Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 11-20-05, Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 11-20-05 | New American Bible

[Salvation]

November 20, 2005
Thirty-Fourth or Last Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King

Psalm: Sunday 50

Reading I
Ez 34:11-12, 15-17

Thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
As a shepherd tends his flock
when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,
so will I tend my sheep.
I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered
when it was cloudy and dark.
I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.
The lost I will seek out,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal,
but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,
shepherding them rightly.

As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD,
I will judge between one sheep and another,
between rams and goats.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Reading II
1 Cor 15:20-26, 28

Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
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 everything is subjected to him,
then the Son himself will also be subjected
to the one who subjected everything to him,
so that God may be all in all.

Gospel
Mt 25:31-46

Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his 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,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
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,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."

[Salvation]

For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

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Christ the King

QUAS PRIMAS (On the Feast of Christ the King)

The Reign of Christ the King

Christ the King, with images of the Interrogation of Christ by Pilate

Ruling for Christ the King

[Salvation]

From: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17


The Lord, the Shepherd of Israel

---

[11] ”For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for
my sheep, and will seek them out. [12] As a shepherd seeks out his
flock when some of his sheep” have been scattered abroad, 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. [15] I
myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down,
says the Lord God. [16] I will seek the lost, and I will bring back
the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen
the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over;” I will feed
them in justice.


[17] ”As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge
between sheep and sheep, rams and he-goats.

---

Commentary:


34:11-22. Ezekiel says that God has made himself a shepherd for his
people (v. 11); he always looks out for them (vv. 12-16), neglecting
none. This solicitude includes the practice of justice (vv. 17-22); in
this new stage it becomes clearer that divine love and mercy are
compatible with condemnation of the wicked (v. 20): in fact, love can
never exclude justice. This beautiful oracle resounds in our Lord’s
parable of the Good Shepherd who takes care of his sheep (ef. Jn
10:1-21), in what he says about the Father’s joy on finding the lost
sheep (cf. Mt 18:12-14; Lk 15:4-7), and in things he has to say about
the Last Judgment as reported by St Matthew (Mt 25:31-46). In a sermon
on pastors, St Augustine comments: “He stands guard over us when we
are awake and while we sleep. If an earthly flock is safe in the
vigilant care of a human shepherd, how much more secure are we, who
have God as our shepherd, not only because he desires to teach and
help us, but because he is our creator. "As for you, my flock, thus
says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, rams and
he-goats" (Ezek 34:17). Why are he-goats to be found among God’s
flock? Goats who will be sent to the left, and sheep that will be
called to the right side of God, are to be found in the same fields
and by the same streams; and He tends together those who will later be
separated. The meek patience of sheep is an imitation of the patience
of God. He will separate the flock later, sending some to the right
and some to the left” ("Sermones", 47).

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

From: 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28

The Basis of Our Faith (Continuation)

---

[20] But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits
of those who have fallen asleep. [21] For as by a man came death, by a
man has come also the resurrection of the dead. [22] For as in Adam all
die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. [23] But each in his
own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong
to Christ. [24] Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God
the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. [25]
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
[26] The last enemy to be destroyed is death. [28] When all things are
subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him
who put all things under him, that God may be everything to every one.

---

Commentary:

20-28. The Apostle insists on the solidarity that exists between Christ
and Christians: as members of one single body, of which Christ is the
head, they form as it were one organism (cf. Rom 6:3-11; Gal 3:28).
Therefore, once the resurrection of Christ is affirmed, the
resurrection of the just necessarily follows. Adam's disobedience
brought death for all; Jesus, the new Adam, has merited that all should
rise (cf. Rom 5:12-21). "Again, the resurrection of Christ effects for
us the resurrection of our bodies not only because it was the efficient
cause of this mystery, but also because we all ought to arise after the
example of the Lord. For with regard to the resurrection of the body we
have this testimony of the Apostle: 'As by a man came death, by a man
has come also the resurrection of the dead' (1 Cor 15:21). In all that
God did to accomplish the mystery of our redemption he made use of the
humanity of Christ as an effective instrument, and hence his
resurrection was, as it were, an instrument for the accomplishment of
our resurrection" ("St Pius V Catechism", I, 6, 13).

Although St Paul here is referring only to the resurrection of the just
(v. 23), he does speak elsewhere of the resurrection of all mankind
(cf. Acts 24:15). The doctrine of the resurrection of the bodies of all
at the end of time, when Jesus will come in glory to judge everyone,
has always been part of the faith of the Church; "he [Christ] will come
at the end of the world, he will judge the living and the dead; and he
will reward all, both the lost and the elect, according to their works.
And all those will rise with their own bodies which they now have so
that they may receive according to their works, whether good or bad;
the wicked, a perpetual punishment with the devil; the good, eternal
glory with 'Christ" (Fourth Lateran Council, "De Fide Catholica", chap.
1).

23-28. St Paul outlines very succinctly the entire messianic and
redemptive work of Christ: by decree of the Father, Christ has been
made Lord of the universe (cf. Mt 28:18), in fulfillment of Ps 110:1
and Ps 8:7. When it says here that "the Son himself will also be
subjected to him who put all things under him", this must be understood
as referring to Christ in his capacity of Messiah and head of the
Church; not Christ as God, because the Son is "begotten, not created,
consubstantial with the Father" ("Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed").

Christ's sovereignty over all creation comes about in history, but it
will achieve its final, complete, form after the Last Judgment. The
Apostle presents that last event--a mystery to us--as a solemn act of
homage to the Father. Christ will offer all creation to his Father as
a kind of trophy, offering him the Kingdom which up to then had been
confided to his care. From that moment on, the sovereignty of God and
Christ will be absolute, they will have no enemies, no rivals; the
stage of combat will have given way to that of contemplation, as St
Augustine puts it (cf. "De Trinitate", 1, 8).

The Parousia or second coming of Christ in glory at the end of time,
when he establishes the new heaven and the new earth (cf. Rev 21:1-2),
will mean definitive victory over the devil, over sin, suffering and
death. A Christian's hope in this victory is not something passive:
rather, it is something that spurs him on to ensure that even in this
present life Christ's teaching and spirit imbue all human activities.
"Far from diminishing our concern to develop this earth," Vatican II
teaches, "the expectancy of a new earth should spur us on, for it is
here that the body of a new human family grows, foreshadowing in some
way the age which is to come. That is why, although we must be careful
to distinguish earthly progress clearly from the increase of the
Kingdom of Christ, such progress is of vital concern to the Kingdom of
God, insofar as it can contribute to the better ordering of human
society.

"When we have spread on earth the fruits of our nature and our
enterprise--human dignity, brotherly communion, and freedom--according
to the command of the Lord and in his Spirit, we will find them once
again, cleansed this time from the stain of sin, illuminated and
transfigured, when Christ presents to his Father an eternal and
universal kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a
kingdom of justice, love and peace ("Roman Missal", preface for the
solemnity of Christ the King). Here on earth the Kingdom is
mysteriously present; when the Lord comes it will enter into its
perfection" ("Gaudium Et Spes", 39).

24. "When he delivers the kingdom to God the Father": this does not
quite catch the beauty of the Greek which literally means "when he
delivers the kingdom to the God and Father". In New Testament Greek,
when the word "Theos" (God) is preceded by the definite article ("ho
Theos") the first person of the Blessed Trinity is being referred to.

25. "He must reign": every year, on the last Sunday of ordinary time,
the Church celebrates the solemnity of Christ the King, to acknowledge
his absolute sovereignty over all created things. On instituting this
feast, Pius XI pointed out that "He must reign in our minds, which
should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed
truths and to the teachings of Christ. He must reign in our wills,
which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our
hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all
things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in
our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior
sanctification of our souls, or, to use the words of the Apostle Paul,
as instruments of righteousness unto God (Rom 6:13)" ("Quas Primas").

28. The subjection of the son which St Paul speaks of here is in no
way opposed to his divinity. He is referring to what will happen when
Christ's mission as Redeemer and Messiah comes to an end, that is,
once final victory is won over the devil, sin and its consequences.
The final victory of Jesus Christ will restore to all creation its
original harmony, which sin destroyed.

"Who can realize", St Bernard comments, "the indescribable sweetness
contained in these few words: God will be everything to everyone? Not
to speak of the body, I see three things in the soul--mind, will and
memory; and these three are one and the same. Everyone who lives
according to the spirit senses in this present life how far he falls
short of wholeness and perfection. Why is this, if not because God is
not yet everything to everyone? That is why ones' mind is so often
mistaken in the judgment it makes, that is why one's will experiences
such restlessness, why one's memory is thrown into confusion by many
things. The noble person is, without wanting to be, at the mercy of
this triple vanity, yet he does not lose hope. For he who responds so
generously to the desires of the soul must also provide the mind with
fullness and light, the will with abundance of peace, and the memory
with visions of eternity. O truth, O charity, O eternity, O blessed and
blessing Trinity! This wretched trinity of mine, sighs for thee, for it
is unfortunately still far from thee" ("Sermon on the Song of Songs",
11).

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Salvation]

From: Matthew 25:31-46


The Last Judgment

---

[31] "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with
Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. [32] Before Him will be
gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another as
a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, [33] and He will place
the sheep at His right hand, but the goats at the left. [34] Then the
King will say to those at His right hand, `Come, O blessed of My
Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world; [35] 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, [36] I was
naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in
prison and you came to Me.' [37] Then the righteous will answer Him,
`Lord, when did we see Thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give
thee drink? [38] And when did we see Thee a stranger and welcome Thee,
or naked and clothe Thee? [39] And when did we see Thee sick or in
prison and visit Thee?' [40] And the King will answer them, `Truly I
say to you, as you did it to one of the least of My brethren, you did
it to Me.' [41] Then He will say to those at His left hand, `Depart
from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and
his angels; [42] for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was
thirsty and you gave Me no drink, [43] 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.' [44] Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we
see Thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison,
and did not minister to Thee?' [45] Then He will answer them, `Truly,
I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did
it not to Me.' [46] And they will go away into eternal punishment, but
the righteous into eternal life."

---

Commentary:


31-46. The three parables (Matthew 24:42-51; 25:1-13; and 25:14-30) are
completed by the announcement of a rigorous last judgment, a last act
in a drama, in which all matters of justice are resolved. Christian
tradition calls it the Last Judgment, to distinguish it from the
"Particular Judgment" which everyone undergoes immediately after
death. The sentence pronounced at the end of time will simply be a
public, formal confirmation of that already passed on the good and the
evil, the elect and the reprobate.


31-33. In the Prophets and in the Book of Revelation the Messiah is
depicted on a throne, like a judge. This is how Jesus will come at the
end of the world, to judge the living and the dead.


The Last Judgment is a truth spelled out in the very earliest credal
statements of the Church and dogma of faith solemnly defined by
Benedict XII in the Constitution "Benedictus Deus" (29 January 1336).


35-46. All the various things listed in this passage (giving people
food and drink, clothing them, visiting them) become works of Christian
charity when the person doing them sees Christ in these "least" of His
brethren.


Here we can see the seriousness of sins of omission. Failure to do
something which one should do means leaving Christ unattended.


"We must learn to recognize Christ when He comes out to meet us in our
brothers, the people around us. No human life is ever isolated. It is
bound up with other lives. No man or woman is a single verse; we all
make up one divine poem which God writes with the cooperation of our
freedom" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 111).


We will be judged on the degree and quality of our love (cf. St. John
of the Cross, "Spiritual Sentences and Maxims", 57). Our Lord will ask
us to account not only for the evil we have done but also for the good
we have omitted. We can see that sins of omission are a very serious
matter and that the basis of love of neighbor is Christ's presence in
the least of our brothers and sisters.


St. Teresa of Avila writes: "Here the Lord asks only two things of us:
love for His Majesty and love of our neighbor. It is for these two
virtues that we must strive, and if we attain them perfectly we are
doing His will [...]. The surest sign that we are keeping these two
commandments is, I think, that we should really be loving our neighbor;
for we cannot be sure if we are loving God, although we may have good
reasons for believing that we are, but we can know quite well if we are
loving our neighbor. And be certain that, the farther advanced you
find you are in this, the greater the love you will have for God; for
so dearly does His Majesty love us that He will reward our love for our
neighbor by increasing the love which we bear to Himself, and that in a
thousand ways: this I cannot doubt" ("Interior Castle", V, 3).


This parable clearly shows that Christianity cannot be reduced to a
kind of agency for "doing good". Service of our neighbor acquires
supernatural value when it is done out of love for Christ, when we see
Christ in the person in need. This is why St. Paul asserts that "if I
give away all I have...but have not love, I gain nothing" (1
Corinthians 13:3). Any interpretation of Jesus' teaching on the Last
Judgment would be wide of the mark if it gave it a materialistic
meaning or confused mere philanthropy with genuine Christian charity.


40-45. In describing the exigencies of Christian charity which gives
meaning to "social aid", the Second Vatican Council says: "Wishing to
come to topics that are practical and of some urgency, the Council lays
stress on respect for the human person: everyone should look upon his
neighbor (without any exception) as another self, bearing in mind,
above all, his life and the means necessary for living it in a
dignified way, `lest he follow the example of the rich man who ignored
Lazarus, the poor man' (cf. Luke 16:18-31).


"Today there is an inescapable duty to make ourselves the neighbor of
every man, no matter who he is, and if we meet him, to come to his aid
in a positive way, whether he is an aged person abandoned by all, a
foreign worker despised without reason, a refugee, an illegitimate
child wrongly suffering for a sin he did not commit, or a starving
human being who awakens our conscience by calling to mind the words of
Christ: `As you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you
did it to Me.'" ("Gaudium Et Spes," 27).


46. The eternal punishment of the reprobate and the eternal reward of
the elect are a dogma of faith solemnly defined by the Magisterium of
the Church in the Fourth Lateran Council (1215): "He [Christ] will come
at the end of the world; He will judge the living and the dead; and He
will reward all, both the lost and the elect, according to their
works. And all these will rise with their own bodies which they now
have so that they may receive according to their works, whether good or
bad; the wicked, a perpetual punishment with the devil; the good,
eternal glory with Christ."

---

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Ecce Homo: Thoughts on the Solemnity of the Christ the King

Such a king as this:
look at him,
bloodstained,
crowned with thorns,
mocked.
See how he ascends
to his throne,
outstretched arms,
pierced hands,
bleeding side.
Yet
just by this act
he saved us all,
and at his name
every knee shall bend.

Hosanna!
Thank you, Lord.
Forgive me!
Transform me!
Make my heart like unto thine.

[Salvation]

 

QUAS PRIMAS (On the Feast of Christ the King) Pope Pius XI

[COBOL2Java]

...the sick I will heal,
but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,
shepherding them rightly.

I have to interpret for Mass tomorrow, and this ending of Ezekiel confuses me. Why does this translation say "but the sleek and the strong I will destroy"? I want to interpret it correctly for my deaf audience, but "destroy" doesn't seem like the correct term. Does anyone know of a clearer translation?

[Nihil Obstat]

Great commentaries and links. Thank you.

[Nihil Obstat]

The Navarre in post #5 says: and the fat and the strong I will watch over; I will feed them in justice.

My Douay-Rheims says: and I will strengthen what was weak, and that which was fat and strong I will preserve: and I will feed them in judgement.

The Haydock commentary in the Douay-Rheims says:

"'Preserve' which seems more natural than 'Destroy'. I will not eat them like bad shepherds. God and those whom He sends, will take care of the flock."

[Ciexyz]

Faith-sharing bump.

[Ciexyz]

I was pleasantly surprised to find that one of my local radio stations is now playing round-the-clock Christmas music. Kudos to WSSH-radio, "Wish-radio" 99.7 FM.

[Salvation]

To me, it says that the sleek, strong and rich will end up in hell/with the goats.

Anyone else?

[Salvation]

Thanks for your kind words.

[Salvation]

Secular time table. Christmas music need not start until Christmas eve in my opinion.

They could at least wait until next Sunday, the first week of Advent.

[Salvation]

**preserve: and I will feed them in judgement.**

All people will be judged at the end, but I take this to mean that the judgment will be to separate from Christ the King. Will they be fed the fires of everlasting damnation?

[Salvation]

**when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power. **

This to me indicates that the word "destroy" is the word to use.

Maybe you can check with your priest before Mass.

[Salvation]

Our God Reigns

by Fr. Jack Peterson

Other Articles by Fr. Jack Peterson

Our God Reigns

11/19/05

Group projects, women and the Redskins. I meet with several groups of college men each week to pray together, to reflect upon the Scriptures for the upcoming Sunday’s Mass, to build Christian fellowship and to encourage a more honest walk with Christ and His Church. The deeper concerns on their hearts come up regularly and are brought up for reflection in the light of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

At this moment in the semester, many of them are stressed about papers and group projects that are due in the next few weeks. Recently our discussion, with the help of a passage from the 31st chapter of the Book of Wisdom, led us to a heartfelt conversation about Christian marriage and the search for a future spouse. Often, as we socialize before or after our meetings, the conversation centers on football.

Group projects, women and football tend to weigh heavily on the hearts of college men. What is reigning in your heart these days? The Church invites us to ask ourselves that question this weekend as we celebrate the final Sunday of the church year, Christ the King. The readings and prayers of the Mass direct our attention to the end times when the world as we know it will come to an end, Christ will come again in all His glory, He will judge the living and the dead, and He will present the world to His Heavenly Father. Surely our prayer is that Jesus will look us in the eyes with tender mercy and great love and say to us, "Come, you who are blessed by My Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Mt 25:34).

Christ is indeed King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He will come again with wondrous signs and great power to definitively establish His reign for all eternity. However, His response to us at the consummation of the world will depend on how we chose to live our lives here and now.

One of the more impressive aspects of Christ’s reign in the world is that He does not force His kingship upon His subjects. He prefers that we voluntarily submit. Instead of governing us with guns, shackles, fear and brute force, He reigns by knocking on the doors of our hearts and waiting for us to invite Him in. He wants His kingship over us to be one we freely choose because in truth and love we know both that we need Him and that He deserves to be the King of our hearts.

Once Christ arrives at His proper place in our hearts and lives, we gratefully venture out into the world to bring His blessings to the needy — the hungry, the thirsty, the naked and the imprisoned. Love for God automatically spills over into a burning love for our neighbor. It becomes a passion of the heart.

What, or Who, is reigning in your heart these days? What place does Christ have in your heart? It should be higher than work, relationships and the record of your favorite team. Do you really love Jesus with all your heart? Are His thoughts your thoughts? Are His ways your ways?

Our God reigns!


Fr. Peterson is Campus Minister at Marymount University in Arlington and interim director of the Youth Apostles Institute.

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

[Teófilo]

Today is the Solemnity of Christ the King. That the Lord is King is obvious from the Holy Scriptures. He's of Davidic descent (Matt. 1:1) as befits the the Messiah of Israel (1:16); He revealed himself as such before Pilate (John 18:36-37) and the last book of the Bible is a narrative of his Coming Kingdom.

The Eastern and Western Churches portray the Lord's Kingship in similar yet different ways. The Eastern Orthodox icon to the right, written (for icons, like Holy Scripture, are "written," not "painted") by the Monk Michael, pictures Christ both in the garb of an Eastern Archbishop and Byzantine Emperor, whose garb often was identical to those of Eastern hierarchs. The vestments consist of the following elements:

• The STICHARION or tunic which is worn by all clerics in slightly modified forms. Equivalent to the Roman alb, it may be of any material and color although white is usual.
• The EPIMANIKIA or cuffs are worn by the deacon and higher ranks of clergy. The priest and bishop wear the cuffs over the sleeves of the STICHARION while the deacon places them underneath his STICHARION's broader sleeve. The cuffs were the symbols of civil authority in the Byzantine Empire.
• The EPIGONATION is a lozenge shaped vestment suspended by a cord from the left shoulder and hanging.
• The SACCOS is that vestment proper to Bishops which gradually replaced their use of the PHELONION. Directly copied from late imperial regalia it is a shorter tunic with ample sleeves and marked with a cross on the back. It is worn over the STICHARION or under tunic.
• The OMOPHORION is probably one of the most ancient of the Bishop's vestments with a strictly symbolic origin. Copied from the scarf of office worn by the Emperor and other officials it identified the Bishop as head of the community. A large, long band of cloth it is marked with crosses and is passed around the neck hanging in front and behind. A "small" OMOPHORION worn simply around the neck and hanging in two pendants on the chest is properly worn in place of the large one after the gospel at the Liturgy. The OMOPHORION is worn by all Byzantine Bishops and corresponds to the Latin pallium.
• The MITRA or Bishop's crown is equivalent to the Latin mitre as the Bishop's head covering. The crown is embroidered and bears small icons and is surmounted by a cross. Its origin is similar to that of the papal tiara and its use was adopted after the fall of the Byzantine Roman Empire. Certain Archimandrites and Archpriests, although not of episcopal character, have the right to the use of the crown. (Source: Byzantine Vestments)

The words: "King of Kings" and "Great High Priest" flank the Lord to his left and to his right respectively. He holds his right hand in blessing and in his left he holds the Holy Scriptures, opened, if I'm not mistaken, to the Letter to the Hebrews -- and there my Greek fails me.

The Latin portrayal of Christ the King also follows closely Western symbols of kingly power. To the left, painted by an unknown artist, we see our Lord portrayed in medieval royal garb, a scepter, and a two-tiered tiara, perhaps symbolizing his two natures (human and divine) or his offices (high priest and king). On his breast we see his Sacred Heart burning with love towards humanity.

The Lord's right hand is also lifted in a gesture of blessing. Note also how the position of the fingers differ from East and West. In the Greek icon, the Lord's ring finger and thumb touch each other. This pairing symbolizes the two natures of Christ, divine and human, joined together. The remaining three fingers symbolize the Triune Godhead. In the Western portrayal, the ring and "pinky" fingers are flexed and the other three remain standing. The meaning of the gesture remains the same: Christ, True God and True Man, the Trinity, God One and Undivided. To this day, Eastern priests and bishops bless the people using the finger configuration depicted on the icon; sadly, the Latin form has fallen into general disuse.

The Feast and the Novena

In the Western Church, the Feast of Christ the King marks the end of the Liturgical Year. Pope Pius XI introduced the feast in 1925 as a response to increasing atheism and secularism in the world. It is then fitting that we finish this presentation with the following Novena Prayer to Christ the King:

Recite One Our Father, One Hail Mary and One Glory Be per day followed by the Novena Prayer: O Lord our God, You alone are the Most Holy King and Ruler of all nations. We pray to You, Lord, in the great expectation of receiving from You, O Divine King, mercy, peace, justice and all good things. Protect, O Lord our King, our families and the land of our birth. Guard us we pray Most Faithful One. Protect us from our enemies and from Your Just Judgment Forgive us, O Sovereign King, our sins against you. Jesus, You are a King of Mercy. We have deserved Your Just Judgment Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us. We trust in Your Great Mercy. O most awe-inspiring King, we bow before You and pray; May Your Reign, Your Kingdom, be recognized on earth. Amen.

[COBOL2Java]

Thanks for your help! Perhaps instead of the sign for destroy by itself (which would indicate absolute destruction) I can combine it with the sign for reduce, which would more closely align with "the fat and the strong" which precedes it.

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Collect: Almighty and merciful God, you break the power of evil and make all things new in your Son Jesus Christ, the King of the universe. May all in heaven and earth acclaim your glory and never cease to praise you. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Recipes: » Crown Cake » Easter Cake Activities: » Family Procession in Honor of Christ the King Prayers: » Prayer to Christ the King » Prayer to Christ the King » Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ King (Iesu dulcissime, Redemptor) » Litany of Christ the King

November 20, 2005 Christ the King The Feast of Christ the King was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism, a way of life which leaves God out of man's thinking and living and organizes his life as if God did not exist. The feast is intended to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Christ's royalty over individuals, families, society, governments, and nations. Today's Mass establishes the titles for Christ's royalty over men: 1) Christ is God, the Creator of the universe and hence wields a supreme power over all things; "All things were created by Him"; 2) Christ is our Redeemer, He purchased us by His precious Blood, and made us His property and possession; 3) Christ is Head of the Church, "holding in all things the primacy"; 4) God bestowed upon Christ the nations of the world as his special possession and dominion. Today's Mass also describes the qualities of Christ's kingdom. This kingdom is: 1) supreme, extending not only to all peoples but also to their princes and kings; 2) universal, extending to all nations and to all places; 3) eternal, for "The Lord shall sit a King forever"; 4) spiritual, Christ's "kingdom is not of this world". — Rt. Rev. Msgr. Rudolph G. Bandas Before the reform of the Roman Calendar in 1969, this feast was celebrated on the last Sunday of October. Christ the King as Represented in the Liturgy The liturgy is an album in which every epoch of Church history immortalizes itself. Therein, accordingly, can be found the various pictures of Christ beloved during succeeding centuries. In its pages we see pictures of Jesus suffering and in agony; we see pictures of His Sacred Heart; yet these pictures are not proper to the nature of the liturgy as such; they resemble baroque altars in a gothic church. Classic liturgy knows but one Christ: the King, radiant, majestic, divine. With an ever-growing desire, all Advent awaits the "coming King"; in the chants of the breviary we find repeated again and again the two expressions "King" and "is coming." On Christmas the Church would greet, not the Child of Bethlehem, but rather the Rex pacificus — "the King of peace gloriously reigning." Within a fortnight there follows a feast which belongs to the greatest of the feasts of the Church year, Epiphany. As in ancient times oriental monarchs visited their principalities (theophany), so the divine King appears in His city, the Church; from its sacred precincts He casts His glance over all the world....On the final feast of the Christmas cycle, the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, holy Church meets her royal Bridegroom with virginal love: "Adorn your bridal chamber, O Sion, and receive Christ your King!" The burden of the Christmas cycle may be summed up in these words: Christ the King establishes His Kingdom of light upon earth! If we now consider the Easter cycle, the luster of Christ's royal dignity is indeed somewhat veiled by His sufferings; nevertheless, it is not the suffering Jesus who is present to the eyes of the Church as much as Christ the royal Hero and Warrior who upon the battlefield of Golgotha struggles with the mighty and dies in triumph. Even during Lent and Passiontide the Church acclaims her King. The act of homage on Palm Sunday is intensely stirring; singing psalms in festal procession we accompany our Savior singing: Gloria, laus et honor tibi sit, Rex Christe, "Glory, praise and honor be to Thee, Christ, O King!" It is true that on Good Friday the Church meditates upon the Man of Sorrows in agony upon the Cross, but at the same time, and perhaps more so, she beholds Him as King upon a royal throne. The hymn Vexilla Regis, "The royal banners forward go," is the more perfect expression of the spirit from which the Good Friday liturgy has arisen. Also characteristic is the verse from Psalm 95, Dicite in gentibus quia Dominus regnavit, to which the early Christians always added, a ligno, "Proclaim among the Gentiles: the Lord reigns from upon the tree of the Cross!" During Paschal time the Church is so occupied with her glorified Savior and Conqueror that kingship references become rarer; nevertheless, toward the end of the season we celebrate our King's triumph after completing the work of redemption, His royal enthronement on Ascension Thursday. Neither in the time after Pentecost is the picture of Christ as King wholly absent from the liturgy. Corpus Christi is a royal festival: "Christ the King who rules the nations, come, let us adore" (Invit.). In the Greek Church the feast of the Transfiguration is the principal solemnity in honor of Christ's kingship, Summum Regem gloriae Christum adoremus (Invit.). Finally at the sunset of the ecclesiastical year, the Church awaits with burning desire the return of the King of majesty. We will overlook further considerations in favor of a glance at the daily Offices. How often do we not begin Matins with an act of royal homage: "The King of apostles, of martyrs, of confessors, of virgins — come, let us adore" (Invit.). Lauds is often introduced with Dominus regnavit, "The Lord is King". Christ as King is also a first consideration at the threshold of each day; for morning after morning we renew our oath of fidelity at Prime: "To the King of ages be honor and glory." Every oration is concluded through our Mediator Christ Jesus "who lives and reigns forever." Yes, age-old liturgy beholds Christ reigning as King in His basilica (etym.: "the king's house"), upon the altar as His throne. Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch. Things to Do: Traditionally there would be a procession for Christ the King on this feastday. The Blessed Sacrament would be carried and the procession would end with a prayer of consecration to Christ the King and Benediction. Try to participate if your parish has a Christ the King procession. If not, try having one at home (minus the Blessed Sacrament). Read Pope Pius XI's encyclical Quas primas (On the Feast of Christ the King) which shows that secularism is the direct denial of Christ's Kingship. Learn more about secularism - read the Annual Statement of the Bishops of the United States released on November 14, 1947. Being a relatively newer feast on the Liturgical calendar, there are no traditional foods for this day. Suggested ideas: a wonderful family Sunday dinner, and bake an Easter Cake or King Cake in honor of Christ the King.. A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who piously recite the Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ King. A plenary indulgence is granted, if it is recite publicly on the feast of our Lord Jesus Christ King.

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	They Are Us!
Author:	Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
Date:	Sunday, November 20, 2005

Ez 34:11-12, 15-17 / 1 Cor 15:20-26, 28 / Mt 25:31-46

There was a brand new president at the local university and he was known as a brilliant scholar and intellectual. When he started appearing at one of the local churches on Sundays, the pastor was anxious to impress him in hopes that he'd join the parish. And so, week after week the pastor worked for hours preparing brilliant sermons replete with scholarly quotations and important insights. Eventually, the president joined the parish, and the pastor just couldn't stop himself from asking, "Sir, could you tell me which one of my sermons finally persuaded you to join our parish."

With a puzzled expression, the president replied, "I really don't know what you're talking about. A little old lady in the back row made me feel so much at home by telling me how she missed me when I wasn't here. That's why I joined the parish."

+ + +

The little things, done with love, make all the difference. Laid end to end, they can add up to a powerfully good life. If you doubt that, look at Mother Teresa.

That's what Jesus is telling us today. He's summing up all his teaching and giving us the bottom line: "If you want to have life now and in the hereafter," he says, "you've got to use what God has given you, and use it to take care of his people. Nothing else makes matters. Nothing less will do.

"Staying out of trouble is good," he says, "but it isn't enough. You've got to DO something for God's people: Feed the hungry, comfort the sick, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit those in prison."

Those are Jesus' ultimate criteria for success or failure in life. So how are we doing? With the folks far away, many of us are doing fairly well: with generous checks, volunteer work, and prayers. But have we noticed the prisoners, the sick, the hungry, and the naked who are closer at hand? They're right here, in this church, in our families and schools. They're across the bridge table from us and across the desk from us: God's hurting, hungry people, whose spirits are starving, or trapped, or stripped naked by life's cruel turns.

They're all around us. As Pogo would say, they are us! And each one of us has something to give them, some part of our selves that they need, to be healed, to break free, to grow up, or just to survive another day. They are right here, and they need us now.

And so we need to pray: May God give us hearts as tender as his own, to see his hurting people, to embrace them, and not to turn away. May God give us great hearts that give our all and hold nothing back!

 

[Ciexyz]

The Lord is my shepherd, He shall watch over me at all times! Blessed be the name of the Lord!

[annalex]

Mt 25:31-46
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
31	And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty.	cum autem venerit Filius hominis in maiestate sua et omnes angeli cum eo tunc sedebit super sedem maiestatis suae
32	And all nations shall be gathered together before him: and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats:	et congregabuntur ante eum omnes gentes et separabit eos ab invicem sicut pastor segregat oves ab hedis
33	And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.	et statuet oves quidem a dextris suis hedos autem a sinistris
34	Then shall the king say to them that shall be on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.	tunc dicet rex his qui a dextris eius erunt venite benedicti Patris mei possidete paratum vobis regnum a constitutione mundi
35	For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in:	esurivi enim et dedistis mihi manducare sitivi et dedistis mihi bibere hospes eram et collexistis me
36	Naked, and you covered me: sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me.	nudus et operuistis me infirmus et visitastis me in carcere eram et venistis ad me
37	Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry and fed thee: thirsty and gave thee drink?	tunc respondebunt ei iusti dicentes Domine quando te vidimus esurientem et pavimus sitientem et dedimus tibi potum
38	Or when did we see thee a stranger and took thee in? Or naked and covered thee?	quando autem te vidimus hospitem et colleximus te aut nudum et cooperuimus
39	Or when did we see thee sick or in prison and came to thee?	aut quando te vidimus infirmum aut in carcere et venimus ad te
40	And the king answering shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.	et respondens rex dicet illis amen dico vobis quamdiu fecistis uni de his fratribus meis minimis mihi fecistis
41	Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels.	tunc dicet et his qui a sinistris erunt discedite a me maledicti in ignem aeternum qui paratus est diabolo et angelis eius
42	For I was hungry and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty and you gave me not to drink.	esurivi enim et non dedistis mihi manducare sitivi et non dedistis mihi potum
43	I was a stranger and you took me not in: naked and you covered me not: sick and in prison and you did not visit me.	hospes eram et non collexistis me nudus et non operuistis me infirmus et in carcere et non visitastis me
44	Then they also shall answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to thee?	tunc respondebunt et ipsi dicentes Domine quando te vidimus esurientem aut sitientem aut hospitem aut nudum aut infirmum vel in carcere et non ministravimus tibi
45	Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen: I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me.	tunc respondebit illis dicens amen dico vobis quamdiu non fecistis uni de minoribus his nec mihi fecistis
46	And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the just, into life everlasting.	et ibunt hii in supplicium aeternum iusti autem in vitam aeternam

[annalex]

The Saviour

Moscow School, Andrei Rublev
15th century
Tetryakov Gallery, Moscow

[Ciexyz]

God's gentle rains fall on both the just and the unjust. We are all blessed by the loving care of God. He gives us time to repent and come to Him. The separation of the just and the unjust will come later, at a time of His choosing. Therefore, we should all be patient in the face of injustices.

[Ciexyz]

The Saviour

Once again, you've graced this thread with a beautiful example of religious artwork. Thanks very much.

[Ciexyz]

Ecce homo: Thoughts on the Solemnity of Christ the King

Lovely verses, thanks for posting.

[Ciexyz]

Impressive example of Eastern Orthodox icon. Kudos to you for posting.

[AlaninSA]

The readings today were a great refute when confronted by a confused radical Protestant who screams "by grace alone."

Our deacon gave a great homily on this today.

[Salvation]

Great!

[Salvation]

Father Cantalamessa on Judgment Day: Reflections on Readings for Feast of Christ the King

[Salvation]

 

 

A Voice in the Desert

 

 

Sunday November 20, 2005   Feast of Christ the King

Reading I (Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17)   

Reading II (1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28)

Gospel (St. Matthew 25:31-46)

Throughout the Scriptures, God is called a king. He even tells us in many places that He Himself is a great king. He is the King of Israel, yet recall that the people of Israel did not want God to be their king because they wanted to be like everyone else. They wanted a human king that they could set before themselves, they wanted somebody who could lead them into battle, and they wanted somebody who would be able to lay down various laws for them and to govern in their country; forgetting, of course, the fact that God had already given them the laws by which they were to live and that the Lord Himself told them He would lead them into battle. But they did not want God to be their king. They rejected Him, and therefore they asked God to raise up for them a human king. God told them that if they wanted a human king they would not like him, but they wanted him anyway. So the Lord allowed that Saul would be raised up for the people as their first king, and following him some fifty-two others. Other than David and two other kings, one after the next just became more and more corrupt. Consequently, the people recognized that what they had done was wrong.  

In our day, God has given us a human king–His own Son–and He has laid down laws for us to follow, laws that are most just and most perfect so that we would be able to live our lives in accordance with God’s way. And just as it was some three thousand years ago, so once again people keep saying, “We don’t want God to be our king. We don’t want to do it His way.” So we have to ask ourselves: Just exactly what is this kingship that we celebrate today? The kingship of Jesus Christ is the celebration of the fact that He died for us. Jesus is not the king because He is God. He is the king because He is the Messiah, because He was willing to come into this world and to suffer and to die so that we could live.  

When the people of Israel wanted Saul to be their king, God told them what would happen is that he would tax them. He would take the best of everything that they had. He would press their young men into military service and their young women into service for himself. But what we see with Jesus is exactly the opposite. He came into this world, as He Himself tells us, not to be served but to serve. He does not take from us what is the best; He gives to us what is the best. He does not simply take any of us selfishly to put us into service in His kingdom, but rather what He asks is that we would make a free choice to serve as we have been served. And He gives us a commandment, that is, that we would love–the very thing for which we were created. So it is not something that is oppressive, but instead it is something that brings perfect freedom.  

The kingdom of Christ is a kingdom of peace. It is a kingdom of justice. It is a kingdom of love. Not of gushy feelings of some sort of romance, but rather it is a kingdom where true charity prevails, where those who would call Christ their King will seek to serve one another. This is the beauty of the kingdom of Christ. When we think of a king in the human sense, we think of the one who is the most exalted, the one to whom everyone is to bow down, the one who has all the power. Well, we can say of Jesus that He does have all power and that we are to bow down before Him, but there is a difference in the manner in which this is done. The human king demands that people bow down before him. The human king demands that people serve, and so it is done out of constraint, not so much because they want to. Even for those who want to serve, most often it is because they want something for themselves. They want a title or a higher position or some kind of prestige. But as we see from the first reading with the prophet Ezekiel when Our Lord tells us that He Himself is going to shepherd His sheep, He talks about how He is going to take care of the sick and the lame and the weak. The sleek and the strong, He says, He is going to destroy.  

Now that seems like a contradiction. Most often, the shepherd is going to be the most proud of his strong, sleek sheep. That is the way it would certainly be in an earthly kingdom. The ones who seem to be the most impressive are the ones who are going to be shown off. But Jesus does not have time for anyone who thinks they are strong enough that they do not need Him. When we recognize that we are weak, when we recognize that we are broken, that spiritually we are ill, then we realize that we need someone beyond ourselves; not someone who is self-serving, but someone who will serve our needs. And love by its very nature requires that we in turn will serve. That is what love is all about. It is a reciprocal relationship of benevolence, that is, each party seeking the good of the other, each party seeking to serve the other. Jesus does not demand that we serve Him. He does not demand that we bow down before Him, but rather, out of love, we recognize Who He is and we freely choose to serve Him. When we recognize Who He is, we are the ones who make the choice. Like the twenty-four elders around the throne who cast their crowns down and bow down before the Lord and sing the new song, that is the free choice that we will make, or the free choice that we will refuse to make. But when we make that choice it is to do what we should out of love, not forced on us, not a matter of constraint, but rather it is a free choice to love. That is where there is a difference.  

When there is a human king, that person might try to make everyone else his subject. They are forced to do what the king has decided. With our King, it is very different. No one is forced to do anything. We have been loved and we have to make the choice to love in return. That choice is entirely ours. Our Lord makes very clear what that is going to entail for us. It means that we have to serve the needs of those around us, and by serving those people around us, we are serving Christ. Recall when Mother Teresa of Calcutta was asked how it is that she can work with these people whose flesh is literally rotting on their bodies and who are dying in the streets and have insects growing in their wounds. She said simply, “I see Jesus in each of them, and I serve Him in them.” Now if she was able to see Christ in the poorest of the poor, in the ones who in their human deformity would seem to be the least like Christ, then we have to ask ourselves: Why do we not see Christ in one another? Is it because we think that we are sleek and strong? How often do we look down our noses at someone else? Do we stand in arrogant judgment of another? How often do we ridicule others, trying to make ourselves look better than they? When we see someone who is truly a humble servant of the Lord, we tend to reject them and make fun of them, instead of recognizing that perhaps there is a saint in our midst–but it is not the way we think a saint ought to look.  

We have to be able to see things through God’s eyes. He says, Whatever you do for the least of My brothers, you do to Me. Not, “what you do for the sleek and the strong,” not, “what you do so there might be a reward,” not, “what you do so you might be promoted or get something for yourself,” because then you are not really serving the other, you are serving yourself. But Our Lord is looking for us to practice true charity, which means to give without expecting anything in return, which is exactly what He did. He expects us to seek out those who are truly in need and to reach out to them.  

Well, the need that we have in America more than any is a spiritual need. There are very few who are truly in need on a physical order, very, very few. But there are so many who are in need on a spiritual order. Again, looking at Mother Teresa of Calcutta, whose order was founded solely to work with the poorest of the poor, she was asked, “Why are you going to America?” And she could honestly respond that these were the people who had the greatest poverty. Materially, they had the greatest wealth in the world; spiritually, they were the most impoverished people on the face of the earth. That is why she founded houses in America: to bring Christ to those who think that they are sleek and strong, to bring Christ to those who do not recognize their weakness, their brokenness, their illness (spiritually speaking, that is). That is the point we need to recognize: We need a shepherd.  

The wonderful thing is that our King and our Shepherd is one and the same; the Good Shepherd Who is not seeking Himself, but is seeking us; the Good Shepherd Who will take the wandering sheep and place it on His shoulders, not kicking it, driving it, or beating it, but rather very gently lifting the little sheep onto His shoulders and carrying the sheep home and rejoicing that He has found His lost sheep. That is what our Shepherd is all about. We have nothing to fear in Christ unless we think that we do not need Him. And we need to be very careful not to try to play games with our own selves. We certainly will admit in our heads that we need Him, but we live as though we do not. So we need to humble ourselves and we need to seek in the depths of our hearts to be united with Christ in all things. That means, of course, that we are going to have to make a few changes in our lives. Whether we are willing to do it is the question.  

We have the example set before us. Jesus is right there on the Cross, our King and our Shepherd. Remember the letters right above His head mean Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. He is our King on the Cross. He came into this world to serve, He came into this world to die, He came into this world poor and lowly, and in the very end He was beaten and disfigured beyond recognition. When we fail to recognize Christ in others, would we have recognized Him two thousand years ago? Have we romanticized what the Passion of Christ was really all about? How many of us, two thousand years ago, would have stayed with Him all the way to Calvary? How many, like Veronica, would have wiped His face? How many, like Mary and John and Mary Magdalene, would have been right there united with Him in His suffering? That is where He shepherded us perfectly. That is where He is enthroned as King. Now He is asking that if we will recognize Him there that we will recognize Him also in the least of His brothers and that we will humble ourselves to serve and to love as we ourselves have been served and loved by Him.  

*  This text was transcribed from the audio recording with minimal editing.       

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Sunday, November 20, 2005 Meditation Matthew 25:31-46 What does a shepherd have in common with a king? Very little, it would seem. One is a poor, solitary countryside herdsman, and the other a powerful national ruler. These occupations come together, however, in two of the greatest figures in the Bible. First, there is David, the humble shepherd who was plucked from his sheepfold and anointed as king over Israel. Then there is Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords, who called himself “the good shepherd” (John 10:11). Today we celebrate Jesus as King enthroned at the right hand of the Father. We also look forward to his ultimate glorification after the Last Judgment. At that time, people from every nation under heaven will acknowledge his sovereignty and rejoice in his power. The whole world will be silent before his judgment, and he will judge all of us with divine justice. Yet even in his role as king, Jesus tends his flock as a shepherd (Matthew 25:40). This is just what God promised ages earlier: “I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep” (Ezekiel 34:15). As a compassionate shepherd-king, Jesus doesn’t want to see his sheep left in need. He himself wants to bind up our wounds and lead us gently to his home. Jesus’ roles as a king and a shepherd are not contradictions or mutually exclusive. They are really one and the same thing! Jesus is king precisely because he rules with compassion. It is his very compassion and mercy that make him ruler of all creation. So what else can we do but bow down before Jesus in humble worship? What else can we do but follow as he leads us with his rod and his staff? Let us gratefully declare with David, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”! “Jesus, I adore you as my king! I am thankful that you protect me, care for me, and hear me when I call to you. Grant me your goodness and mercy all the days of my life. May I dwell with you in your kingdom forever!” Ezekiel 34:11-12,15-17; Psalm 23:1-3,5-6; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26,28

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Sunday, November 20, 2005 >>

Christ the King

Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17
1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28

Psalm 23
Matthew 25:31-46

View Readings

KING OF THE POOR

"Christ must reign until God has put all enemies under His feet." —1 Corinthians 15:25

Kings traditionally are concerned about pomp and circumstance, military might, taxes, palaces, and monuments. King Jesus is altogether different. When King Jesus "comes in His glory, escorted by all the angels of heaven, He will sit upon His royal throne, and all the nations will be assembled before Him" (Mt 25:31-32). He will judge on behalf of refugees, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned (Mt 25:36). He has no Pentagon, no military budget, and no national debt. He commands: "Owe no debt to anyone except the debt that binds us to love one another" (Rm 13:8).

The poor are His priority. He commands us to serve the poor. Material poverty in the world indicates our spiritual poverty in the Church. If we bowed before Jesus as King, the poor would have the good news preached to them and be set free (Lk 4:18). If we had faith in King Jesus, we would "love in deed and in truth and not merely talk about it" (1 Jn 3:18).

King Jesus not only helped the poor but became poor. "You are well acquainted with the favor shown you by our Lord Jesus Christ: how for your sake He made Himself poor though He was rich, so that you might become rich by His poverty" (2 Cor 8:9). He chose to be born in a stable at Bethlehem, live in Nazareth, work at manual labor, and even die like a slave on a cross. King Jesus is a different kind of king. He's the King of the poor, and the King of kings.

Prayer: King Jesus, take over my life totally.

Promise: "Thus says the Lord God: I Myself will look after and tend My sheep." —Ez 34:11

Praise: Praise Jesus, King of kings, Who rules over all nations and all of creation!

[nanetteclaret]

Yesterday was really, really glorious! Hubby and I were finally confirmed, so we are now officially "Across the Tiber." Thank you all (and any others I may have forgotten to list) for your encouragement and advice. Catholic Freepers are the greatest!

[Knitting A Conundrum]

God bless!

[AnAmericanMother]

Congratulations, and Welcome!

1. To Jesus Christ, our sov'reign King,
Who is the world's salvation,
All praise and homage do we bring
And thanks and adoration.

R. Christ Jesus, Victor!
Christ Jesus, Ruler!
Christ Jesus, Lord and Redeemer!

2. Your reign extend, O King benign,
To ev'ry land and nation;
For in your Kingdom, Lord divine,
Alone we find salvation. R.

3. To you, and to your church, great King,
We pledge our heart's oblation;
Until before your throne we sing
In endless jubilation. R.

(our closing hymn from yesterday. For some reason they were all Good Old German Hymns. Love 'em.)

[Salvation]

May God continue to bless both of you as you reach out to others manifesting the Gifts of the Holy Spirit!

Congratulations!

[Salvation]

Lovoe that one!

[Salvation]

Oops,
Lovoe that one!
Love that one!

[Salvation]

Last Judgment

by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

Other Articles by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

Last Judgment

11/21/05

On the final Sunday in the liturgical year, it is time to remember things that we’d prefer to forget. For starters, we recall that there is an infinite qualitative difference between us and God. He is immortal and infinite. We are not. Each one of us will come to an individual end. But so will our society, our world, even our universe.

Another thing to call to mind on this day is that while the Son of God came the first time in a way both lowly and hidden, He will come one day in a way both public and glorious. Yes, He is the Lamb of God. But He is also the Lion of Judah. He takes away the sin of those who let Him. But He will also bring things hidden in darkness into the light, call a spade a spade, and insist all bear the consequences of their choices.

That is what any judge does. And He will come in glory, says the creed, to judge the living and the dead.

But what will the Last Judgment be like? By what criteria will we be judged?

Only one passage in the Gospels provides a sneak preview of that day of reckoning, Matthew 25:31-46. First of all, note that most of Jesus’ parables have a jarring punch line. He’s always upsetting the preconceived notions of just about everyone, especially the most religious of the bunch, whether they be Pharisees or disciples.

Clearly, all of us expect that the Judge will condemn evil and impose sentence on the guilty. And we tend to think of evildoing as stepping over the line and infringing on the rights of others, taking their possessions, maybe even taking their lives. The language of the Our Father lends itself to this interpretation of sin when it says “forgive us our trespasses.”

The problem with this understanding of sin is that it is incomplete, even shallow. Lots of people think that as long as they don’t lie, cheat, and steal, but just keep to themselves and mind their own business, they deserve big rewards from God.

The story of the Last Judgment addresses these “decent folks.” Imagine their shock as they swagger smugly up to the judge’s bench expecting praise only to be sent off to eternal punishment! Why? Because they neglected to do the good love required them to do. They did not “commit” offenses or infractions of the law; they did nothing positively destructive. They just, in the presence of suffering, heartlessly did absolutely nothing. Their sin was not a sin of “commission” but a sin of “omission.” But note: these sins of omission ultimately seal the fate of the damned.

There are lots of negative commandments, often expressed as “thou shalt nots.” But the two most important commandments are positive “thou shalts”. “You shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, and strength and you shall love thy neighbor as yourself.” These commandments require an interior disposition that issues in outward actions. If you are hungry, you love yourself enough to go to the fridge or drive to McDonald’s. If you truly love your hungry neighbor as yourself, you don’t just say a prayer and offer sympathy (Jas 2:15-17). Loving God with all your heart doesn’t mean giving a respectful nod to God and then going on your merry way. It means going out of your way, passionately seeking to love Him and serve Him in all that you do.

In this Last Judgment scene we see how these two commandments, these two loves, are really one. Jesus makes clear that loving God with your whole heart is expressed in loving your neighbor as yourself. And whenever you love your neighbor in this way, you are actually loving the Son of God.

So ultimately, the judgment is simple. It all comes down to love. The judge happens to be the king of hearts.


Dr. D'Ambrosio studied under Avery Cardinal Dulles for his Ph.D. in historical theology and taught for many years at the University of Dallas. He now directs www.crossroadsinitiative.com, which offers Catholic resources for RCIA, adult faith formation, and teens, with a special emphasis on the Year of the Eucharist, the Theology of the Body, the early Church Fathers, and the sacrament of confirmation.

(This article originally appeared in Our Sunday Visitor and is used by permission of the author.)

[AnAmericanMother]

But what was REALLY fun is that our organist let himself go a bit on the postlude . . . one of Louis Vierne's Organ Symphonies - the craziest thing I have heard played on an organ for awhile. Vierne was an early 20th c French composer and blind from birth.

It was absolutely amazing to see our organist play this thing -- the score was THICK with notes for keyboard and pedals, huge chords in the middle with elaborate runs and arpeggios top AND bottom . . . his feet and his fingers were flying around - pulling and pushing stops all over the place and turning pages without pausing in the music - his back perfectly still and straight, his head still except for his eyes darting back and forth -- and all that music thundering out through the nave like surf on rocks --

. . . he has more music in his little finger than I will ever have. Astounding! (we are really lucky to have him.)