November 21, 2010
(34th Sunday -- C)
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
Today we celebrate Christ as our King. “My kingship is not of this world,” Jesus
asserts emphatically. His is a kingdom of love, peace and justice. His is a
kingdom that takes root in human hearts. And yet often enough we have wished his
kingdom to be of this world. We may have wanted him to wield power, intervene in
favour of his followers with a display of worldly power and might. Let us ask
the Lord pardon for the times we have rejected his kingdom values. (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. We ask this…
FIRST READING
(The people ask David to be their king. He agrees and is anointed king of
Israel. His kingship prefigures the universal kingship of Christ.)
A reading from the Second Book of Samuel (5:1-3)
All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, “Behold, we are your
bone and flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you that led
out and brought in Israel; and the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of
my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel’.” So all the elders of
Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at
Hebron before the Lord and they anointed David king over Israel.
This is the Word of the Lord
PSALM (121)
Response: I rejoiced when I heard them say: “Let us go to God’s house.”
I rejoiced when I heard them say: “Let us go to God’s house.” And now our feet
are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. R./
Jerusalem is built as a city strongly compact. It is there that the tribes go
up, the tribes of the Lord. R./
For Israel’s law it is, there to praise the Lord’s name. There were set the
thrones of judgement of the house of David. R./
SECOND READING
(St Paul tells the Colossians how grateful they ought to be to God for having
made them Christians and citizens of Christ’s Kingdom. Christ is the image of
the invisible God, the head of the Church and the Lord of all creation.)
A reading from the Letter of St Paul to the Colossians (1:12-20)
We give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance
of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and
transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of
all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or
authorities – all things were created through him and for him. He is before all
things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the
Church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he
might be pre-eminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in
heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
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
(In the Gospel passage we see how the inscription over the cross: THE KING OF
THE JEWS unwittingly proclaims the true identity of Jesus: Jesus is both Messiah
and King.)
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Luke (23:35-43)
The people stood by, watching Jesus, but the rulers scoffed at him saying, “He
saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”
The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him vinegar, and saying,
“If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription
over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals who were hanged
railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the
other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same
sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due
reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus,
remember me when you come in your kingly power.” And he said to him, “Truly, I
say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
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: My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray to our heavenly Father
who has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the
Kingdom of His beloved Son Jesus, saying:
Response: Lord, may your Kingdom come.
1. We pray for our Pope, bishops, priests and religious: that they may become
true messengers of Christ’s love in the world. R./
2. We pray for all political leaders: that they may strive to build a just
society, shun corrupt practices and selflessly serve the people who have elected
them. R./
3. We pray for those who do not acknowledge Christ as their Saviour and King.
May they receive the grace to welcome him and his Kingdom into their lives. R./
4. We pray for all judges and all in authority: that they may follow Christ’s
law of love, truth and justice in all their decisions. R./
5. We pray for all Christians: that they may not be afraid to profess their
faith in Christ before an indifferent and sometimes even a hostile world. R./
(Pray for local and personal needs)
Cel: Eternal Father, we thank and praise you for your love and care for us. May
we obey with loving hearts what you ask of us and come to share the life you
promise in the Kingdom of your Son Jesus. 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. We ask this...
PREFACE (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 offerted 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
alimighty Father, an eternal and univesal 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 procliam your glory and join
in thier undending hymn of priase:
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 AND LIFE
Kings and kingdoms are not fashionable today. They are fast disappearing and the
few that survive are usually frowned upon by the modern world. Is it then
meaningful that we acclaim Christ as King of the universe, as we do today? Of
course, yes. The King and the Kingdom we are focusing on today are of a
different kind.
For one thing, Jesus never shied away from titles: You call me Master and Lord,
and you do well. You acclaim me King, and that too is fine. But his
understanding of these titles was totally different from what our world
understands. Jesus is that Master and Lord who fills the role of a slave or
servant and washes the feet of his disciples! From now on the Master’s office
will be just that— an office of humble service.
People in high positions put up their name plates on their buildings and
offices. Jesus too had a name plate fixed on the cross on which he agonized and
died! The king as Jesus understands the term, is not the one who reigns, but the
one who serves and dies for his people.
“Yes, I am King.” The humble child that was born in abject poverty in a cave,
the suffering servant who was to die a criminal’s death on a cross, claims to be
the King of the universe! “Yes, I am King,” answered he to Pilate,
unflinchingly. “But,” he was keen on précising, “my kingship is not of this
world.” That specification must have certainly disappointed his close friends,
who always expected him to restore the kingdom of Israel.
And even today how many of us, his disciples, feel a bit uncomfortable with this
attitude of Jesus! How many of us would not feel like advising him not to be so
renouncing to worldly power! After all Lord, political power can get things done
easily even for you! Your Church can gain advantages, enjoy many privileges.
What are you going to achieve after all by being on the side of the poor and the
powerless? A little politics is handy also to get your work done.
Sounds like the suggestions of the tempter in the desert? Precisely so. And the
King would probably answer: “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my
path, because you are thinking not as God thinks but as human beings do.” And
yet, how often we would have felt like reasoning with Christ in similar terms!
Our actions and attitudes reveal so often that we are not so happy of his
declaration: “My Kingdom is not of this world.”
How hard the Church has to fight against the temptation of becoming subservient
to political powers! How often in the past, and even in the present, have we
slipped away from the Kingdom of Christ, to belong to the earthly kingdoms! How
easily we have forged political allegiances with the mighty in exchange of
privileges!
Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world. To be subjects of such a king who wields no
worldly power, who has no armies nor wealth, who reigns from the cross, is
nothing attractive. His name plate does not announce his title, but the reason
for his death. May the King himself give us the courage and wisdom to follow him
into his kingdom that is surely not of this world.
—Fr Joseph Thenasseril, ssp
November 2010 READINGS OF THE WEEK
Psalter Week 2
22 Mon (R) St Cecilia,mem Rev 14:1-3,4b-5; Ps 23:1-2,3-4ab,5-6; Lk 21:1-4
23 Tue (R) St Clement I or St Columban
Rev 14:14-19; Ps 95:10-11,12-13; Lk 21:5-11
24 Wed (R) Sts Andrew Dung-Lac & Companions, mem
Rev 15:1-4; Ps 97:1,2-3ab,7-9a,9bcd; Lk 21:12-19
25 Thu (G) Rev 18:1-2,21-23;19:1-3,9a; Ps 99:1-2,3,4,5; Lk 21:20-28
26 Fri (G) Rev 20:1-4,11-21:2; Ps 83:3,4,5-6a&8a; Lk 21:29-33
27 Sat (G) Rev 22:1-7; Ps 94:1-2,3-5,6-7c; Lk 21:34-36
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