Liturgical Readings for : Sunday, 26th November, 2023
Thirty -Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time/
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
At the end of our earthly life we will be judged on how we hove lived and acted. At the end of time the Kingdom of God will be established through the saving work of Christ. Then the Shepherd King will come to judge how we have loved. Our lives are to be characterised by a love that welcomes Christ in those most in need, and by joyful expectation of his glorious coming.
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of the Prophet Ezekiel 34:11-12.15-17
As for you, my sheep, the Lord says this: I will judge between sheep and sheep
The Lord says this:
I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view.
As a shepherd keeps all his flock in view when he stands up in the middle of his scattered sheep,
so shall I keep my sheep in view.
I shall rescue them from wherever they have been scattered during the mist and darkness.
I myself will pasture my sheep, I myself will show them where to rest – it is the Lord who speaks.
I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded and make the weak strong.
I shall watch over the fat and healthy. I shall be a true shepherd to them.
As for you, my sheep, the Lord says this:
I will judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and he-goats.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 22
Response The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
1. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose. Response
2. Near restful waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit.
He guides me along the right path; he is true to his name. Response
3. You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing. Response
4. Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever. Response
SECOND READING
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians 15:20-26.28
He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, so that God may be all in all.
Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. Death came through one man and in the same way the resurrection of the dead has come through one man. Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order:
Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him. After that will come the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having done away with every sovereignty, authority and power. For he must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death. And when everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subject in his turn to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation Mt 24:42
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessings on the coming kingdom of our father David!
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 25:31-46 Glory to you, O Lord
He will take his seat on his throne of glory, and he will separate men one from another.
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘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. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.
Then the King will say to those on his right hand,
“Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.
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; naked and you clothed me,
sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.”
Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?”
And the King will answer,
“I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”
Next 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. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.”
Then it will be their turn to ask,
“Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?” Then he will answer,
“I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”
And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.’
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection
What do we think about how we will be judged when we die and about the general judgement at the end of the world? Do we, for example, believe in heaven as a state of eternal happiness in God’s presence and in hell as a state of eternal alienation (and, in this sense, damnation) from God? These may seem rather gloomy questions but they are the questions that must be asked after reading the parable about the Son of Man coming to separate the virtuous from the wicked as the shepherd separates sheep from goats.
Many people no longer believe in life after death or in the existence of heaven. They insist that earthly life is the only life and that there is nothing after death. Some Christians — who are meant to believe in life after death — query the existence of hell. They argue that if God is all loving and compassionate, then God will save everyone from the consequences of their sins and ensure that they will be in heaven. How could such a merciful God not save everyone?
However, there is a fallacy in this argument. It disregards the uncompromising words spoken by Jesus in the parable. This argument also ignores a basic Christian belief regarding free will. While God certainly desires that all people would share eternity in heaven, he respects our freedom and accepts the outcomes of our choices and decisions.
If we knowingly and freely ignore the fundamental needs for sustenance, kindness, well-being and friendship of other people we meet, we are making a statement about our selfishness and self-interest. In deciding not to respond to these people, we are also deciding not to respond to God who lives in them. We disregard those people who need our help and encouragement.
In effect, we are judging ourselves to be self-centred rather than God-centred, to be uncaring and indifferent. If such practices continue throughout our lives without repentance, we will be judged accordingly when we die. If we opt not to respond to God during this life, then why would we opt to respond to God in the next life? Thus we will be our own judges on the day of general judgement.
In other words, we are largely in control of our own eternal destiny. Blaming God or God’s harsh judgement will be futile if heaven is not to be our final destiny. We will not be able to claim astonishment about our ultimate fate because we ourselves will already have determined that fate by our attitudes and behaviour during this life.
In summary, there are two basic types of people in the world: those who care about God and others, and those who focus their attention solely on themselves. To which type do we belong? Jesus taught that when we help the needy we are actually helping him. That is why when Mother Teresa of Calcutta was asked how she could touch a disease-ridden man, she said that she was not touching him but touching Jesus.
Are we ready for judgement? If we consistently ignore Christ in this life, on the Last Day he will be consistent and treat us likewise. Remember that while our salvation depends on the grace of Christ, it also depends on our choices during this life.
For meditation
He will take his seat on his throne of glory … and he will separate men from one another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. (Mt 25:32)
