Christ the King, Thirty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A 2023

Title

Be Ready for the Coming King

Outline

“Judgment” (and its cognates) is a problematic word in common English

In a religious or judicial context it is often thought of as negative: censoring or punishing offenders.

But that is in fact to take only one part of its meaning. It means to discriminate. “In my judgment, this is course we should take.” Or the doctor judging that since this is the diagnosis (itself a judgment) this or that is the best course of treatment. Or an educator looking at the past record of a student and judging which course of studies would best prepare him or her for a satisfying and successful career.

The focus on the negative meaning, however, has led both many evangelical and liberal Christians to reject the idea that it could apply to them, albeit for different reasons. Even Catholics can get caught up in what Christian Smith called moralistic therapeutic deism, which includes the idea that God’s love excludes judgment.

But Ezekiel points to God as judging his sheep now

God is among his sheep in the restoration, judging which pasture is good for them, which rest is needed by them, which need bringing back, which need medical treatment and also which need destruction (“the sleek and the strong” - apparently those who profited at the expense of caring for others).

If and when revival comes, it will not be good news for everyone.

Both 1 Corinthians and Matthew point to final judgment

The good news is that it comes in stages: first, Christ is resurrected and enthroned (this was probably written before Mary’s dormition/assumption), then, in the first act of final judgment, Christ’s followers are resurrected at “his coming.” But his coming is at “the end” when all that has not followed him will be cleared out, be it spiritual or human: he will have “destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power.” Of course, death is destroyed in the end, for those who follow Christ are resurrected and those structures and people do are opposed to his rule enter the death that is beyond death, not just the separation of body and soul, but the exile of both from the presence of God.

Now Jesus puts this in parabolic form, in this case a narrative of judging that reminds us of Ezekiel. Some are sheep and some are goats, the mixture of which would be familiar in Palestine. It turns out the sheep, who inherit the kingdom, are those who have followed the teaching of Jesus in word and deed, for the showed love to those for whom he had special care, the unloved of the world, and did this because they saw him in them: “‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’” The goats have not followed Jesus, have neglected to do what he did. (There is no reference to doing evil evil deeds, just neglecting good ones.) The result is not purgation, but “‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’” Notice that the fire was prepared for the devil and his angels, not for people, but having not chosen submission to Jesus/God they have chosen the opposite.

This, of course, makes us reflect

We rejoice that Christ is king, for that gives us hope.

But it only gives us hope in so far as we are true subjects of that king.

And the hope is for us and the Church, not for many of the structures of our world: for instance, the USA has a long history of rejection of and oppression of immigrants (just as the Church has a history of saints who cared for them); one can hope for repentance of those in such structures and one can hope that Christ does not include it in his earlier judgments so that there is more time to repent.

Thus this spurs us to prudent and wise evangelism, calling people to, by the power of God, become sheep, true subjects of the king who already rules.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 11-26-2023: Christ the King, Thirty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING

Ezekiel 34:11–12, 15–17

11 For thus says the Lord GOD: Look! I myself will search for my sheep and examine them. 12 As a shepherd examines his flock while he himself is among his scattered sheep, so will I examine my sheep. I will deliver them from every place where they were scattered on the day of dark clouds.

15 I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest—oracle of the Lord GOD. 16 The lost I will search out, the strays I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, and the sick I will heal; but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them in judgment.

17 As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats.

Catholic Daily Readings 11-26-2023: Christ the King, Thirty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

RESPONSE

Psalm 23:1

1 A psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd;

there is nothing I lack.

PSALM

Psalm 23:1–6

1 A psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd;

there is nothing I lack.

2 In green pastures he makes me lie down;

to still waters he leads me;

3 he restores my soul.

He guides me along right paths

for the sake of his name.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff comfort me.

5 You set a table before me

in front of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6 Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me

all the days of my life;

I will dwell in the house of the LORD

for endless days.

Catholic Daily Readings 11-26-2023: Christ the King, Thirty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

SECOND READING

1 Corinthians 15:20–26, 28

20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, 23 but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; 24 then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death,

28 When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will [also] be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

Catholic Daily Readings 11-26-2023: Christ the King, Thirty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Mark 11:9–10

9 Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out:

“Hosanna!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!

Hosanna in the highest!”

GOSPEL

Matthew 25:31–46

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, 32 and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ 40 And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 41  Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ 44 Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ 45 He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ 46 And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 11-26-2023: Christ the King, Thirty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2023 | ORDINARY TIME

CHRIST THE KING

THIRTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

YEAR A | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Ezekiel 34:11–12, 15–17

Response Psalm 23:1

Psalm Psalm 23:1–6

Second Reading 1 Corinthians 15:20–26, 28

Gospel Acclamation Mark 11:9–10

Gospel Matthew 25:31–46

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