On the last Sunday of each liturgical year, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King . The aim of this solemnity is to acknowledge Christ’s identity as the “King of the Universe” which makes it different from other solemnities and feasts that celebrate the events of Jesus’ life. This year, the solemnity falls on 20 November. In the Cathedral of Macao, there is a chapel dedicated to Christ the King. All the design elements of this chapel symbolise Christ’s royal office.
The stained glass in the background of the chapel is the image of "Christ the King," who wears a golden crown on His head and holds the earth in His left hand, symbolising His care for the whole world; His right hand is raised up to bless all creation. There are seven doves worshiping Him, representing the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Behind the image of Christ the King, there is a rainbow, which represents the covenant God made with mankind and God's promise of unconditional grace (cf Gen 9:8-17). At the bottom, on the left and right sides of the stained glass, there are Greek letters A and Ω, the Alpha and the Omega, symbols of Jesus’ Kingship from the beginning to the end (cf Rev 22:13).
The vault above the altar is cast with the Latin words "Christus Vincit, Christus Regnat, Christus Imperat", which translates to “Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands." There is a star on each side of the text, which symbolises the king in ancient times, and also the Messiah in the Old Testament. The left and right sides of the lower part of the altar are decorated with the Greek letters P and X, which are the first two letters representing "Christ".
The Latin phrase "Venite Adoremus" underneath the altar means "come and worship." Eucharistic adoration is available at the Christ the King Chapel from Monday to Saturday, after the 7:45 am Mass to 6:00 pm, where the faithful are welcome to adore Christ in the Eucharist.
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