Vol. 38   No. 60                        NOVEMBER  20, 2011                        (Cycle - A)   CHRIST  THE  KING (XXXIV Sunday of the Year)   Those who serve 'the little ones' truly belong to Jesus' Kingdom   ENTRANCE ANTIPHON The Lamb who was slain is worthy to receive strength and divinity, wisdom and power and honour: to him be glory and power for ever. (Rev 5:12; 1:6) PENITENTIAL RITE God the Father sent His Son into the world, investing him with full authority over all creation. Though His power over us is absolute, He rules us as a benevolent king, like the shepherd who cares for his sheep and works for its well-being. The king has to judge too and mete out justice, punishing the guilty and rewarding the just. Each one of us has to face this judgement. If I am judged today, what will my fate be? If we have been on the wrong path that leads to the “left side”, let us be sorry and ask pardon from Jesus, our merciful King.  (Pause) I confess… Glory to God… OPENING PRAYER Almighty and merciful God, you break the power of evil and make all things new in your Son Jesus Christ, the King of the universe. May all in heaven and earth acclaim your glory and never cease to praise you. FIRST READING (God is portrayed, not so much as a judge of His people, but as someone who cares for them as a good shepherd, who while caring for all the sheep in his flock, shows particular care for the weak and the wounded ones.) A reading from the Book of Ezekiel   (34:11-12,15-17) “Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; I will feed them in justice. As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, rams and he-goats.” This is the Word of the Lord PSALM   (22) Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose. Near restful waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit. He guides me along the right path; he is true to his name. You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing. 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. SECOND READING (St Paul tells the Corinthian Christian Community, that at the end of time, Christ will reign as the universal King, having overcome all hostile forces, including death.) A reading from the First Letter of St Paul to the Corinthians   (15:20-26,28) In fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order; Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule 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 all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things under him, that God may be everything to every one. This is the Word of the Lord ACCLAMATION Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David! Alleluia! (Mk 11:9-10) GOSPEL (Speaking to his disciples, Jesus describes his second coming, as that of a king arriving in all his majesty and sitting on his kingly throne, to judge all humankind.) A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Matthew  (25:31-46) Jesus said to his disciples, “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from 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 welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, 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, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” This is the Gospel of the Lord I believe in God... PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge Christ as our King and pray that we may be found worthy, to be counted as true citizens of his Kingdom. We pray that his Kingdom may be established, first of all in our hearts, and then in the world. Response: Lord, may Your Kingdom come. 1. For our Pope, bishops, priests and religious: that they may show to the world that they truly belong to the Kingdom of God, by their service for ‘the little ones’. 2. For leaders of all nations: that they may work for a fair distribution of the wealth of the country, and make a sincere effort to eradicate poverty and illiteracy, and thus create a just world. 3. For advocates, judges and all in the judiciary: that they may follow Christ’s law of love, truth and justice in all their decisions. 4. For the poor, the destitute, the people in distress: that they may be spared from the pain of loneliness and sadness, through the service of caring and loving people. Open our eyes to see your face in the poor and suffering. 5. For all political and government leaders: that they may strive to build a just society, shun corrupt practices and serve the people and the nation. (Pray for local and personal needs) Cel: Ever-loving Father, we praise and thank you for making us citizens of your Kingdom. Grant all people the grace to welcome Jesus and his Kingdom into their lives. May your love enable us to reach out to the poor and the needy—those people who are in need of food, clothing and shelter. We ask this … PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS Lord, we offer you the sacrifice by which your Son reconciles humankind. May it bring unity and peace to the world. PREFACE   (P 51) Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks. You anointed Jesus Christ, your only Son, with the oil of gladness, as the eternal priest and universal king. As priest he offered his life on the altar of the cross and redeemed the human race by this one perfect sacrifice of peace. As king he claims dominion over all creation, that he may present to you, his almighty Father, an eternal and universal Kingdom: a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace. And so, with all the choirs of angels in heaven we proclaim your glory and join in their unending hymn of praise: All: Holy, holy, holy... COMMUNION ANTIPHON The Lord will reign for ever and will give his people the gift of peace. (Ps 28:10-11) PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Lord, you give us Christ, the King of all creation, as food for everlasting life. Help us to live by his Gospel and bring us to the joy of his Kingdom, where he lives and reigns for ever and ever.   LITURGY AND LIFE The Preface of today’s Mass tells us that God the Father anointed Jesus as universal King and that his Kingdom is eternal, a Kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace. How good and pleasant it would be to live in such a kingdom! Jesus our King came to teach us how to build such a kingdom in this world and then to pass on to possess it forever in the next. That such a Kingdom is possible here on earth, is shown by the fact, that Jesus asks us, in the ‘Our Father’, to pray to his Father saying: “Thy Kingdom come.” If it were not possible for the Kingdom of God to be realized here on earth, our Lord would not have asked us to pray as he taught. So the question is: Where? When? How? The Kingdom of God comes into him/her who yearns for it, prays for it and does whatever is needed to realize it. Jesus came to teach us what we have to do to realize his Kingdom within us. The one thing he recommended again and again is “Love one another”, because His Kingdom is a Kingdom of love. Psalm 133 says, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” Unity, harmony, living together, is not possible without love. Fraternal love brings joy both to individuals and to groups. The community of the faithful at Jerusalem enjoyed this peace as long as they lived, as the Lord taught them: “Now the company of those who believed, were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common” (Acts 4:32). Love is not just love of fellow beings. It must go along with love of God. To the question of the lawyer as to which is the greatest commandment in the law, Jesus replied saying: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Mt 22:35-40). It is impossible to love one’s neighbour, if one does not love God. True love for fellow beings is found only in God-fearing people. Blessed Teresa of Kolkata loved her fellow beings and did all that she could for them because she wanted “to do something beautiful for Jesus.” St Ignatius of Loyola prayed saying: “Give me only your love and your grace and I am rich enough. I do not ask for anything more.” Those who possess the love of God and of neighbour are more content than the richest people and the greatest rulers, because they possess God. They are enjoying in this world itself, the happiness of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of Jesus is a Kingdom of justice and peace. The one blessing every human heart yearns for in this world, is peace. Without this, one will not be able to enjoy any other blessing. How can we obtain it? By practising justice in all our dealings with others, by giving to others what is due to them and by not taking for oneself what one has no right to. Justice is the prerequisite for peace. Therefore, practice love, justice, and peace, and then you shall enjoy the truth, life, holiness and grace of the Kingdom, Jesus came to establish. —Fr Anselm Poovathani, ssp     November    2011                READINGS  OF  THE  WEEK             Psalter Week   2 21 Mon (W) Presentation of Mary, Zech 2:14-17/Ps Lk 1:46-47,48-49,50-51,52-53,54-55/ Lk 12:46-50 22 Tue (R) St Cecilia, Dn 2:31-45/ Ps Dn 3:57.58.59.60. 61/ Lk 21:5-11 23 Wed (R) St Clement I / St Columban, Dn 5:1-6.13-14.16-17.23-28/ Dn 3:62.63.64.65. 66.67/ Lk 21:12-19 24 Thu (R) St Andrew Dung-Lac & Co., Dn 6:12-28/ Ps Dn 3:68.69.70.71.72.73.74/ Lk 21:20-28 25 Fri (R) St Catherine, Dn 7:2-14/ Ps Dn 3:75.76.77.78.79.80.81/ Lk 21:29-33 26 Sat (G) Dn 7:15-27/ Dn 3:82.83.84.85.86.87/ Lk 21:34-36