November 25th, 2018

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

LECTIONARY
161

FIRST READING
DN 7:13-14

As the visions during the night continued, I saw
one like a Son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
when he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;
all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.

PSALM
PS 93:1, 1-2, 5

Response: The LORD is king; he is robed in majesty.

The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.

And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.

Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed;
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.

SECOND READING
RV 1:5-8

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father,
to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, he is coming amid the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
All the peoples of the earth will lament him.
Yes. Amen.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, " says the Lord God,
"the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty."

GOSPEL
JN 18:33B-37

Pilate said to Jesus,
"Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered, "Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?"
Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?"
Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here."
So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?"
Jesus answered, "You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

Daily Reflection

Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world to bear witness to the truth. All who are on the side of truth listen to My voice. The question posed to us today is: Are we on the side of the truth that Jesus professes through His Word and His life? Are we truly listening to His voice? As disciples of Jesus, are we doing our best to further within ourselves, our families, our communities, His kingdom of love, joy, peace, justice and righteousness? Are we a witnessing community to Jesus, the Lord and Master of our lives; a Master who lived His life detached from power, acclaim, or luxury; a Master who was ready to lay down His life for all of us? Then let us, by giving testimony through our lives, make Jesus the King and Lord of our lives.

HIS KINGSHIP IS NOT OF THIS WORLD

The Church is not meant to call men and women out of the world into a safe religious enclave but to call them out in order to send them back as agents of God’s kingship – Lesslie Newbigin.