"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. " (John 12)
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Thursday 17 November 2022

TO BE SERVING DISCIPLES OF A SERVING KING

Readings for Sunday, NOVEMBER 13, 2022 

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Lectionary: 162

 
Solennità ta' Sidna Ġesù Kristu Sultan tal-Ħolqien Kollu
 



Reading 1               2 SAMUEL 5:1-3

In those days, all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said: "Here we are, your bone and your flesh. In days past, when Saul was our king, it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back. And the LORD said to you, 'You shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.'" When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron, King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD, and they anointed him king of Israel.

Qari 1                mit-Tieni Ktieb ta’ Samwel  5:1-3


F’dak iż-żmien, it-tribujiet kollha ta’ Iżrael ġew għand David f’Ħebron u qalulu: “Arana, għadmek u laħmek aħna! Fl-imgħoddi, meta Sawl kien sultan fuqna, kont int li kont toħroġ lil Iżrael għall-gwerra u ġġibhom lura, u l-Mulej qallek: ‘Int għad tirgħa l-poplu tiegħi u tkun prinċep fuq Iżrael’”. U x-xjuħ kollha ta’ Iżrael ġew għand is-Sultan f’Ħebron u s-sultan David għamel patt magħhom f’Ħebron quddiem il-Mulej; u lil David dilkuh sultan fuq Iżrael. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.


Responsorial Psalm               PSALM 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5

R. (cf. 1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Salm Responsorjali               Salm 121(122):1-2,4-5

R/.: Sejrin ferħana f’dar il-Mulej.


Fraħt meta qaluli:
“Sejrin f’dar il-Mulej!”.
Diġà qegħdin riġlejna
fi bwiebek, Ġerusalemm! R/.

Ġerusalemm, mibnija bħal belt,
magħquda ħaġa waħda.
Lejha t-tribujiet jitilgħu,
it-tribujiet tal-Mulej. R/.

Biex, skont il-liġi ta’ Iżrael,
ifaħħru isem il-Mulej.
Għax hemm twaqqfu t-tronijiet tal-ħaqq,
it-tronijiet tad-dar ta’ David. R/.

Reading 2                COLOSSIANS 1:12-20

Brothers and sisters: Let us give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light. He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

Qari 2                mill-Ittra lill-Kolossin 1:12-20

Ħuti, roddu ħajr lill-Missier, li għamilkom denji li tissieħbu fil-wirt tal-qaddisin fis-saltna tad-dawl. Hu ħelisna mill-ħakma tad-dlam, u daħħalna fis-saltna ta’ Ibnu l-maħbub, li bih għandna l-fidwa, il-maħfra tad-dnubiet. Hu x-xbieha ta’ Alla li ma jidhirx, il-kbir fost il-ħlejjaq kollha; għax fih kien maħluq kollox, fis-sema u fl-art, dak kollu li jidher u dak kollu li ma jidhirx, Troni u Ħakmiet, Prinċipati u Setgħat. Kollox bih u għalih kien maħluq, hu li hu qabel kollox, u kollox fih qiegħed iżomm. Hu r-Ras tal-Ġisem, li hu l-Knisja. Hu li hu l-bidu, il-kbir li qam mill-imwiet, sabiex ikun hu l-ewwel f’kollox. Hekk Alla għoġbu li tgħammar fih il-milja kollha; bih Alla għoġbu jerġa’ jħabbeb kollox miegħu; bid-demm tiegħu, imxerred fuq is-salib, ġieb is-sliem permezz tiegħu fis-sema u fl-art.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.


Gospel               LUKE 23:35-43

The rulers sneered at Jesus and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God." Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out, "If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews."  Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us." The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Evanġelju               Qari skond San Luqa 23:35-43

F’dak iż-żmien, wara li sallbu lil Ġesù, il-poplu waqaf hemm iħares, waqt li l-kapijiet bdew jiddieħku b’Ġesù u jgħidu: “Salva lil oħrajn; ħa jsalva lilu nnifsu jekk dan hu l-Messija, il-Maħtur ta’ Alla!”. Is-suldati wkoll bdew jgħadduh biż-żmien; u resqu lejh, newlulu nbid qares u qalulu: “Jekk inti s-sultan tal-Lhud, salva lilek innifsek”. Fuq rasu kien hemm ukoll kitba li kienet tgħid: “Dan huwa s-sultan tal-Lhud”.  Wieħed mill-ħatjin li kienu msallbin miegħu beda jgħajru u jgħidlu: “Int m’intix il-Messija? Salva lilek innifsek u lilna!”. Imma qabeż l-ieħor, ċanfru u qallu: “Anqas minn Alla int ma tibża’, int li qiegħed taħt l-istess kundanna? Tagħna hija ġusta, tassew, għax qegħdin nieħdu li ħaqqna ta’ kulma għamilna; imma dan ma għamel xejn ħażin”. Imbagħad qal: “Ġesù, ftakar fija meta tidħol fis-Saltna tiegħek”. U Ġesù wieġbu: “Tassew ngħidlek, illum tkun fil-Ġenna miegħi”.  Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.

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Eight-minute  Gospel reflection by Fr Antony Kadavil   

OUR KING IN HEAVEN

Central theme:


This Sunday, at the end of Church’s liturgical year, the readings describe the enthronement of the victorious Christ as King in Heaven in all his glory. Instituting this Feast of Christ the King in 1925, Pope Pius XI proclaimed: “Pax Christi in regno Christi” (the peace of Christ in the reign of Christ). This means that we live in the peace of Christ when we surrender our lives to him every day, accept him as our God, Saviour and King and allow him to rule our lives.

The Biblical basis of the feast:

A) Old Testament texts:

   The title “Christ the King” has its roots both in Scripture and in the whole theology of the Kingdom of God. In most of the Messianic prophecies given in the Old Testament books of Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, Christ the Messiah is represented as a King.

B) New Testament texts:
    a)
In the Annunciation, recorded in Lk 13:2-33, we read: “The Lord God will make him a King, as his ancestor David was, and He will be the King of the descendants of Jacob forever and His Kingdom will never end.” In fact, the Kingdom of God is the center of Jesus’ teaching and the phrase “Kingdom of God” occurs in the Gospels 122 times, of which 90 instances are uses by Jesus.

   b) The Magi from the Far East came to Jerusalem and asked the question: (Mt. 2:2) “Where is the baby born to be the King of the Jews? We saw his star… and we have come to worship him.”

   c) During the royal reception given to Jesus on Palm Sunday, the Jews shouted: (Lk 19:38) “God bless the King, who comes in the name of the Lord.”

   d) During the trial of Jesus described in today’s Gospel, Pilate asked the question: (Jn 18:33): “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied: “You say that I am a king. I was born and came into this world for this one purpose, to bear witness to the Truth” (Jn 18:37)
   
   e) Sunday’s Gospel tells us that the board hung over Jesus’ head on the cross read: “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews,” (Lk 23:36; see also, Mt 27:37; Mk 15:26; Jn 19:19-20), and that, to the request of the repentant thief on the cross, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom,” Jesus promised “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Lk 23:39-43).

   f) Before his Ascension into Heaven, Jesus declared: (Mt 28:18): “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.”

   g) Finally (Mt 25:31) , we read that Christ the King will come in glory to judge us on the day of the Last Judgment.

Life Messages:

1) We need to accept Christ the King as our Lord, King, and Saviour and surrender our lives to him. We surrender our lives to Jesus every day when we give priority to his teaching in our daily choices, especially in moral decisions. We should not exclude Christ our King from any area of our personal or family lives. In other words, Christ must be in full charge of our lives, and we must give him sovereign power over our bodies, our thoughts, our heart and our will.

2) We need to be serving disciples of a serving King. Jesus declared that he came not to be served but to serve and showed us the spirit of service by washing of the feet of his disciples. We become Jesus’ followers when we recognize his presence in everyone, especially the poor, the sick, the outcast, and the marginalized in the society and render humble and loving service to Jesus in each of them.

3) We need to accept Jesus Christ as the King of love. Jesus came to proclaim to all of us the Good News of God’s love and salvation, gave us his new commandment of love: “Love one another as I have loved you,” (Jn 13:34), and demonstrated that love by dying for us sinners. We accept Jesus as our King of love when we love others as Jesus loved, unconditionally, sacrificially, and with agape love.

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