Homily Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe-A - Sunday, November 26, 2017
First Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-12. 15-17
Psalm: Ps 22:1-3. 5-6. “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want”
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:20-26. 28
Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46
Psalm: Ps 22:1-3. 5-6. “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want”
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:20-26. 28
Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46
++++
Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers and reflections for the Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe-A - Sunday, November 26, 2017 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-60-christ-the-king-a (EPISODE:60)
+++++
The gospel this weekend is very special. I have always found that it goes to the heart of Jesus’ message and mission. How different the world would be if all people took this gospel at face value. Quite literally. “just as you did it to one of the least of these… you did it to me”.
There is a story told (not sure if this actually happened but it is still great), of Queen Victoria, who went on a vacation to Scotland, and one day, took a walk on one of her estates.
On the country walk, the Queen was dressed very discretely in walking clothes. A storm blew up and Queen Victoria retreated to a neighbour’s house and asked if they would kindly lend her an umbrella. The neighbour, not recognizing this person on the steps in the pouring rain, begrudgingly lent the umbrella, but when the Queen walked off and opened up the umbrella, it was full of holes and quite useless. The next day, the Queen sent one of her attendants back to return the umbrella, with a polite note of thanks. When the neighbour saw the regal attendant and realised the truth of who the visitor was, she was mortified and said in explanation:. I am so sorry, if I had known it was Her Majesty, I wouldn’t have given her that umbrella.” (well, whether that situation happened or not, the point is a good one.)
What did it matter WHO it was? Why would you give ANYONE an umbrella with holes in it; which was utterly useless for its purpose? Irrespective of who they were or not! “Anyone who turns up on our doorsteps is not only possibly royalty in disguise; today’s gospel calls upon us to treat everyone with the reverence and graciousness we would give to Christ himself // Why can we humans be tempted to make distinctions in the ordinary matter of respecting human dignity, which is actually due to all people. Whether they be prince or pauper, the Lord says, “what you do to these … you do it to me.”
If the world took this very seriously and literally, the world would change profoundly… All humans would have the dignity and respect befitting God who lovingly created them. Which, I believe is the intention of Our Lord's parable.
The reading from Ezekiel… is also very fitting. The Lord will be our shepherd, lead us, guide us, heal us, …seek the lost, feed us, (The fat sheep come in for some very negative comment here in this gospel, because in this narrative they have pushed around the others and not let them eat and have pasture. The Well-off sheep have scattered the poor, needy sheep and the master is very unhappy with this.).…
God recognises that among the people (and among every group of people) there are some who are struggling and experiencing weakness, (as all of us do at different ways)… and some who are feeling lost, disconnected and injured… as well as those who are strong and satisfied…. And the co-responsibility of people to support and encourage each-other is an expectation of the Kingdom.
Our Lord instructs us that every time you look into the face of one who is hungry, the face of a person who thirsts…. The face of a stranger….. the face of someone in need, or someone who is ill….. or a prisoner…. Anytime you look at even those who might be regarded as ‘the least’ (by some)………There… you are looking and seeing the face of the Lord... //And how we respond to these people is how we are taken to be responding to the Lord himself.
Jesus tells us this parable because he wants us to take this message quite literally…. and act upon it……
In the parable…. everyone gets a surprise about this news….. the ‘sheep’ and the ‘goats’ alike….. neither realised that when they fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the sick, visited the prisoner…. welcomed the stranger… that they were helping Christ himself….. the wicked certainly didn’t know this….. but in this parable… even the righteous…. (they helped these people)…but even THEY didn’t realise that by acting in this way, they were serving Christ himself, to these needy people…..
The Gospel from Saint Matthew reminds us that we will be judged on how well we loved. It is the way that we love one another that reveals whether we love God or not. It is this love for one another that will confirm whether we are truly close to God or far from God…
We are all brothers and sisters in Christ….. and we ask for God’s guidance and grace as we look out for others.. especially the most vulnerable……. We move forward, joyfully remembering always that the Lord is Good… his mercy and faithfulness endures from age to age!!”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
New Jerome Bible Handbook. Geoffrey Chapman Publishers. 1992.
“2008 – a Book of Grace-filled Days,” by Lavonne Neff;
“Monastery of Christ in the Desert,” Abbott’s Homily, http://christdesert.org ;
“Vision – Praying Scripture in a Contemporary Way. Year A”
+++
Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here. It is often a week or so ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul’s homily mail-out by sending an email to this address:paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe-A
(Sunday, November 26, 2017)
(EPISODE: 60)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (or/ The Lord be with You)
+++++++++++++
Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins,
and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
Lord Jesus, you are the image of the unseen God: Lord, have mercy.//You are the firstborn of all creation: Christ, have mercy//You are the head of the body, the Church: Lord, have mercy//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Let us pray
(that all creation will proclaim Jesus as Lord…….)
+++++++++++++
Memorial Acclamation
Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Christ the King
Eucharistic Prayer I
Communion side. pwk: RH
++++
Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
If the world took this very seriously and literally, the world would change profoundly… All humans would have the dignity and respect befitting God who lovingly created them. Which, I believe is the intention of Our Lord's parable.
The reading from Ezekiel… is also very fitting. The Lord will be our shepherd, lead us, guide us, heal us, …seek the lost, feed us, (The fat sheep come in for some very negative comment here in this gospel, because in this narrative they have pushed around the others and not let them eat and have pasture. The Well-off sheep have scattered the poor, needy sheep and the master is very unhappy with this.).…
God recognises that among the people (and among every group of people) there are some who are struggling and experiencing weakness, (as all of us do at different ways)… and some who are feeling lost, disconnected and injured… as well as those who are strong and satisfied…. And the co-responsibility of people to support and encourage each-other is an expectation of the Kingdom.
Our Lord instructs us that every time you look into the face of one who is hungry, the face of a person who thirsts…. The face of a stranger….. the face of someone in need, or someone who is ill….. or a prisoner…. Anytime you look at even those who might be regarded as ‘the least’ (by some)………There… you are looking and seeing the face of the Lord... //And how we respond to these people is how we are taken to be responding to the Lord himself.
Jesus tells us this parable because he wants us to take this message quite literally…. and act upon it……
In the parable…. everyone gets a surprise about this news….. the ‘sheep’ and the ‘goats’ alike….. neither realised that when they fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the sick, visited the prisoner…. welcomed the stranger… that they were helping Christ himself….. the wicked certainly didn’t know this….. but in this parable… even the righteous…. (they helped these people)…but even THEY didn’t realise that by acting in this way, they were serving Christ himself, to these needy people…..
The Gospel from Saint Matthew reminds us that we will be judged on how well we loved. It is the way that we love one another that reveals whether we love God or not. It is this love for one another that will confirm whether we are truly close to God or far from God…
We are all brothers and sisters in Christ….. and we ask for God’s guidance and grace as we look out for others.. especially the most vulnerable……. We move forward, joyfully remembering always that the Lord is Good… his mercy and faithfulness endures from age to age!!”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
New Jerome Bible Handbook. Geoffrey Chapman Publishers. 1992.
“2008 – a Book of Grace-filled Days,” by Lavonne Neff;
“Monastery of Christ in the Desert,” Abbott’s Homily, http://christdesert.org ;
“Vision – Praying Scripture in a Contemporary Way. Year A”
+++
Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here. It is often a week or so ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul’s homily mail-out by sending an email to this address:paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe-A
(Sunday, November 26, 2017)
(EPISODE: 60)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (or/ The Lord be with You)
+++++++++++++
Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins,
and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
Lord Jesus, you are the image of the unseen God: Lord, have mercy.//You are the firstborn of all creation: Christ, have mercy//You are the head of the body, the Church: Lord, have mercy//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Let us pray
(that all creation will proclaim Jesus as Lord…….)
+++++++++++++
Memorial Acclamation
Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Christ the King
Eucharistic Prayer I
Communion side. pwk: RH
++++
Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
