Sunday November 24, 2024
THE SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE
Thirty-Fourth Sunday of the Year.
(LAST SUNDAY OF THE YEAR)
Office: Prop., Te Deum
Mass prop. Gloria. Creed.
Preface of the Solemnity
Vestment: White
Today’s Rosary: The Glorious Mystery
Click HERE for the Previous Catholic Daily Reading
Vespers II of the Solemnity of Christ the King
EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION ALL OVER THE NATION. If the procession follows the Mass, the Concluding rite of Mass is omitted.
Theme of the Sunday: A JUDGE WHO SAVES.
Both the first reading and the gospel speak of separating sheep from goats. It is a distinction used by God who has only one criterion: how we love others. Our lives are successes or failures on the basis of what we have done to alleviate hunger, thirst, exile, nakedness, disease, prison. Jesus tells us that our religion is summed up in the diligence and zeal with which we fight against these situations. To drive home this truth even more, he uses the image of the final judgement not to show us what will happen at the end of the world, but to teach us what should really count in our lives. The second reading teaches us that the kingdom of the Messiah built in this world is through works of love for others
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Rv 5:12;1:6
How worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and divinity, and wisdom and strength and honour. To him belong glory and authority for ever and ever.
The Gloria (This hymn is either sung or said)
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you. We bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
COLLECT
Almighty ever-living God, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of the universe; grant, we pray, that the whole creation, set free from, slavery, may render your majesty service and ceaselessly proclaim your praise. Through our Lord..
FIRST READING
“His dominion is an everlasting dominion.”
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Daniel (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.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 93:1ab.1d-2.5 (R. 1a)
R/. 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
“The ruler of the kings on earth… made us a kingdom, priests to his God.”
A reading from the Book of Revelation (Revelation 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.
The word of the Lord.
ALLELUIA Mark 11:9b.10a
Alleluia. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“You say that I am a king.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 18:33b-37)
At that time: 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. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
The Creed (I Believe)
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Celebrant:
Christ, the Universal King, invites us to honour him by being compassionate to the least of our brethren. Let us pray for the grace to be kind-hearted towards every human person, especially the poor and needy.
FOR THE GROWTH OF GOD’S KINGDOM ON EARTH: that, through the ministry of the church, Christ, our Universal king, may rule in the hearts and home of every person and that his kingdom may continually grow in every corner of our world. We pray O Lord.
FOR THOSE IN CIVIL AUTHORITY: that in exercising their power of governance, they may imitate our Lord, Jesus Christ, who came not to be served but to serve, and may spend their lives promoting the good of the people under their care. We pray O Lord.
FOR OUR YOUTHS: that young persons throughout the world may have their lives rooted and built up in Christ the universal king. We pray O Lord.
FOR OUR PARISH COMMUNITY: that in honouring the king of the universe, we may take good care of God’s creation, cultivating it with care and protecting it for future generations. We pray O Lord.
FOR OTHER INTENTIONS: (the sick, church projects or other activities).
FOR THE DEAD, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF OUR PARISH COMMUNITY AND FAMILY MEMBERS: that they may find joy in the presence of Christ the king in heaven. We pray O Lord.
We pray in silence for our private intentions.
Celebrant:
Lord God, king of the universe, help us to submit ourselves to your rule at all times, and grant that, by practicing Christian charity to our brothers and sisters, we may receive the reward of eternal life. Through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
The last Sunday of the liturgical year marks the observance of the Solemnity in hounour of Jesus Christ, King of the universe. What is special about this feast?
- Jesus is truly the king of the universe. When Pilate asked, “So you are king?” Jesus replied: “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world…” The book of Revelation says, “He is the ruler of the kings on earth”. Prophet Daniel and other prophets had long foretold the kingship of Jesus.
- Jesus’ kingship is not of this world. He existed from eternity. It was through him that the universe was created and, as such, all things belong to him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion.
- He rules not by power and authority. Armies and weapons, but by merciful love and humble service, by patient suffering and sacrificial death, by benevolent compassion and unconditional forgiveness. The object of his rule of love is the human heart. His throne is the cross and his crown is made of thorns. The law of his kingdom is the law of love. How loyal are we to our king and Lord, Jesus Christ?
TODAY’S SAINT AND QUOTE: St Theophane Vénard – November 24th
Saint Jean-Théophane Vénard, M.E.P. was a French Catholic missionary to Indo-China. He was a member of the Paris Foreign Missions Society. He was beatified in company with thirty-three other Catholic martyrs, most of whom were natives of Tonkin, Cochin-China, or China. Pope John Paul II canonized him, with nineteen other martyrs, in 1988.
-Be merry, really merry. The life of a true Christian should be a perpetual jubilee, a prelude to the festivals of eternity.
PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL
And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. – James 5:15
-As we go round town today to proclaim and honour the Lord of Lords, let us pray for His total healing on us and our household, recognizing that with God all things are possible.
Let Us Pray,
Precious Lord Jesus, I thank you for your enduring love. You came into this world to set me free from the power of darkness. You embraced a violent death on the cross to pay the penalty on my behalf. You suffered the scourging at the pillar, taking the sickness of humanity upon your own flesh, so that I can be healed. I come before you now to place all my sin upon your cross and ask for your precious Blood to wash me clean. I place the penalty for my sinfulness, all my sickness, diseases and infirmities upon your Cross, and for the sake of your sorrowful passions, I ask to be set free.
I accept your sacrifice and receive your gift of reconciliation. I confess your Lordship over every aspect of my life, heart, mind, body, soul and spirit.
Through the power of your Cross Lord Jesus, I now resist all forms of sin, sickness and disease.
I say to all forms of sickness and disease caused by my own disobedience, that you are not God’s will for my life, and I enforce the power of the cross upon you right now, by the shed Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I command all forms of sickness and diseases to leave my body immediately.
