Readings for Sunday, November 26, 2023
Qari tas-Solennità ta’ Sidna Ġesù Kristu Sultan tal-Ħolqien
Reading 1 EZEKIEL 34:11-12, 15-17
Thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark. I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy, shepherding them rightly. As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD, I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats.
QARI 1 mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta Eżekjel 34, 11-12.15-17
Dan jgħid Sidi l-Mulej: Arawni, hekk jien se nfittex in-nagħaġ tiegħi u nieħu ħsiebhom. Bħalma r-ragħaj jaħseb fil-merħla tiegħu meta jsib ruħu f’nofs in-nagħaġ imxerrda tiegħu, hekk naħseb jien fin-nagħaġ tiegħi, u nsalvahom minn kull fejn xterdu fi żmien is-sħab u s-swied tal-ajru. Jiena stess nirgħa n-nagħaġ tiegħi, u jiena nserraħhom. Oraklu ta’ Sidi l-Mulej. Jiena nfittex il-mitlufa, irreġġa’ lura l-imxerrda, ninfaxxa l-ġrieħi tal-miġrugħa, u nqawwi l-marida. Inħares is-smina u l-qawwija, u nirgħahom bil-ġustizzja. Imma għalik, merħla tiegħi, hekk jgħid Sidi l-Mulej: Ara, jiena nagħmel ħaqq bejn nagħġa u nagħġa, bejn imtaten u bdabad. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Responsorial Psalm PSALM 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6
In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
SALM RESPONSORJALI Salm 22 (23), 1-2a.2b-3.5-6
R/. (1): Il-Mulej hu r-ragħaj tiegħi, xejn ma jonqosni
xejn ma jonqosni;
f’mergħat kollha ħdura jqegħedni. R/.
Ħdejn l-ilma, fejn nistrieħ, jeħodni;
hemm hu jrejjaqni.
Imexxini fit-triq tas-sewwa
minħabba l-isem tiegħu. R/.
Int tħejji mejda għalija
quddiem l-għedewwa tiegħi.
Biż-żejt tidlikli rasi,
u l-kalċi tiegħi tfawwarli. R/.
Miegħi, iva, jimxu t-tjieba u l-ħniena
il-jiem kollha ta’ ħajti.
U ngħammar f’dar il-Mulej
sakemm indum ħaj! R/.
Reading 2 1 CORINTHIANS 15:20-26, 28
Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the first fruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.
QARI 2 mill-Ewwel Ittra lill-Korintin 15, 20-26.28
Ħuti, Kristu kien imqajjem tassew mill-imwiet, l-ewwel frott fost dawk li raqdu. Għaliex, jekk permezz ta’ bniedem feġġet il-mewt, bi bniedem ukoll iseħħ il-qawmien mill-imwiet. Għax bħalma l-bnedmin kollha jmutu f’Adam, hekk ilkoll jiksbu l-ħajja fi Kristu. Imma kulħadd skond kif imissu; jibda l-ewwel frott li hu Kristu; wara, dawk li huma ta’ Kristu, f’jum il-miġja tiegħu. Imbagħad it-tmiem, meta Kristu jerħi s-saltna f’idejn Alla l-Missier, wara li jkun qered kull ħakma u kull setgħa u kull qawwa. Għax jeħtieġ li hu jsaltan sa ma jqiegħed l-għedewwa kollha taħt riġlejh. L-aħħar għadu li jinqered tkun il-Mewt. U meta kollox ikun imqiegħed taħtu, imbagħad l-Iben stess jitqiegħed taħt Dak li jkun qegħedlu kollox taħtu, sabiex Alla jkun kollox f’kollox. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel 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 th e 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 the 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."
EVANĠELJU Qari skond San Mattew 25, 31-46
F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: “Meta jiġi Bin il-bniedem fil-glorja tiegħu u bl-anġli kollha miegħu, imbagħad joqgħod fuq it-tron glorjuż tiegħu. U quddiemu jinġabru l-ġnus kollha, u hu jifridhom minn xulxin, bħalma r-ragħaj jifred in-nagħaġ mill-mogħoż: in-nagħaġ iqegħedhom fuq il-lemin tiegħu u l-mogħoż fuq ix-xellug. Imbagħad is-Sultan jgħid lil dawk ta’ fuq il-lemin tiegħu: “Ejjew, imberkin minn Missieri, ħudu b’wirt tagħkom is-Saltna li tħejjiet għalikom sa mill-ħolqien tad-dinja. Għax jien kont bil-ġuħ u tmajtuni, kont bil-għatx u sqejtuni, kont barrani u lqajtuni, kont għeri u libbistuni, kont marid u ġejtu tarawni, kont fil-ħabs u ġejtu żżuruni”. Imbagħad iweġbuh il-ġusti: “Mulej, meta rajniek bil-ġuħ u tmajniek, jew bil-għatx u sqejniek? Meta rajniek barrani u lqajniek, jew għeri u libbisniek? Meta rajniek marid jew fil-ħabs u ġejna nżuruk?”. U s-Sultan iweġibhom u jgħid: “Tassew, ngħidilkom, kull ma għamiltu ma’ wieħed mill-iżgħar fost dawn ħuti, għamiltuh miegħi”. Imbagħad jgħid ukoll lil dawk ta’ fuq ix-xellug: “Morru minn quddiemi, misħutin, fin-nar ta’ dejjem li tħejja għax-xitan u għall-anġli tiegħu. Għax jien kont bil-ġuħ u ma tmajtunix, kont bil-għatx u ma sqejtunix, kont barrani u ma lqajtunix, kont għeri u ma libbistunix, kont marid u fil-ħabs u ma ġejtux iżżuruni!”. Imbagħad huma wkoll iweġbuh: “Mulej, meta rajniek bil-ġuħ, jew bil-għatx, jew barrani, jew għeri, jew marid, jew fil-ħabs, u aħna ma waqafniex miegħek?”. Iweġibhom imbagħad u jgħidilhom: “Tassew, ngħidilkom, dak li ma għamiltux ma’ wieħed min dawk iż-żgħar, anqas miegħi ma għamiltuh”. U dawn imorru fit-tbatija ta’ dejjem u l-ġusti fil-ħajja ta’ dejjem”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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HE COMES IN GLORY AND POWER
Introduction:
This Sunday’s Scripture Readings revolve around the Last Judgment scene of Jesus Christ coming in glory and power. It was Pope Pius XI who brought the Feast of Christ the King into the liturgy in 1925 to bring Christ as Ruler, and Christian values, back into lives of Christians, into society, and into politics. The Feast was a reminder to the totalitarian governments of Mussolini, Hitler and Stalin that Jesus Christ is the only Sovereign King. Although Emperors and Kings now exist mostly in history books, we still honor Christ as the King of the Universe by enthroning Jesus in our hearts, surrendering our lives to God. This feast challenges us to see Christ the King in everyone, especially those whom our society considers the least important, and to treat each person with the same love, mercy, and compassion Jesus showed. (+ a homily starter anecdote)
Scripture lessons, summarized:
The first reading, taken from the Prophet Ezekiel, introduces God as the Good Shepherd, reminding us of Christ’s claim to be the Good-Shepherd-King, leading, feeding and protecting his sheep. In today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 23), we rejoice in Jesus, who is our Good Shepherd. In the second reading, St. Paul presents Christ as the all-powerful Ruler-King Who raises the dead and to Whom every form of power and authority must eventually give way.
Sunday’s Gospel describes Christ the King coming in Heavenly glory to judge us, based on how we have shared our love and blessings with others through genuine acts of charity in our lives. Jesus is present to us now, not only as our Good Shepherd leading, feeding, and healing his sheep, but also as dwelling in those for whom we care. In the parable of the separation of the sheep from the goats at the Last Judgment, every person to whom we give ourselves, “whether hungry, thirsty or a stranger, naked, sick or in prison,” is revealed to us as having been the risen Jesus. Our reward or punishment depends on how we have recognized and treated this risen Jesus in the needy.
Life messages:
1) We need to recognize and appreciate Christ’s presence within us and surrender our lives to Christ’s rule: Since Christ, our King, lives in our hearts with the Holy Spirit and His Heavenly Father and fills our souls with His grace, we need to learn to surrender our lives to Him, to live in His Holy Presence, and to do God’s will by sharing His forgiving love with others around us. Aware of His presence in the Bible, in the Sacraments, and in the worshipping community, we need to listen and talk to Him.
2) We need to learn to be servers: Since Christ was a Servant-King we are invited to be His loyal citizens by rendering humble service to others and by sharing Christ’s mercy and forgiveness with others.
3) We need to use our authority to support the rule of Jesus. This feast is an invitation to all those who have power or authority in the public or the private realms to use it for Jesus by bearing witness to Him in the way we live. Parents are expected to use their God-given authority to train their children in Christian ideals and in the ways of committed Christian living.
4) We need to accept Jesus Christ as the King of love. Jesus. who 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 already loves us — unconditionally, sacrificially, and with agape love.iven us, is to put it to work and make it bear fruit.
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