Vol. 36 No. 60                                                                         Cycle B CHIRST THE KING 34th Sunday of the Year Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice. 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. PENITENTIAL RITE Jesus Christ, the King of the universe rules in our hearts with his law of love. All of us are invited to become the subjects of his kingdom where truth, love, peace and justice reign. Let us be sorry for the times we have acted or spoken against these values of Jesus’ Kingdom. I confess... Glory to God... OPENING PRAYER Let us pray: 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. We ask this… FIRST READING (Prophet Daniel’s vision shows the everlasting dominion of the Son of man whose kingship will not be destroyed.) A reading from the Book of Daniel (7: 13-14) I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. This is the Word of the Lord PSALM (92) Response: The Lord is King, with majesty enrobed. The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed; the Lord has robed himself with might, he has girded himself with power. R./ The world you made firm, not to be moved; your throne has stood firm from of old. From all eternity, O Lord, you are. R./ Truly your decrees are to be trusted. Holiness is fitting to your house, O Lord, until the end of time. R./ SECOND READING (Jesus Christ, the faithful and the first-born one, who freed us from our sins is the Alpha and the Omega, the one who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.) A reading from the Book of the Apocalypse (1: 5-8) Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. This is the Word of the Lord ACCLAMATION (Mk 11:9-10) Alleluia! Alleluia! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David! Alleluia! GOSPEL (Jesus confirms that he is a king, but his kingdom does not belong to this world. He was born into the world to testify to the truth and that everyone who belongs to the truth listens to his voice.) A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St John (18: 33-37) Pilate said to Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world.” Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “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. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.” This is the Gospel of the Lord I believe in God,/the Father almighty,/ Creator of heaven and earth./ I believe in Jesus Christ,/his only Son, our Lord./ He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit/ and born of the Virgin Mary./He suffered under Pontius Pilate,/was crucified, died, and was buried./He descended to the dead./On the third day he rose again./He ascended into heaven,/and is seated at the right hand of the Father./He will come again to judge the living and the dead./I believe in the Holy Spirit,/the holy catholic Church,/the communion of saints,/the forgiveness of sins,/the resurrection of the body,/and the life everlasting./ Amen. PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, our Heavenly Father has given us in Jesus Christ a king who frees us from our sins and leads us to everlasting life. Let us approach his throne of mercy, imploring for all our needs. Response: Christ our eternal King, graciously hear our prayer. 1. We pray for the Pope and other leaders of the Church that they may govern and guide the Holy Church with compassion and love. R./ 2. We pray for world leaders, that they may follow the example of Christ our King and work for freedom, justice and truth, we pray to the Lord. R./ 3. We pray for judges and those involved in administering justice to the people. May they follow Christ’s law of love, truth and justice in all their decisions. R./ 5. We pray for the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized people of the society. May they experience liberation and freedom in the power of the Cross of Christ the King. R./ (Pray for local and personal needs) Cel: Almighty God, we adore you and praise your holy name. We come to you with full confidence and trust in your divine providence. Grant what we need according to your holy will and empower us to live as faithful citizens of your Kingdom. We ask this through Christ our King and Lord. PRAYER OVER GIFTS Lord, we offer you the sacrifice by which your Son reconciles humankind. May it bring unity and peace to the world. We ask this… 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. 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 & Life   Today more than ever people mistrust anyone who exercises authority, especially in the political sphere. People ask for reasons and proofs for obeying their laws and showing allegiance to them. It is because today authority is synonymous with power. And power is more often equated with arrogance, abuse, misuse, oppression, and corruption. History is full of examples of such misuse of authority by those who wielded power. On the feast day of the Kingship of Christ, we reflect on what made Christ the King different from others who exercised authority. What was special about the Kingship of Christ? Although we call him King, during his life on earth he appeared, acted and spoke least like a king. He had no armies and sycophants; he had no crown of jewels and a throne of gold. He had no weapons of mass destruction or luxurious carriages to take him around. He needed no glittering apparels, no servants and no trappings of power. On the contrary, he remained hidden—totally accessible to his followers, yet away from any sort of limelight. Christ, the King and Lord of the Universe lived for thirty years in a village unknown and unrecognized, carrying out the daily tasks of a common tradesman. He travelled around with a small group of companions; he fasted forty days in the desert; he healed the sick and taught the poorest of the poor. He did not spurn the rich but never hesitated to challenge them to live a life of justice and truth. These are no actions of any earthly king or leader. But this is the way our Saviour exercised his kingship—in a hidden but caring and courageous way. In the gospel reading today, we see Jesus standing serenely before Pilate; he acknowledges his kingship and declares his purpose: “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”. The hallmark of Jesus’ kingship is truth. He stood for truth and called people to follow the path of truth. And finally, standing for truth cost him his life. Jesus’ kingship did not end with his death; on the contrary, his kingdom was in fact established by his death on the cross. And this kingdom continues for ever in eternal glory and splendour as he testified that his kingdom did not belong to this world. He rules, not from the throne of heaven, but from our sin-stained and unworthy hearts. He continues to make a difference in the lives of millions with his message of love, truth and humility. He welcomes the lowly, the unloved, the underprivileged, the weak, the burdened and the poor to his side to come and rest, to experience the power of his love and mercy. When we draw near to this greatest of all kings who is at the same time our Master and our Saviour, we open up our lives to him in love and we enthrone him in our hearts. He is the ruler of our hearts when we make a decision to belong to him. We do this each time we commit ourselves to being truthful, just, merciful, kind and forgiving, humble and compassionate. We become members of his kingdom when we share our gifts and blessings with those in need and help the oppressed enjoy freedom. Christ the King rules in his kingdom of love through us-through our love and service to others. May we have the courage and the perseverance we need to remain true to our King and give witness to his rule by belonging to the side of truth and listening to the voice of Christ our Divine Saviour and Universal King. The key to this reflection can be found in his words: “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice”. —Fr Joe Eruppakkatt, ssp   November 2009 READINGS OF THE WEEK Psalter Week 2 23 Mon (R) St Clement I, Dan 1:1-6,8-20; Ps Dan 3:52,53-54,55-56; Lk 21:1-4 24 Tue (R) Ss Andrew Dung-Lac & Co. (mem) Dan 2:31-45; Ps Dan 3:57,58,59,60,61; Lk 21:5-11 25 Wed (G) Dan 5:1-6,13-14,16-17,23-28; Ps Dan 3:62-63,64-65,66-67; Lk 21:12-19 26 Thu (G) Dan 6:12-28; Ps Dan 3:68,69,70,71,72,73,74; Lk 21:20-28 27 Fri (G) Dan 7:2-14; Ps Dan 3:75,76,77,78,79,80,81; Lk 21:29-33 28 Sat (G) Dan 7:15-27; Ps Dan 3:82,83,84,85,86,87; Lk 21:34-36