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To: Salvation
One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body


<< Sunday, November 20, 2011 >> Christ the King
Saint of the Day
 
Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17
1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28

View Readings
Psalm 23:1-3, 5-6
Matthew 25:31-46

 

RIGHT

 
Jesus "will sit upon His royal throne, and all the nations will be assembled before Him. Then He will separate them into two groups." —Matthew 25:31-32
 

When Christ the King returns in glory at the end of the world and on Judgment Day, we will hear King Jesus say to us one of the following two statements (Mt 25:31). Those whom King Jesus has placed at His right hand will hear the words: "Come. You have My Father's blessing! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world" (Mt 25:34). Those whom King Jesus has placed on His left will hear the words: "Out of My sight, you condemned, into that everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels!" (Mt 25:41)

To be on King Jesus' right, to inherit His kingdom, we must:

  • be "begotten of water and Spirit" (Jn 3:5),
  • "seek first His kingdom over us and His way of righteousness" (Mt 6:33, our transl),
  • love the Lord with all our hearts (Lk 10:27) and practically express our love for the poor, the hungry and thirsty, the refugees and strangers, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned (Mt 25:35ff),
  • love the Church (Eph 5:25) and be submissive to her authority, for Jesus has entrusted to the Pope and the Church the keys of His kingdom (Mt 16:19), and
  • give everything for His kingdom (Mt 13:44, 46).

By God's grace, make the decisions necessary for Jesus to place you on His right. Inherit the kingdom.

 
Prayer: King Jesus, I submit my life to You. Come back very soon!
Promise: "Christ must reign until God has put all enemies under His feet, and the last enemy to be destroyed is death." —1 Cor 15:25-26
Praise: Praise Jesus, risen King of kings and Lord of lords! Praise God! Praise You, King Jesus, victorious, triumphant, and enthroned. Alleluia!

57 posted on 11/20/2011 6:40:41 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All

The Judge is the King of Hearts

November 16th, 2011 by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

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 our 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 is also will bring things hidden in darkness into the light, call a spade a spade, and insist that 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 that love required them to do. They did not “commit” offenses or infractions of the law; they did nothing positively destructive. It’s just that, in the presence of suffering, they 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 shal’s.” “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 naturally produces 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 (James 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.

This was originally published in Our Sunday Visitor as a reflection upon the readings for the 34rd Sunday of the Year, the Feast of Christ the King, liturgical cycle A (Ezek 34:11-17, Psalm 23, I Cor 15:20-28; Mt 25:31-46). It is reprinted here with the permission of the author.

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 and adult and teen faith formation, with a special emphasis on 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.)



58 posted on 11/20/2011 6:44:26 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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