“If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8).

This final week of November’s reflections brings us to the heart of Christian witness: belonging entirely to Christ. Few lives express this more fully than that of Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro, whose feast day is November 23rd. In the midst of violent anti-Catholic persecution in early 20th-century Mexico, Father Pro lived out St. Paul’s words with astonishing courage and serenity. As a Jesuit priest, he returned to his homeland knowing full well that public worship was outlawed, churches closed, and priests hunted. Still, he secretly celebrated the Eucharist, heard confessions, and brought Christ to a people starving for grace. He lived for the Lord joyfully, creatively, and without fear.

But it is in his death that the verse from Romans takes on its fullest meaning. After being falsely accused of involvement in an assassination attempt, Fr. Pro was sentenced to death without trial. On the morning of November 23, 1927, he was led before a firing squad. Refusing a blindfold, holding a crucifix and rosary in hand, he stretched out his arms in the shape of a cross and cried out, “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” - “Long live Christ the King!” In that moment, he bore witness not to earthly power but to the Kingship of Jesus to whom he had already given his life. Whether in hidden ministry or public martyrdom, Pro knew he belonged to the Lord.

This weekend, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Christ the King, a fitting conclusion to the liturgical year and a powerful reminder of the truth that governed Fr. Pro’s life and death. To proclaim Christ as King is not a mere political statement; it is a radical claim about authority, identity, and destiny. We are not our own. We are not defined by governments, success, popularity, or fear. We are the Lord’s. He reigns, not by force, but by love. Not from a throne of gold, but from the wood of the Cross. Blessed Miguel Pro’s cry of “Viva Cristo Rey” was not mere defiance; it was a declaration of where his ultimate allegiance lay.

As we conclude this month of remembering the dead and reflecting on the eternal, we are reminded through this verse and through Blessed Miguel’s life that the Christian life is not one of half-measures. We live for Christ. We die for Christ. We are His. The certainty of this truth gives us freedom: to forgive, to suffer well, to witness boldly, and to live without fear. The Church holds up her martyrs not only as heroes, but as mirrors. Their lives reflect what we are all called to be: living witnesses of Christ’s reign.

Let us ask ourselves this week: Am I living as if I belong to the Lord? Do I trust Him enough to live, and die, for Him? In a culture of self-definition and control, Blessed Miguel Pro reminds us that true freedom is found in surrender. His final words echo across time to challenge us today. May we, too, live our lives so rooted in Christ that, whether in hidden service or public trial, we can say with our lives: we are the Lord’s. ¡Viva Cristo Rey!