Here are some of the themes that surface in the Mass readings for the Feast of Christ the King.
1st Reading – Ezekiel 34:11-12,15-17
God will shepherd the people: tending, seeking, rescuing, healing, protecting.
God will also judge and separate the sheep rightly, between rams and goats.
Psalm – 23:1-3,5-6
“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”
God leads and refreshes, prepares and anoints, so that goodness and kindness will follow us.
2nd Reading – 1st Corinthians 15:20-26,28
Through one man (Adam) death entered the world; through one man (Christ) all shall be brought to life.
At the end, Christ will judge all creation, and the last enemy will be death.
The Son will then be subjected to God, who will be all in all.
Gospel – Matthew 25:31-46
When the Son of Man comes in glory with all the angels, he will judge all the nations, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates sheep and goats.
Our response to the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, ill, and imprisoned will be treated as if it were done to Christ himself – the accursed to eternal punishment and the righteous to eternal life.
Psalm 19 directs us to look up into the sky and take in the immense majesty of the heavens, reminding us to humbly acknowledge God’s hand at work in all of creation.
The thankful response of the healed Samaritan leper reveals the power of gratitude to enrich our spiritual lives and help us engage our faith in the context of daily life.
Commonly read at funerals, this passage from the Book of Wisdom reminds us that when we place our lives in God’s hands, we are purified and refined through adversity.
Let’s look at some of the themes that surface in the Mass readings for the 33rd Sunday of the Year.
1st Reading – Proverbs 31:10-13,19-20,30-31
A worthy wife reveals her goodness through her service and care for others.
“Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
Psalm – 128:1-5
“Blessed are those who fear the Lord.”
Those who follow the Lord encounter domestic prosperity.
2nd Reading – 1st Thessalonians 5:1-6
The day of the Lord will come suddenly, like a thief in the night.
We stay alert and sober, not in darkness but as children of the light.
Gospel – Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus tells of the parable of the master who gave three servants different amounts of wealth (talents) based on their ability.
The master returns and praises two of the servants who did what they could with what they had; “since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.”
The servant who does nothing is chastised and turned out into the darkness.
Three Great Things 