Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, The King of The Universe
34th Week in Ordinary Time
26th November 2023 (Sunday) Readings and Reflection
Psalter: Week 2
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17
Thus says the Lord: Behold, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. “As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats.”
Psalm 23:1-2a, 2b-3, 5, 6 (R. 1)
R/. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28
Brethren: In fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
Alleluia
V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia
V/. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!
R/. Alleluia
Gospel : Matthew 25:31-46
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Highlight: Hail the true King!
Guidlines: Christ is king in the truest sense because he reigns over his subjects, takes care of them and constantly works to spread his reign beyond the territories and boundaries{alertSuccess}
1. We celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King. This 34th Sunday marks the end of the ordinary liturgical year. He is a king with a difference, made and makes a difference and summons his followers too to make a difference. He is a king by contrast. he stands apart from all the rest of the kings.
2. He is king by his very nature. His kingship or kingdom is not something inherited or acquired. It is not something extraneous to him, added from outside. It is his own. He is the Son of God, seated in the kingdom of heaven, beside the Father.
3. He is the king of all, a universal king. There are no boundaries or restrictions. His kingdom is not confined to some specified territory. His subjects are not defined by any particular area or religion or language or culture. People of the whole universe belong to him. There are no divisions or discrimination. There are no exclusions.
4. He is a spiritual king. His kingship is not earthly or worldly. He does not fight wars with the other kings to conquer their kingdoms. He does not sit on an earthly throne and rule over his people, demarcated by a certain territory. He rules in the spiritual realm. He reigns over hearts.
5. He is a peaceful king. In his reign, there is peace and harmony. There is no violence or bloodshed. He does not use violent means to dominate and subjugate others. Death and destruction are totally out of his kingship.
6. He is a humble king. There is no pomp, no display of self-glory and no craving or striving for it. There are no traces of pride and arrogance in him. Though all glory belongs to him and he is above all, he does not suppress them or overpower them. He humbled himself to become an ordinary human being like us. Though Son of God and possessed all the divine power of working miracles and wonders, he never paraded his greatness and sought to impress others.
7. He is a gentle and meek king. There is no particle of rudeness or harshness. He would treat even his deadliest enemies with the utmost gentleness, and respect. He would certainly rebuke, admonish and correct regarding truth and authenticity. But he would never despise or degrade anyone.
8. He is a virtuous king. Unlike many other kings and rulers, he does not carry the baggage of weaknesses or defects. He is not subject to any vices or addictions. There is no malice or guile in him. There is no negative that he tries to hide within.
9. He is an authentic king. There is no iota of duplicity or hypocrisy in him. He does not say one thing and do the opposite. He practises what he preaches. He lives what he believes. He follows what he expects from others. He is what he appears outside whereby there is no contradiction between his interior and exterior. There is no falsity or pretension in them.
10. He is a sacrificing king. He empties himself for the sake of filling others. He impoverishes himself so as to enrich others. He lowers himself so as to raise others to dignity. Cross is the biggest testimony of his sacrifice and self-effacement. He even dies so as to revive and renew with new and eternal life.
11. He is a healing king. This is one key ingredient of his mission. He came to heal the sick, to restore them to health. This is holistic health, and not limited only to the physical aspect. Real health is when the person is able to live with human dignity and experience the beauty and joy of life.
12. He is a merciful and forgiving king. He never condemns others, even the greatest sinner. He never refuses to offer forgiveness to others, even when done the greatest harm. Forgiveness for him is not a favour given at one’s convenience; rather it is an obligation. He does not keep an account of our sinfulness. All that he wants is to repent and return to him.
13. He is a passionate king. There is no room for tepidity or lukewarmness in him. Indifference and mediocrity would be frightened to go near him. Zeal for God and His mission is like an ever-burning fire.
14. He is a shepherding king. He takes meticulous care of his subjects. He leads them to pastures, fresh and green. He feeds them, nourishes and strengthens them. He never neglects them. He never subjects them to starvation and malnutrition.
15. He is a valiant and persevering king. He waged a relentless battle against evil. He was assaulted violently all through his life. Even on the cross also, he was tempted to go against God’s plan and go his own way. He was criticised and persecuted for his goodness and integrity. But he would never relent.
16. He is a saving king. This is the fundamental purpose for which he incarnated himself. He came to remit our sins by the shedding of his blood on the cross. Thus he redeemed us.
17. He is a leader-king. He leads us by example. He not only knows the way, not only shows the way but also walks the way, walks us in the same way and leads us to destiny.
Practice: Let us learn to give up our petty self-made kingdoms. Let us stop being arrogant and puffed-up kings. Let us learn to follow the one king. Let us strive to spread his kingdom of love and truth{alertSuccess}