SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS,
CHRIST THE KING
Psalter: Proper / (White)
Ps 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
1st Reading: Ezk 14:11-12, 15-17
That the people of Israel may no longer stray from me. Instead of defiling themselves with all their transgressions, they will be for me, a people, and I will be their God—word of Yahweh.“
The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms,
If I also let wild beasts roam the land to deprive it of children; so that it becomes a desolation, without a passerby, because of the beasts, if these three men were in the land, as I live, word of Yahweh, they would not save their sons or daughters, but only they, themselves, would be spared, while the land would be made desolate.
The same would happen if I brought the sword against this land; and ordered the sword to go through the land, destroying people and animals.
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 15:20-26, 28
But no, Christ has been raised from the dead, and he comes before all those who have fallen asleep. A human being brought death; a human being also brings resurrection of the dead. For, as in Adam all die, so, in Christ, all will be made alive. However, each one in his own time: first Christ, then Christ‘s people, when he comes.
Then, the end will come, when Christ delivers the kingdom to God the Father, after having destroyed every rule, authority and power. For he must reign and put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed will be death.
When the Father has subjected everything to him, the Son will place himself under the One who subjected everything to him. From then on, God will be all in all
Gospel: Mt 25:31-46
When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all his angels, he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be brought before him; and, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, so will he do with them, placing the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.
The king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, blessed of my Father! Take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me into your home. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to see me.‘
Then the righteous will ask him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and give you food; thirsty, and give you something to drink; or a stranger, and welcome you; or naked, and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison, and go to see you?‘ The king will answer, ‘Truly I say to you: just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it to me.‘
Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Go, cursed people, out of my sight, into the eternal fire, which has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry, and you did not give me anything to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not welcome me into your house; I was naked, and you did not clothe me; I was sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.‘
They, too, will ask, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, naked or a stranger, sick or in prison, and did not help you?‘ The king will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you: just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.‘
And these will go into eternal punishment; but the just, to eternal life.“
REFLECTION:
Read: Yahweh declares himself as the God of Israel. The Gospel presents the Last Judgement where Christ, the judge, bares our soul to us. Christ, the King, will finally deliver the Kingdom to the Father, having defeated death once and for all.
Reflect: How funny or strange it would have been, if the people on the right answered thus: “Yeah, Lord, we knew it was you we were serving when we fed the hungry and clothed the naked.“ It doesn‘t fit the script, right? The remarkable thing is, these good souls had no idea they were serving Christ when they were engaging in these acts of mercy! Doing good was just their second (or first?) nature. Goodness is never so better when it is done unawares. How about you?
Pray: Pray that good be done to the world through you without you being aware of it.
Act: Make a prayer of consecration to Christ, the King.
Daily Reflection
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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
Readings and Reflections
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