Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 11-26-17, SOL, Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 11-26-17 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

The Problem with Hippos

Pastor’s Column

Solemnity of Christ the King

November 26, 2017

There was an interesting story in the paper about a man who had raised a hippo, almost from birth. Even as the wild animal grew, he fed it and cared for it and considered it to be a kind of friend and pet. He was also warned that this animal remained wild. As it grew, it began raiding neighbors’ crops and causing mischief. Eventually, as hippos are prone to do, he turned on his “friend” and mauled him to death without any provocation.

This story is almost like a parable. We cannot really make friends with sin and expect to come out of the encounter alive. We may have a relationship with our “friend” for a long time; but, true to its nature, sin will eventually turn on us and destroy us if we do not deal with it adequately.

Jesus teaches us that at the last judgment many will be caught by surprise, even those of us who hear and try to follow this gospel (Mt 25:31-46). One of the things we don’t realize is that sin comes in two forms. Sins of commission are those we do, like lying or stealing. Sins of omission are those that we ought to have done and failed to do. And this is precisely what is so startling about the last judgment: Jesus will base the last judgment on what we did with our lives and whether we asked for forgiveness sincerely.

Jesus makes it so easy for us! He tells us in advance that we are in the middle of a timed test (our lifetime) and what the correct answers are. The key is that we don’t know how long our individual test will be (our last day on earth), nor do we know which disguises Jesus will wear today when we meet him, but we do have hints.

What hints? Jesus tells us that if you gave Jesus a coat, he was the recipient; if you are patient with a relative or friend over Thanksgiving, that was him too; if you ever held a door open for someone or let them go in front of you at the store checkout line, that was Jesus. The test of our faith and our love is precisely this: how did we treat the ordinary people in need around us? No one is expendable in God’s eyes. Every person we encounter, no matter how flawed, is Jesus in disguise. These are the components of our test and this is where the sins of omission come from!

Like the unfortunate man with the hippo, we can kid ourselves for a long time that we don’t have a potential problem in our lives. Fortunately, the Lord gives us lots of warnings about how to deal with the dangerous hippos we may be “friends” with and is always ready to forgive us when we fail. 

                                                                        Father Gary

[Salvation]

Reflections from Scott Hahn

When the End Comes: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Solemnity of Christ the King

Download Audio File

Readings:
Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17
Psalm 23:1-3, 5-6
1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28
Matthew 25:31-46

Many saints and Church leaders have seen a connection between Christ’s words in the Gospel for the Solemnity of Christ the King (see Matthew 25:31-43) and His promise to be present in the Eucharist (see Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:15-20).

For instance, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta used to say of her work with the destitute: “In Holy Communion we have Christ under the appearance of bread. In our work we find Him under the appearance of flesh and blood. It is the same Christ. ‘I was hungry, I was naked, I was sick, I was homeless.'”

St. John Chrysostom, the great patriarch of Eastern Catholicism, said the same thing in the fourth century: “Do you wish to honour the body of Christ? Do not ignore Him when He is naked. Do not pay Him homage in the temple clad in silk only then to neglect Him outside where He suffers cold and nakedness. He who said: ‘This is my body’ is the same One who said: ‘You saw me hungry and you gave me no food’, and ‘Whatever you did to the least of my brothers you did also to me’ . . . What good is it if the Eucharistic table is overloaded with golden chalices, when He is dying of hunger? Start by satisfying His hunger, and then with what is left you may adorn the altar as well.”

The Church year ends today with a vision of the end of time. The scene in the Gospel is stark and resounds with Old Testament echoes.

The Son of Man is enthroned over all nations and peoples of every language (see Daniel 7:13-14). The nations have been gathered to see His glory and receive His judgment (see Isaiah 66:18; Zephaniah 3:8). The King is the divine shepherd Ezekiel foresees in today’s First Reading, judging as a shepherd separates sheep from goats.

Each of us will be judged upon our performance of the simple works of mercy we hear in the Gospel today.

These works, as Jesus explains today, are reflections or measures of our love for Him, our faithfulness to His commandment that we love God with all our might and our neighbor as ourselves (see Matthew 22:36-40).

Our faith is dead, lifeless, unless it be expressed in works of love (see James 2:20; Galatians 5:6). And we cannot say we truly love God, whom we cannot see, if we don’t love our neighbor, whom we can (see 1 John 4:20).

The Lord is our shepherd, as we sing in today’s Psalm. And we are to follow His lead, to imitate His example (see 1 Corinthians 1:11; Ephesians 5:1).

He healed our sickness (see Luke 6:19), freed us from the prison of sin and death (see Romans 8:2,21), welcomed us who were once strangers to His covenant (see Ephesians 2:12,19). He clothed us in baptism (see Revelation 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:3-4), and feeds us with the food and drink of His own body and blood.

At “the end,” He will come again to hand over His kingdom to His Father, as Paul says in today’s Epistle.

Let us strive to be following Him in right paths, that this kingdom might be our inheritance, that we might enter into the eternal rest promised for the people of God (see Hebrews 4:1,9-11).

[Salvation]

Solemnity of Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe: "You did for me"

"You did for me"

The Word: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/112617.cfm

Ez 34: 11-16

Eph 1: 15-23

Mt 24: 31-46

As Americans living under a more than 200 year democracy which was established to blot out any power or trappings of royalty, we seem to have an odd fascination with all things royal in regards to the British Royal Family.  Our interest in royal weddings, coronations, palaces, British aristocracy, pomp and circumstance, extravagant uniforms and the higher class caught our rapt attention during the years that Downton Abbey was shown on television. I confess I was a loyal fan of the multiple episodes and characters of that outstanding show. Maybe it's wishful thinking, fantasy or some secret desire to be the royal family's court chaplain or something more about power and superiority that pulls us but our Feast today of Christ the King reminds us that it isn't about where I live, how I dress, what my blood line is, who I associate with or how my English accent may sound.  It's far more about about learning from Christ, who rules over all, than it is about me and who I pretend to be.

Today’s Feast culminates our liturgical year but likewise presents us with the final reassurance that in the end, Christ will conquer all things and finally establish his Kingdom.  All that we fear and dark powers against us will be destroyed and in the end and all those faithful to the great “King” will triumph!  But, as uncomfortable as we present day Americans in our democratic government may be with the image of a King, knowing who this ruler is and what his reign means for us, is to know the true God who comes to us not with domination or absolute rule but a King who desires our compassion, after his example, towards one another; a ruler of mercy, kindness, love, forgiveness, and peace.  As he has done so we must do as we await his return.

Still, on the one hand, we envision a great and mighty King.  Not just an earthly King with royal powers passed on through blood line and long tradition but a King who rules the Universe!  We call Jesus Lord, the Almighty One, the Son of God, the Savior and Messiah, the Holy One, the Lamb of God. In today’s Gospel this King comes with angels, on the clouds and sitting on a “glorious throne.”  Not ordinarily the image of Jesus we imagine but one that reminds us the Christian way of life is not some mere society of nice people who do good things for others.  If that is all that Christianity is, then we may as well just join any number of organizations like Kiwanis or the Salvation Army.  It is Christ who rules overall and we serve after his example the Christ we see in one another. 

So, on the other hand we see a vision of “all the nations” assembled before the King.  They are divided between sheep and goats as citizens of nations and the King speaks of the very basic human needs of our brothers and sisters: hunger, thirst, poverty, sickness, imprisonment, isolation.  A scene that implies messiness, a disorder, human suffering and certainly far removed from the royal throne of the King of the Universe.  But amazingly, the two come together.

The Son of Man, the King of the Universe, speaks:  “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ill and you cared for me . . .” (Mt. 25: 31-46). How could we feed the King? By the care we show for the least brothers and sisters among us. This King is shepherd who walked among us and still remains in our midst in Word, Sacrament, and in the heart of every human person. Yet, it is the state of our sin that has caused such human suffering.  Yet we: “give food, give drink, we welcome the stranger, we visit, we clothe.”  

We are reminded today of the golden rule which is expressed in a variety of world cultures and which zeroes in on the basic dignity of the human person: Never do to others what you would not have done to yourself.  Jesus expanded even further as he brought the two greatest commandments together: “Love the Lord your God and your neighbor as yourself.” This King who reigns in Heaven also lives in the heart and soul of every human person and in particular with the least among us - those who can be invisible and forgotten. And each person has a role to play: to feed, to satisfy thirst, to befriend, to visit, to clothe, to care with compassion for the suffering.

So the Son of Man will separate the “nations of the world” between sheep and goats.  Not literally sheep and goats of course but you and me.  Obviously most of us would rather be standing among the soft wool rather than the stubborn “eat- any- things.” But it seems to depend on how we have lived.

“I was hungry and you gave me food, naked and you clothed me, in prison and you visited me, thirsty and you gave me to drink . . .” In other words, the Corporal works of Mercy as we call them will determine our salvation. Where we finally spend eternity will be determined by our compassion for others and our awareness that each human is made after the image of the Creator.  As we serve each other we serve God himself. Let’s chew on that one for a while! Who have I forgotten?  Who have I ignored?  Who has asked for help and I was too busy? Who have I not forgiven?

So it is far more than just being nice and generous.  Any non-believer is capable of that.  It is the reason why we do such works, our ultimate motivation, and not just to do them. We might say the very icon of mercy in our day, St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, as he offered her service to the poorest of the poor was to fulfill this parable.

Are we called to live as Mother Teresa then?  We are called to fulfill the vocation that God has called us to and within that vocation to be people of mercy and compassion.

In the face of every human person, especially in the face of the lowly ones, we see the face of Christ himself.  This truth guides the direction of our lives and how we spend our money, our time, and reminds us that Christianity is not a religion in the skies but a faith that deals with the deeply personal.

When God took on human nature as he did in Jesus he forever linked himself to humanity.  So, the plan for our lives is laid out no matter what direction our lives has taken or no matter what vocation, ordained or not ordained, we may find ourselves in.

To be generous, compassionate, helpful, and sensitive to the suffering of others is not an option in our Christian life. Although we may imagine material poverty and empty stomachs the world is filled with all sorts of hunger and thirst. Ignorance, loneliness, prejudice, and discrimination are human sin which has created greater human need. To hear the cry of the poor and to see the Christ within are one and the same.

Where are the poor my life? We don’t need to move to suffering India or the slums of Argentina or Mexico to exercise mercy.  Our Lord gave us the reason why we do what we do and serve as we serve: “Whatever you did for one of the least ones of mine, you did for me.”

As we offer you, O Lord, the sacrifice

by which the human race is reconciled to you, 

we humbly pray

that your Son himself may bestow on all nations

the gifts of unity and peace.

Through Christ our Lord

(Prayer after Communion)

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

November 26, 2017 – Sheep and Goats

26 Nov 2017

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Father Edward McIlmail, LC

Matthew 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 these 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.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for this chance to spend time with you in prayer. You are the Prince of Peace and the Lord of Mercy. I trust in your goodness and love. I love you and earnestly long to love you more each day.

Petition: Lord, help me to translate my faith in you into good deeds done for others.

1. Judgment Day: All of our life is, in a sense, a preparation for the judgment we face at life’s end. That is when we go before Our Lord and give account for everything we have done or failed to do. No excuses will be accepted, no more “second chances” given. Jesus’ mercy doesn’t mean he ignores justice. “Mercy differs from justice, but is not in opposition to it,” wrote Pope Saint John Paul II in his 1980 encyclical, Dives in Misericordia (Rich in Mercy). Would I be ready to face the Lord this very day? If not, why not? What facet of my life do I need to change right now?

2. The Sheep: The sheep to be saved are the people who helped others, who showed mercy, who didn’t turn a cold shoulder to someone in need. Our Lord doesn’t praise them for their many prayers so much as for their good deeds. Prayer is important, of course. But it’s not enough. Christ wants our love for him to be reflected in our love for others. Oddly, many of those to be saved will not have realized that it was really Christ they were helping. Do I see Christ in those who need help? Do I see Christ in my family members? My co-workers? The demanding boss? The unpopular classmate? The smelly beggar?

3. The Goats: It’s scary to think that those who will be lost were not necessarily “bad people.” In this passage Our Lord doesn’t chide them for doing wicked things. He doesn’t accuse them of starting wars or peddling drugs or committing acts of terrorism. Rather, he faults them for the sin of omission, for things they didn’t do. “You gave me no food …. You gave me no clothing.” We may think ourselves good Christians because we don’t cheat on our taxes or look at pornography or miss Mass on Sundays. But acts of charity are key, too. We should do these without neglecting the others.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I don’t want to end up with the goats at the Last Judgment. That’s why I want to take my faith seriously. I want to have a generous heart. But do I limit my generosity? Why can’t I see you in my neighbor? You have loved me unconditionally. Help me to respond to your love by loving others unconditionally.

Resolution: Before noon, I will perform one small act of charity for someone close to me.

[Salvation]

Christ the King & Last Judgment

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 not’s.” But the two most important commandments are positive “thou shalt’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 the least of his brethren.

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 is offered 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.

[Salvation]

Scripture Speaks: The Feast of Christ the King

Gayle Somers

Today, Jesus turns from parable to prophecy. How have the parables prepared us for this prophecy?

Gospel (Read Mt 25:31-46)

On this Feast of Christ the King, the last Sunday of the liturgical calendar, the Church gives us a Gospel reading that looks back and looks ahead (something we often routinely do at the end of our calendar year). Our readings lately in St. Matthew have taught us that Jesus, like the bridegroom and the master in the parables of the virgins and the talents, will return. We have understood from both of them that His return will precipitate an accounting (Have we been wise? Have we been faithful stewards of His graces?) Today, Jesus describes this future event, no longer using stories to make His point. Yet the lessons from those parables, instructing us to be rich in the good works that come from our faith in Him, pervade His description of it. What in it seems familiar?

First, we notice that in both the parables of the virgins and talents, there was an invitation given. At the wedding feast, after a long delay, a cry went up, “Behold, the bridegroom. Come out to meet him!” (Mt 25:6) In the parable of the talents, also after a long delay, the faithful servants heard from their master, “Come, share your master’s joy!” (Mt 25:21) Today, as Jesus describes His return as the Son of Man who sits on a throne (yes, after a long delay), with “all the nations…assembled before Him,” the righteous will hear, “Come, you who are blessed by My Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” The parables prepared us for this final invitation the Lord will extend to the righteous in “all nations.” Why do they receive the invitation? It is because throughout their lives, in response to their faith in Jesus, they took seriously His teaching about love of neighbor. They understand that true love of God must express itself in true love of neighbor. Any love of God that neglects neighbor is the kind Jesus constantly warned us about in the Gospels, in His many run-ins with the Pharisees. It is empty and hypocritical.

Next, notice that both the righteous and the accursed have trouble remembering actually seeing Jesus. They seem to have no sense of having cared for or neglected Him. They simply lived their lives according to their allegiances. The righteous cared about following Jesus and so heeded His words. Jesus counts their actions as having been done for Him, too, so closely does He identify Himself with people for whom He died. The “accursed” neglected or ignored others. Their allegiance was to themselves. They are shocked that in their self-absorption, they were blind to Jesus. In the end, they go to the place of utter, relentless self-absorption, an “eternal punishment.”

What a timely reading this is for us as we end one liturgical year and begin another! We are reminded of the inevitability of Christ’s return and our day of reckoning. We have our imaginations full of the many stories and teachings Jesus has given us in this past year to live our faith in Him, to be doers of the Word, not just hearers. No matter what we find in ourselves as we review our readiness to see Jesus, now is the time to check our allegiance. With Whom do we want to spend eternity? A babe and His mother will soon invite us to the side of a manger. May we be ready to answer their call to, “Come!”

Possible response: Lord Jesus, help me to really believe that the best way I can prepare to see You is to see You now in my neighbor.

First Reading (Read Eze 34:11-12, 15-17)

This prophecy was written by Ezekiel during the time when Judah was in captivity in Babylon, about 592-570 B.C. Judah was in exile there because of the complete collapse of the kings who sat on David’s throne in Jerusalem. Although there were a few good kings from time to time, most of them broke faith with Israel’s covenant with God, often practicing idolatry and making alliances with foreign powers to protect them from enemies, instead of trusting God. Kings in Israel were supposed to be like the shepherd-king, David, described in Scripture as “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:13-14). By the time of the Exile, so utterly had the kings failed that God vows: “I Myself will look after and tend My sheep.” The LORD goes on to describe Himself as the Good Shepherd, Who cares lovingly for His sheep, pasturing and protecting them, seeking out the lost and healing the injured. We know, of course, that this is a prophecy of the Incarnation. Jesus, the Son of David and true Shepherd-King, fulfills all these promises made so long ago: “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (Jn 10:11).

Notice that Ezekiel speaks of a coming judgment of the sheep and goats, just as Jesus did in our Gospel reading. The idea of a final judgment was not new in Israel. That is why Jesus, Who called Himself by the same name God gave Ezekiel, “Son of Man,” uses this prophecy to describe the separation of sheep from goats at the end of time. God has long prepared His people for this event in salvation history. He is still preparing us now, if we have ears to hear.

Possible response: Heavenly Father, thank You for not leaving Your sheep without a shepherd. Every bishop’s staff reminds me of Your love.

Psalm (Read Ps 23:1-3; 5-6)

The psalm picks up the theme of Ezekiel’s prophecy and Jesus’ fulfillment of it: “The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.” How ironic that David, the first shepherd-king of Israel, wrote a beautiful poem that recognized the LORD as his own Shepherd. Even before the Incarnation, David experienced God’s loving kindness and protection in his life, making the comparison with how a good shepherd cares for his sheep. On this Feast of Christ the King, let us remember that Jesus will one day return as King over all the nations (He already rules as King in His Church) with a shepherd’s tender heart, and He will call His sheep to “dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.”

Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.

Second Reading (Read 1 Cor 15:20-26, 28)

St. Paul fills out for us some more details of the return of Christ the King at the end of time. He tells us that not only will all those “who belong to Christ” be brought to eternal life, but all God’s enemies will be thoroughly vanquished—“every sovereignty and every authority and power.” The last of His enemies to be destroyed will be death itself. If we ever wonder why Jesus is taking so long to return, we can surmise that it has something to do with the royal battle happening now that is knocking out His enemies. We might be tempted to think, as we look around us, that it doesn’t look like the kingdom’s enemies are being defeated. However, did it look like sin, death, and the devil had been dealt a mortal blow while Jesus hung on the Cross? Looks can be deceiving.

When all has been accomplished, Jesus will hand over the kingdom to His God and Father. That is when His own will hear the words we long for: “Come, you who are blessed by My Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

King Jesus, come!

Possible response: Lord Jesus, help me never to doubt the victory of goodness, truth, and life that You have already won.

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 33, Issue 6

<< Sunday, November 26, 2017 >>

Christ the King

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

Psalm 23:1-3, 5-6
Matthew 25:31-46
Similar Reflections

COME KING, JUDGE, LOVE, GOD!

"When the Son of Man 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." —Matthew 25:31-32

Over 2,500 years ago, Ezekiel prophesied: "As for you, my sheep, says the Lord God, I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats" (Ez 34:17). Jesus announced that it would be ultimately fulfilled at the end of the world when He comes again as the King of kings to judge the living and the dead (Mt 25:32).

On that last day, Jesus will say to some: "Come. You have My Father's blessing! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world" (Mt 25:34). Others will hear the terrifying words: "Out of My sight, you condemned, into that everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels!" (Mt 25:41) This Last Judgment will be based on:

• primarily God's grace, mercy, and love,
• what we've done for the least of the brethren (Mt 25:40, 45),
• our repentance (see Mk 1:15),
• our faith (Eph 2:8), and
• our love (1 Cor 13:1-3; Mt 22:37-39).

In summary, King Jesus will judge us based on our doing of His Father's will (Mt 7:21) and whether we have lost our lives to be His disciples (Lk 9:24).

King Jesus is going to return to love and judge us. We don't know the day of His return (Mt 25:13). Therefore, it could be today. Are you ready for King Jesus' return? Are you looking forward to Judgment Day? (see 1 Jn 4:17) Come, King Jesus!

Prayer: Father, may I be with You as soon as possible.

Promise: "In Christ all will come to life again." —1 Cor 15:22

Praise: Crucified as King of the Jews, Jesus rose as King of kings. All hail, King Jesus! Alleluia!

[Salvation]

[Coleus]