Feast of Christ the King – Sr. Esther Adama, SNDdeN

November 23, 2025

Luke 23: 35-43

The Solemnity of Christ the King marks the end of one Liturgical calendar and moves on to the next Liturgical year, something like New Year’s Day. But there is a greater meaning to this day. This feast day was declared by Pope Pius XI, on 11 December 1925, to remind all Catholics and the rest of the world, that Jesus Christ is Lord of the Universe, both as God and Man.

On this day the Church invites all Christians reflect on the Kinship of Jesus Christ. His kingship is not of this world but centered on love, humility, gentleness, mercy, sacrifice and generosity. He is a King who rule through His sacrificial death on the cross. Jesus was not proclaimed as king as he sat on a throne, but when he was nailed to the cross. His victory is that of love and sacrifice, not of violent and arrogance as we have it today in our world.

Our current depensation is in disorder as evident in our daily social media reports filled with destructive news of wars, killings of different kinds, increase in systemic poverty, unemployment injustices, human trafficking, organ harvesting and many more. Kings and political leaders wanting to remain in power forever at the expense of their subject with no sense of service but exploitation. Everyone wants to be supreme authority at all cost. They do not care about how their attitude and approach to assuming those positions sidelined the very people they claim to govern.

As we engage in liturgical procession today in our different churches cross the world to mark this solemnity to proclaim Jesus as the King of the Universe, let us troop out consciously and sincerely, not as a show off but approach it with deeper understanding of the call to service as Jesus did in His time. This is what will bring about total metanoia and transformation to our lives. Let us be encouraged by this feast to listen more to the voice of Jesus our King as He speaks to us daily, inviting us to follow Him and participate in His kingship in our work places, trading centers, farms, schools, communities and countries. We celebrate the King of the Universe, who embraces all people of every race, tribes and tongues, rich and poor alike and calls us to be the other Christ wherever we find ourselves.

In following Jesus’ Kingship and leadership style, He invites us to emulate his servant leadership approach. To do so requires several daily steps:  He wants us to cultivate a life prayer, silence, and make others the recipients of our prayer and preparation. He wants to be proactive in reaching out to the poor and be the voice of the voiceless in the society and bring the good news of hope in a world and system full of hopelessness. He calls us to be co-creators with Him as we endeavor to make God’s kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven where peace, forgiveness, joy and love is the modus operandi.

This adventure calls for a radical change of heart and considers Jesus as our king, Priest and prophet. Since this feast marks the end of liturgical year of the church, it becomes profoundly important that we evaluation how involved we have been during the passing year. To reflect on the kingship of Jesus and His servant leadership style. The values He promoted and consider how well we stood with Him in our relationship with our world and creation at large.  Let the dismissal of the Mass today (Go in peace glorifying the Lord by your life ) be truly en-fleshed in us all, so that the days within the week which ushers us into the beginning of advent, can assist us in preparing better for the new Liturgical year of the Church where we can participate consciously and actively in the tria munera of Christ our King in our respective roles in the church as Catholics glorying Him by being the other Christ. Blessings of be with us all.

Luke 23: 35-43

The rulers sneered at Jesus and said, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God.” Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out, “If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.” Above him there was an inscription that read, “This is the King of the Jews.”

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.” The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Meet Sister Esther Adama, SNDdeN

Esther Jumai Adama comes from Odagbo in Ankpa L. G. A. of Kogi State in Nigeria. She was born on the 27th March, 1970 to the family of the late Mr. Adama Ameloke and Mrs. Alice Adi Adama, both from the same Local Government Area. She is the second child in a family of ten children. Esther had her primary education at Ja’faru Estate Primary School Kabala-Doki in Kaduna State. The last part of her secondary education was at the Government Girls’ Secondary School in Bida, Niger State. Her desire and inspiration to become a religious started as far back as 1988. This burning desire prompted her to embark on teaching catechism to children both in the main parish and the out-stations of St. Benedict’s Catholic Church in Kagara, Niger State. The parish priest, Fr. Oliver O’Reilly, inquired about her future ambitions. She said that she would love to work for God through service to the poor, as a Sister. When her parents learned about her desire, they were not pleased. In response to God’s call, she joined the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur on January 7th 1995. After her postulancy and Novitiate program, Sr. Esther made her first profession on November 15,1997 in Kulende, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. Her first mission was to Uzairue, Edo State to teach at St. Philip’s N/P school. In 1998, she gained admission to the Federal College of Education, Kontagora and graduated with her N.C.E qualification in 2001. Then, she was missioned to practice her field at St. Peter’s N/P school Ndeabor, Enugu State. On June 4, 2002, Sr. Esther was sent to the United States to study in a theological and formation programme at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, IL. On her return to Nigeria, she worked as Assistant Novice Directress for about two years in Ilorin, Kwara State. Later, she went for her Tertianship in preparation for final vows which she made on September 17, 2005.in October same year she was appointed to be the directress of Postulants in Nigerian, a position she held for six years after which she proceeded to study theology at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in 2012 to 2016. Upon her return she taught theological curses in both postulate and Novitiate in Nigerian for one year. In 2020, Sr. Esther accepted a mission call to Kenya where she currently works as Postulant Directress and coordinator of Sisters in Initial commitment at the Sisters of Notre Dame in Kenya. With openness and generosity, Sr. Esther says that the journey so far has not been easy, but it has been inspiring, interesting, enriching, transforming and challenging. She comes from a typical Muslim background where embracing religious life is regarded as counter cultural. Amidst the current situation in Nigeria, she added, the witnessing to the gospel values remains very important. She attributes all to the good God for his love, compassion and companion on the journey and prays that our God who began this work in her will bring it to perfection.