MASS READINGS & SAINT QUOTE OF THE DAY : Sunday - November 20, 2022

 

Sunday - November 20, 2022

In order to acquire tranquility in action it is necessary to carefully consider what we are capable of accomplishing and never to undertake more than that. It is self-love, ever more anxious to do much rather than to do well and this self-love that wishes to undertake everything and accomplishes nothing!

~~St. Francis DeSales

November 20, 2022

THE SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE

Lectionary: 162

 

Reading I     

                                                                                    2 Sm 5:1-3

 

In those days, all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said:

"Here we are, your bone and your flesh.

In days past, when Saul was our king,

it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back.

And the LORD said to you,

'You shall shepherd my people Israel

and shall be commander of Israel.'"

When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron,

King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD,

and they anointed him king of Israel.

 

Responsorial Psalm                                  Ps 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5

 

R. (cf. 1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 

I rejoiced because they said to me,

"We will go up to the house of the LORD."

And now we have set foot

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Jerusalem, built as a city

with compact unity.

To it the tribes go up,

the tribes of the LORD.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

According to the decree for Israel,

to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

In it are set up judgment seats,

seats for the house of David.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 

Reading II    

                                                                                    Col 1:12-20

 

Brothers and sisters:

Let us give thanks to the Father,

who has made you fit to share

in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.

He delivered us from the power 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 firstborn of all creation.

For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,

the visible and the invisible,

whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;

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 firstborn from the dead,

that in all things he himself might be preeminent.

For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,

and through him to reconcile all things for him,

making peace by the blood of his cross

through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

 

Alleluia                                                         MK 11:9, 108

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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

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

R. Alleluia

 

Gospel                                                           Lk 23:35-43

 

The rulers sneered at Jesus and said,

"He saved others, let him save himself

if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God."

Even the soldiers jeered at him.

As they approached to offer him wine they called out,

"If you are King of the Jews, save yourself."

Above him there was an inscription that read,

"This is the King of the Jews."

 

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,

"Are you not the Christ?

Save yourself and us."

The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,

"Have you no fear of God,

for you are subject to the same condemnation?

And indeed, we have been condemned justly,

for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,

but this man has done nothing criminal."

Then he said,

"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

He replied to him,

"Amen, I say to you,

today you will be with me in Paradise."

 

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What the Authority of Jesus Looks Like

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, one of the criminals hanging next to Jesus on the cross represents us. Jesus is our king and we want to spend eternity with him in his kingdom. As long as we have this attitude, there is no reason to doubt that when we die we will join Jesus in Paradise.

 

As the king of heaven, Jesus has the right and the authority to choose who is allowed into his kingdom. And as this Good Friday thief shows us, Jesus says, “Yes, come in, welcome!” to anyone who recognizes his authority.

 

Let’s look at what the authority of Jesus is like. At the Last Supper, when he washed the feet of his disciples, he made it clear that the heavenly king exerts his authority by serving those who belong to his kingdom.

 

The next day, he took a crown of thorns instead of a crown of gold, because the glory of his kingship is not represented by earthly treasures but by riches that are given to others, the personal sacrifices that are motivated by love, even for those who don’t deserve it.

 

After his resurrection, although he’d been healed from the destruction of death, his five crucifixion wounds were not healed. To this day, he still bears those wounds as a continual reminder to us that he does not use his authority for his own benefit, but for ours. Earthly kings wear expensive rings on their hands; our heavenly king wears the marks of sacrifice.

 

We belong to God’s kingdom when we lovingly serve others with Christ, when we understand the glory of giving generously to others, of making personal sacrifices, and of loving those who don’t deserve our love.

 

If we offer to Jesus our sufferings because we realize that they have value, we wear the five wounds of Jesus in our souls. Of course we will join Jesus in Paradise — we have already united ourselves to him!

 

Today's Prayer

 

Beloved Lord Jesus, Give me the grace to recognize and surrender to you in the most difficult moments of my life. Amen.

 

God Bless You.....

The Rosary Family

The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”