Readings for Sunday, November 24, 2024
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Solennità ta’ Sidna Ġesù Kristu Sultan tal-Ħolqien Kollu (Kristu Re)
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, the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.
QARI 1 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 fl-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.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. 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. 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.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
SALM RESPONSORJALI Salm 92(93):1ab,1ċ-2,5
R/. (1a): Il-Mulej isaltan; il-kobor libes.
Il-Mulej isaltan; il-kobor libes,
libes il-Mulej u tħażżem bil-qawwa. R/.
Iżomm sħiħa d-dinja; qatt ma titħarrek.
Imwaqqaf it-tron tiegħek fis-sod minn dejjem;
minn dejjem ta’ dejjem int. R/.
Il-kmandamenti tiegħek ta’ min joqgħod fuqhom;
qdusija lil darek tixraq, Mulej,
sakemm itul iż-żmien. R/.
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."
QARI 2 mill-Ktieb tal-Apokalissi ta’ San Ġwann App. 1:5-8
Ġesù Kristu hu x-xhud fidil, il-Kbir fost il-mejtin, il-Prinċep tas-slaten tad-dinja. Lil Dak li ħabbna, u li ħallna minn dnubietna bis-saħħa ta’ demmu, u li għamilna saltna, qassisin għal Alla tiegħu Missieru, lilu l-glorja u s-setgħa għal dejjem ta’ dejjem. Amen. Arawh, ġej fis-sħab, u l-għajnejn kollha jarawh, ukoll dawk li kienu nifduh; u r-razez kollha tal-art jibdew iħabbtu fuq sidirhom minħabba fih. Iva. Amen! Jiena huwa l-Alfa u l-Omega, jgħid il-Mulej Alla, li hu, u li kien, u li għad irid jiġi, Dak li jista’ kollox! Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel JOHN 18:33b-37
Pilate said to Jesus, "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."
EVANĠELJU Qari skont San Ġwann 18:33b-37
F’dak iż-żmien, Pilatu sejjaħ lil Ġesù u qallu: “Inti s-sultan tal-Lhud?”. Ġesù wieġeb: “Dan qiegħed tgħidu int minn moħħok, jew kienu oħrajn li qalulek dan fuqi?”. Pilatu wieġeb: “Mela jiena Lhudi? Kien il-poplu tiegħek u l-qassisin il-kbar li tawk f’idejja. X’għamilt?”. Ġesù wieġeb: “Is-saltna tiegħi mhijiex ta’ din id-dinja. Li kieku saltnati kienet ta’ din id-dinja, l-għases tiegħi kienu jiġġieldu biex ma ningħatax f’idejn il-Lhud; imma tabilħaqq saltnati mhijiex ta’ hawn”. Pilatu qallu: “Mela int sultan?”. U Ġesù wieġeb: “Int qiegħed tgħidu; jien sultan. Jien għalhekk twelidt, u għalhekk ġejt fid-dinja, biex nixhed għall-verità. U kull min iħobb il-verità jisma’ leħni”. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
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An 8-minute Reflection on Sunday's Readings by Fr Anthony Kadavil
Introduction
This Sunday, the last in Cycle B of the 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.
Why Christ is our King?:
1) Christ is God, the Creator of the universe and, hence, wields a supreme power over all things; "All things were created through Him";
2) Christ is our Redeemer, He purchased us by His precious Blood, and made us His property and possession;
3) Christ is the Head of the Church, "holding in all things the primacy";
4) God bestowed upon Christ the nations of the world as His special possession and dominion.
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 1:32-33, we read: “…and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the House of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there will be no 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 : “Are you the king of the Jews?" (Jn 18:33), and Jesus replied: “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the Truth" (Jn:18:37)
e) The signboard hung over Jesus’ head on the cross read: “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews."
f) Before his Ascension into Heaven, Jesus declared: “All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me; go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations … (Mt 28:18ff).”
g) Finally, in Matthew 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 and surrender our lives to Christ the King as our Lord, King, and Savior. We surrender our lives to Jesus every day when we give priority to all that Jesus taught when we are making our daily choices, especially moral choices. 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 Christ 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, “…whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:27-28), and later showed us the spirit of service by washing of the feet of the apostles. We become Jesus’ followers when we recognize Jesus present in everyone, especially the poor, the sick, the outcast, and the marginalized in 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, having come to proclaim to all of us the Good News of God’s love and salvation and arrived at the ending of his life, gave us a “new commandment” of love: “Love one another as I have loved you.” Then he demonstrated that love by dying for us sinners. We accept Jesus as our King of love when we love others as Jesus loves each of us, unconditionally, sacrificially, and with agape love.
////////////////////////////////////// © Fr Tony's Homilies 2024. © https://frtonyshomilies.com
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