DAILY READING and REFLECTIONS For Sunday, November 23, 2014 34th and Last Sunday in Ordinary Time - Psalter Proper (White) Solemnity of Christ the King Readings: Ezk 34:11-17; Ps 23:1-6; 1 Cor 15:20-28; Mt 25:31-46 Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Rosary: Glorious Mysteries Verse: When the Son of man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. SAINT OF THE DAY: Bl. Miguel Pro Birth: 1891 Beatified By: Pope John Paul II Born on January 13, 1891 in Guadalupe, Mexico, Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez was the eldest son of Miguel Pro and Josefa Juarez. Miguelito, as his doting family called him, was, from an early age, intensely spiritual and equally intense in hi mischievousness, frequently exasperating his family with his humor and practical jokes. As a child, he had a daring precociouness that sometimes went too far, tossing him into near-death accidents and illnesses. On regaining consciousness after one of these episodes, young Miguel opened his eyes and blurted out to his frantic parents, I want some cocol (a colloquial term for his favorite sweet bread). Cocol became his nickname, which he would later adopt as a code name during this clandestine ministry. Miguel was particularly close to his older sister and after she entered a cloistered convent, he came to recognize his own vocation to the priesthood. Although he was popular with the senoritas and had prospects of a lucrative career managing his fathers thriving business concerns, Miguel renounced everything for Christ his King and entered the Jesuit novitiate in El Llano, Michoacan in 1911. He studied in Mexico until 1914, when a tidal wave of anti-Catholicism crashed down upon Mexico, forcing the novitiate to disband and flee to the United States, where Miguel and his brother seminarians treked through Texas and New Mexico before arriving at the Jesuit house in Los Gatos, California. In 1915, Miguel was sent to a seminary in Spain, where he remained until 1924, when he went to Belgium for his ordination to the priesthood in 1925. Miguel suffered from a severe stomach problem and after three operations, when his health did not improve, his superiors, in 1926, allowed him to return to Mexico in spite of the grave religious persecution in that country. The churches were closed and priests went into hiding. Miguel spent the rest of his life in a secret ministry to the sturdy Mexican Catholics. In addition to fulfilling their spiritual needs, he also carried out the works of mercy by assisting the poor in Mexico City with their temporal needs. He adopted many interesting disguises in carrying out his secret mininstry. He would come in the middle of the night dressed as a beggar to baptize infants, bless marriages and celebrate Mass. He would appear in jail dressed as a police officer to bring Holy Viaticum to condemned Catholics. When going to fashionable neighboorhoods to procure for the poor, he would show up at the doorstep dressed as a fashionable businessmam with a fresh flower on his lapel. His many exploits could rival those of the most daring spies. In all that he did, however, Fr. Pro remained obedient to his superiors and was filled with the joy of serving Christ, his King. Falsely accused in the bombing attempt on a former Mexican president, Miguel became a wanted man. Betrayed to the police, he was sentenced to death without the benefit of any legal process. On the day of his execution, Fr. Pro forgave his executtioners, prayed, bravely refused the blindfold and died proclaiming, Viva Cristo Rey, Long live Christ the King! FROM THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE: READING 1, Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17 11 For the Lord Yahweh says this: Look, I myself shall take care of my flock and look after it. 12 As a shepherd looks after his flock when he is with his scattered sheep, so shall I look after my sheep. I shall rescue them from wherever they have been scattered on the day of clouds and darkness. 15 I myself shall pasture my sheep, I myself shall give them rest -- declares the Lord Yahweh. 16 I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the injured and make the sick strong. I shall watch over the fat and healthy. I shall be a true shepherd to them. 17 As for you, my sheep, the Lord Yahweh says this: I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and he-goats. RESPONSORIAL PSALM, Psalms 23:1-2, 2-3, 5, 6 1 [Psalm Of David] Yahweh is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 In grassy meadows he lets me lie. By tranquil streams he leads me 3 to restore my spirit. He guides me in paths of saving justice as befits his name. 5 You prepare a table for me under the eyes of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup brims over. 6 Kindness and faithful love pursue me every day of my life. I make my home in the house of Yahweh for all time to come. READING 2, First Corinthians 15:20-26, 28 20 In fact, however, Christ has been raised from the dead, as the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. 21 As it was by one man that death came, so through one man has come the resurrection of the dead. 22 Just as all die in Adam, so in Christ all will be brought to life; 23 but all of them in their proper order: Christ the first-fruits, and next, at his coming, those who belong to him. 24 After that will come the end, when he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father, having abolished every principality, every ruling force and power. 25 For he is to be king until he has made his enemies his footstool, 26 and the last of the enemies to be done away with is death, for he has put all things under his feet. 28 When everything has been subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the One who has subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all. GOSPEL, Matthew 25:31-46 31 When the Son of man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. 32 All nations will be assembled before him and he will separate people one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. 33 He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right hand, Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take as your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since 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 made me welcome, 36 lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me. 37 Then the upright will say to him in reply, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome, lacking clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we find you sick or in prison and go to see you? 40 And the King will answer, In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me. 41 Then he will say to those on his left hand, Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you never gave me food, I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, lacking clothes and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me. 44 Then it will be their turn to ask, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or lacking clothes, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help? 45 Then he will answer, In truth I tell you, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me. 46 And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the upright to eternal life. REFLECTIONS: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God) OPENING PRAYER: Spirit of truth, sent by Jesus to guide us to the whole truth, enlighten our minds so that we may understand the Scriptures. You who overshadowed Mary and made her fruitful ground where the Word of God could germinate, purify our hearts from all obstacles to the Word. Help us to learn like her to listen with good and pure hearts to the Word that God speaks to us in life and in Scripture, so that we may observe the Word and produce good fruit through our perseverance. Amen. ON READING 1: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17 (The Lord, the Shepherd of Israel) Eze 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 Lords parable of the Good Shepherd who takes care of his sheep (cf. Jn 10:1-21), in what he says about the Fathers 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 Gods 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). ON READING 2: 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28 (The Basis of Our Faith - Continued) 1 Cor 15, 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. Adams 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). 1 Cor 15, 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). Christs 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 of- fer 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 Christians hope in this victory is not something passive: rather, it is something that spurs him on to ensure that even in this present life Christs 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). 1 Cor 15, 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. 1 Cor 15, 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). 1 Cor 15, 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 Christs 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 ones will experiences such restlessness, why ones 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). ON THE GOSPEL: Matthew 25:31-46 (Jesus identifies himself with the least of his brethren, The criterion for entering the Realm) Our text is part of a long eschatological discourse (24:1-25, 46) given by Jesus on the Mount of Olives to his disciples alone (24:3). The discourse begins with the proclamation of the destruction of Jerusalem in order to speak of the end of the world. The two events become confused as though they were one. This part of the discourse ends with the coming of the Son of man with great power and glory. He will send his angels to gather his elect (24:30-31). Here the chronological flow of the events proclaimed is interrupted by the insertion of some parables on the need to watch so as not to be caught by the coming of the Son of man (24:24-25,30). The eschatological discourse comes to its literary and theological peak in our text. This text ties up with 24:30-31 and speaks once more of the coming of the Son of man accompanied by his angels. The gathering of the elect here takes the form of a final judgement. 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. The Son of man: The Son of man is a Semitic expression that simply means a human being (see for instance the parallelism between man and son of man in Psalm 8:5). The book of Ezekiel often uses this term with this meaning when God addresses himself to the prophet as son of man (2:1, 3, 6, 8 ; 3:1, 2, 4, 10, 16+) in order to emphasize the distance between God who is transcendent and the prophet who is but a man. However, in Daniel 7:13-14 the expression acquires a special meaning. The prophet sees coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man who receives from God sovereignty, glory and kingship. This text is still talking of a human being who, however, is introduced into the sphere of God. The text has been interpreted both in a personal and a collective sense, but always in a messianic sense. Thus, whether we are dealing with one person or with all of the People of God, the Son of man is the Messiah who gives rise to the Realm of God, an eternal and universal realm. The application of the term Son of man to Jesus as it is used in Daniel 7:13-14 is very common in the Gospels. We also find it in Acts 7:56 and the Apocalypse 1:13 and 14:14. Scholars think that Jesus gave himself this title. In the Gospel of Matthew this term is attributed to Jesus especially when he speaks of his passion (17:12, 22; 20:18, 28 ), his resurrection as an eschatological event (17: 19; 26:64) and his glorious return (24:30 and 25:31, the beginning of our text). Jesus king, judge and shepherd: Matthew also gives Jesus the title of king (1:23; 13:41; 16:28 ; 20:21). The kingship of God is a theme very dear to the Bible. Because Jesus is the Son of God, he rules together with the Father. In our text the king is Jesus, but he exercises his royal power in close relationship with the Father. The elect are blessed of my Father and the realm to which they are invited is the realm prepared for them by God, as the passive form of the verb indicates. This form of the verb, called the divine passive, is often found in the Bible and always has God as its implicit subject. In this text, the realm points to eternal life. As in Daniel 7 (see especially verses 22, 26 and 27), in our text also the royal status of the Son of man is connected with the judgement. The king, especially in ancient times, has always been considered the supreme judge. The judgement that Jesus exercises is a universal judgement, a judgement that involves all peoples (see v.32). And yet it is not a collective judgement. It is not the peoples that are judged but individual persons. In the same way, the pastoral symbolism is connected with the royal status. In ancient times, the king was often presented as shepherd of his people. The Old Testament too speaks of God, king of Israel, as shepherd (see for instance Psalm 23, Is 40:11; Ez 34) and the New Testament also applies the title to Jesus (Mt 9:36; 26:31; Jn 10). The shepherds of the Holy Land, in the time of Jesus, shepherded mixed flocks of sheep and goats. However, at night they were separated because sheep sleep in the open while goats prefer to sleep under shelter. In our text the sheep represent the elect because of their superior financial value over goats and because of their white color that often stands for salvation in the Bible. 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). The least of my brethren: Traditionally, this Gospel passage was interpreted to mean that Jesus identified himself with the poor and marginalized. Jesus will judge everyone, and especially those who have not had the chance to know his Gospel, according to the mercy they have shown towards the needy. All have the opportunity to welcome or reject him, if not personally, at least in the person of the needy with whom Jesus identifies himself. Modern exegesis tends to read the text in a more ecclesiological sense. It is placed next to Matthew 10:40-42 and exegetes insist that it is not a question of philanthropy but of a response to the Gospel of the Realm that is spread by Jesus’ brethren, even the most insignificant of them, not by the leaders of the Church only. The nations, that is the pagans, are therefore invited to welcome the disciples of Jesus who preach the Gospel to them and suffer for its sake, as if they were welcoming Jesus himself. Christians on their part are invited to practise generous hospitality towards their brothers who are itinerant preachers of the Gospel and who suffer persecution ( see 2Jn 5-8 ). In this manner they would show the authenticity of their commitment as disciples. In the context of Matthew’s Gospel, this latter interpretation is probably more accurate. However, in the context of the whole of the Bible (see for instance Is 58:7; Jer 2:1-9; 1Jn 3:16-19) the first interpretation cannot be set aside entirely. 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 Christs 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. Mt 25, 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). Mt 25, 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. FINAL PRAYERS: Lord God, you have set Jesus, your Son, to be universal king and judge. He will come at the end of time to judge all the nations. He comes to us every day in a thousand ways and asks us to welcome him. We meet him in the Word and in the broken bread. But we also meet him in our broken brothers and sisters, disfigured by hunger, oppression, injustice, sickness and the stigma of our society. Open our hearts that we may welcome him today in our lives so that we may be welcomed by him in the eternity of his realm. We ask this through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. Dear Lord, it is so hard to listen. I’m responding to emails, going to meetings, running errands, spending time with family, planning for the days and weeks ahead, all among the noise of news feeds, and televisions that distract and instigate fear. Yet you, Lord, are the only word we need. You have the words of eternal life. Help me this day, Lord, to be still and know that you are God. -- Mr. Gerald Skoch, JD It is by God’s mercy that we are saved. May we never tire of spreading this joyful message to the world. -- Pope Francis Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. -- St. Jerome The Father uttered one Word; that Word is His Son, and He utters Him forever in everlasting silence; and in silence the soul has to hear it. -- St. John of the Cross
Posted on: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 22:17:53 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015