mary’s Song: God’s Peaceful Revolution
In the Gospel, Mary raises her voice—not to speak about herself, but to glorify God. The Magnificat reveals how God reigns.
“He has looked upon the lowliness of his servant…
He has scattered the proud…
He has lifted up the lowly…
He has filled the hungry with good things.”
This is the peace of God’s kingdom. It overturns human values. Weakness becomes strength. Humility becomes greatness. The poor are lifted up, and the empty are filled. This is not chaos; it is divine order. When God reigns, peace is restored from the inside out.
4. The King Who Reigns in Our Weakness
The King of the Nations does not rule from afar. He stands with us in our fragility. He enters our broken histories and divided hearts. His kingship is revealed not in control, but in closeness; not in fear, but in trust.
To pray “O King of the Nations, come!” is to open our hearts to His rule. It is to surrender our pride, our false securities, our desire to control. It is to allow Christ to reign so that peace may take root within us and flow into our families, communities, and world.
Conclusion
As we continue this Christmas Novena, let us entrust our hearts to the King of Peace. May He unite what is divided. May He lift what is lowly. May He fill what is empty.
O King of the Nations, cornerstone who binds all into one, come and save us, whom you formed from the dust of the earth. Reign in our hearts, Lord, and give us your peace.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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