34th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B
L-34 Ħadd matul is-Sena B
Messalin. Pga 520.
The Solemnity of Jesus Christ King of the Universe
Reading 1 - Daniel 7:13-14
As the visions during the night continued, I saw one like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; when he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, He received dominion, glory, and kingship; nations and peoples of every language serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed. This is the Word of The Lord.
L-Ewwel Qari - mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Danjel. (7, 13-14)
Billejl deherli qiegħed nara bħal Iben ta' bniedem, ġej mis-sħab tas-sema, li baqa' sejjer sax-Xiħ fil-għomor u ressquh quddiemu. U tawh ħakma, ġieħ, u saltna, biex lilu jaqdi kull ġens, u poplu, u lsien. Ħakmietu ħakma għal dejjem li ma tgħaddix, u saltnatu li ma tinqeridx. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
----------
Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 93:1, 1-2, 5
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. (1a) The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. (1a) The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed;
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. (1a) The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.
Salm Responsorjali - Salm 92 (93)
Il-Mulej isaltan; il-kobor libes,
libes il-Mulej, tħażżem bil-qawwa.
R/ Il-Mulej isaltan, il-kobor libes.
Iżomm sħiħa d-dinja; qatt ma titħarrek,
Imwaqqaf it-tron tiegħek fis-sod minn
R/ Il-Mulej isaltan, il-kobor libes.
Il-kmandamenti tiegħek ta' min joqgħod fuqhom;
qdusija lil darek tixraq, Mulej,
sakemm itul iż-żmien.
R/ Il-Mulej isaltan, il-kobor libes.
-------
Reading 2 - Revelations 1:5-8
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming amid the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. All the peoples of the earth will lament him. Yes. Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God, "the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty." This is The Word of The Lord.
It-Tieni Qari - mill-Ktieb ta' l-Apokalissi ta' San Ġwann 1, 5-8
Ġesu' Kristu hu x-xhud fidil, il-Kbir fost il-mejtin, il-Prinċep tas-slaten tad-dinja. Lil Dak li ħabbna, u li ħallna minn
----------
Gospel - John 18:33b-37
So Pilate went back into the praetorium and summoned Jesus and said to him: "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?" Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here." So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." This is The Word of The Lord.
F'dak iż-żmien: Pilatu sejjaħ lil Ġesu' u qallu: "Inti s-sultan tal-Lhud?" Ġesu' wieġeb: "Dan qiegħed tgħidu int minn
-----------
GOSPEL COMMENTARY:
By Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB,
CEO, Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation
The King who did not bow down
This liturgical year ends with the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. In John’s poignant trial scene of Pilate and Jesus, we see a great contrast between power and powerlessness. In coming to the Romans to ensure that Jesus would be crucified, the Jewish authorities fulfilled his prophecy that he would be exalted (John 3:14; 12:32-33). Pilate asks Jesus: “Are you the King of the Jews?” (v 33). The accused prepares his answer with a previous question, which provokes the Roman official: “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” (v 34).
Pilate’s arrogance does not intimidate Jesus, who then gives his own answer in the well-known words: “My kingdom is not from this world” (v 36). At once, Jesus gives the reason: ‘My kingdom does not use coercion, it is not imposed.’ Jesus reiterates his point: “My kingdom is not from this world.” Pilate is very astute. He does not see in Jesus’ answer a denial of his kingship. In fact, Pilate infers and insists: “So you are a king” (v 37). Jesus accepts his claim without hesitation: “You say that I am a king … For this I came into the world.”
For what? To inaugurate a world of peace and fellowship, of justice and respect for other people’s rights, of love for God and for one another. This is the kingdom that penetrates our human history, illuminating it and leading it beyond itself, a kingdom that will have no end. When we pray the Our Father, we pray for this kingdom to come in its fullness.
In this Gospel scene, Pilate reveals himself as a deeply perplexed leader as he encounters one who is Truth. What is there of Pilate inside of each of us? What prevents us from being free? What are our fears? What are our labels? What costumes and masks are we wearing in public and really don’t care to jeopardize? What is our capacity for neglecting and trampling on others for the sake of keeping up appearances, maintaining the façade, or the important job, or people’s good opinion with regard to our respectability, our reputation or good name?
The
In the Fourth Gospel, the focus is on the kingship of Christ. The core of Jesus’ message is the
Jesus’ kingdom is unlike the one that Pilate knows and is willingly or unwillingly part of. Pilate’s kingdom, and for that matter the Roman kingdom, was one of arbitrariness, privileges, domination and occupation. Jesus’ kingdom is built on love, justice and peace.
Jesus proclaims the
If today’s solemnity of Christ’s kingship upsets some of us, is it not due to our own disillusionment of earthly kings and leaders, rather than the kingship of Jesus? The kingship and leadership of God’s Son refuses rank and privilege, and any attempt to be master of the world. In him there is no lust, greed and ambition for power. He, the innocent king who executes no one, is himself executed. His reign completely overturns our notions of earthly kingship. His is a kingship of ultimate service, even to the point of laying down his life for others.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus goes to his death as a king. The crucifixion is Jesus’ enthronement, the ultimate expression of royal service. Because of Christ, the coronation of suffering is no longer death, but rather eternal life. Very few can measure up to Jesus’ kingly stature, remaining powerless in the face of the powerful. Many of us resist with power, even though we resort to very refined forms of pressure and manipulation. Jesus never responded to violence with more violence.
The feast of Christ the King presents us with the image of Christ crowned – first with thorns, then with the victor’s laurel hat, the evergreen crown of glory. On the day of our baptism, the crown of our head was smeared with the holy oil of chrism, that royal oil that makes us another Christos, another Anointed One. We have the power to live faithfully and love fiercely as Jesus did. The crown of glory – Christ’s very own – is promised to each of us. Which crown is found at the centre of our faith and our proclamation?Who, if not the condemned Saviour?
Jesus answered the Roman governor’s questions by declaring that he was a king, but not of this world (cf. John 18: 36). He did not come to rule over peoples and territories, but to set people free from the slavery of sin and to reconcile them with God. He states: “For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice” (John 18: 37).
What is this “truth” that Christ came into the world to witness to? The whole of his life reveals that God is love: So this is the truth to which he witnessed to the full with the sacrifice of his own life on
God is Love and Truth, and neither Love nor Truth is ever imposed. They stand gently knocking at the doors of our minds and hearts, waiting for us to open the door and welcome them. Yet so often we are afraid to usher in such guests into our lives and earthly kingdoms because of the serious implications associated with such gifts. Many of us resist the Truth with power, while others will resort to very refined forms of pressure and manipulation to keep the Truth at bay.
As we contemplate Christ crucified, we understand something of why Christ has remained a king even up to modern times: He didn’t bow down. He who was Truth incarnate never imposed himself on others. He stood, waited and knocked. He never responded to violence with more violence.
At the conclusion of the Stations of the Cross at Rome’s Coliseum on Good Friday night in the Jubilee Year 2000, Blessed Pope John Paul II spoke these moving words:
Who, if not the condemned Saviour, can fully understand the pain of those unjustly condemned?
Who, if not the King scorned and humiliated, can meet the expectations of the countless men and women who live without hope or dignity?
Who, if not the crucified Son of God, can know the sorrow and loneliness of so many lives shattered and without a future?
Jesus took his wounds to heaven, and there is a place in heaven for our wounds because our king bears his in glory.
On this last Sunday of the liturgical year, our Crucified King hangs in our midst, arms outstretched in loving mercy and welcome. May we have the courage to ask him to remember us in his kingdom, the grace to imitate him in our own earthly kingdoms, and the wisdom to welcome him when he stands knocking at the doors of our lives and hearts.
No comments:
Post a Comment