November 24, 2013 Solemnity of Christ the King Readings, Suggested Homily Background Notes, and Prayers of the Faithful Readings Reading 1: 2 Samuel 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 122:1-5 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 2: Colossians 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. Gospel Luke 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. Suggested Homily Notes Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe Pope Pius XI, in his encyclical Quas Primas, instituted the Feast of Christ the King during the holy year commemorating the 1600 th Anniversary of the Council of Nicea in 1925. In particular, Pius XI wished to affirm the Kingly dignity of Christ by remembering the words of the Nicene Creed, and his Kingdom will have no end. In doing so he also wished to correct the false ideologies of nationalism, materialism, secularism, and anti-clericalism that were beginning to arise in many places. These false ideologies, already dominant in Russia, soon became manifest in formerly Catholic areas such as Italy, Germany, and Mexico. For example, only two years after the
publication of Quas Primas, on November 23, 1927, the Jesuit priest Blessed Miguel Pro was executed by the anti-catholic government of Mexico. Facing his executioners, Fr. Miguel forgave the firing squad, stretched out his arms in the form of a Crucifixion and proclaimed, Viva Cristo Rey! (Long live, Christ the King!). This year s celebration of the feast of Christ the King also falls at the end of a special year of celebration the Year of Faith. Much has happened in the Church and the world during this period, not the least of which was the surprising resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the election of Pope Francis, the Pope of Firsts : the first Jesuit, the first Latin American, the first from the New World, the first to be called Francis, etc. And since his election, Francis has made much news by his call for reform, simplicity of life and radical evangelization. In his first encyclical letter Lumen Fidei, Francis has also called the Church, each and every individual member and the community as a whole, to rekindle the fire of faith: The light of faith is unique, since it is capable of illuminating every aspect of human existence. A light this powerful cannot come from ourselves but from a more primordial source: in a word, it must come from God. Faith is born of an encounter with the living God who calls us and reveals his love, a love which precedes us and upon which we can lean for security and for building our lives. Transformed by this love, we gain fresh vision, new eyes to see; we realize that it contains a great promise of fulfillment, and that a vision of the future opens up before us. Faith, received from God as a supernatural gift, becomes a light for our way, guiding our journey through time (no. 4). But our faith, set aflame by God s grace within us, also is meant to be shared: Those who have opened their hearts to God s love, heard his voice and received his light, cannot keep this gift to themselves. Since faith is hearing and seeing, it is also handed on as word and light (Lumen Fidei, no. 37). This is the task of the new evangelization. It is important from time to time to remind ourselves what the act of faith is. Faith, as the Second Vatican Council taught, is relational: The obedience of faith (Rom 13:26; see 1:5; 2 Cor 10:5-6) is to be given to God who reveals, an obedience by which man commits his whole self freely to God, offering the full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals, (First Vatican Council) and freely assenting to the truth revealed by Him (Dei Verbum, no. 5). In other words, faith is an act of obedience whereby we entrust ourselves totally to God (as individuals and as a community) in a personal, passionate and intimate relationship with Him. And this trust is also an intellectual assent to God s revealed word. We trust God and we trust in God. We believe that God knows what He is about and that his promises to us will be fulfilled. We know and believe this because it has been revealed to us in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, our King. His kingship is unlike any that came before Him: he did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for the many (Mt 20:28). Unlike the Gentile kings who lorded it over those they ruled, making their importance known (see Mk 10:42), Jesus was meek and humble of heart (Mt 11:29), even willing to take up the slaves role of washing the disciples feet (see John 13:1-17). Even more, Jesus Kingship is seen entirely in his obedience to the will of the Father. This is what the leaders, soldiers, and even one of the thieves being crucified with Jesus (see Lk 23:35-43, Gospel) could not understand. The Messiah, who was destined to be the shepherd
and commander of the New Israel (see 2 Sam. 5:1-3, First Reading), the fulfillment of the Davidic kingship, would not and could not come down from the Cross to save himself because he must be about his Father s business (Luke 2:49) the salvation of the world. Jesus earthly mission as Savior, Lord and King is seen in his revelation of the merciful love of the Father. Everything he says and does reveals to us God s merciful love. And this mission must be obediently embraced until the end. Even on the Cross, Jesus is gathering the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Mt 15:24) and preaching the words of mercy: Father, forgive them (Lk 23:34); I assure you today you will be with me in paradise (Lk 23:43); Woman, behold your son (John 19:26); and Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit (Lk 23:46). The Year of Faith was called so that we might rediscover, cultivate, celebrate, and bear witness to our faith (see Note with Pastoral Recommendations for the Year of Faith with attachment Motu Proprio Porta Fidei, Introduction). As we bring this year to a conclusion, we must recommit ourselves to sharing our faith with others. Our communities, our nation, and our world are so desperately in need of hearing the Good News of God s merciful love. We ourselves and all persons, even if they do not know it explicitly, long for union with Christ. As Colossians 1 teaches: He holds all things together (Col 1:17, Second Reading). Further, as the Second Vatican Council teaches, it is only in Christ that the mystery of man becomes clear because Jesus Christ reveals each and every person to himself or herself and makes our divine vocation clear (see Gaudium et Spes, no. 22). We discover who we really are in Jesus, sons and daughters in the Son, beloved children of our most Merciful Father. This task of the new evangelization is a continuation of the Lord s command to go into all of the world and proclaim the Good News (see Matthew 28:16-20). When Pope Pius XI first established the Feast of Christ the King, he called upon the men and women of his age to boldly proclaim the truth of the Gospel to their contemporaries and to promote and defend the rights of Christ and His Church against those who were usurping Divine prerogatives and ignoring basic human rights: This state of things may perhaps be attributed to a certain slowness and timidity in good people, who are reluctant to engage in conflict or oppose but a weak resistance; thus the enemies of the Church become bolder in their attacks. But if the faithful were generally to understand that it behooves them ever to fight courageously under the banner of Christ their King, then, fired with apostolic zeal, they would strive to win over to their Lord those hearts that are bitter and estranged from him, and would valiantly defend his rights (Quas Primas, no. 24). Today, as in every age, we Catholics are called to demonstrate apostolic zeal to win others to Christ. And we are also called to valiantly defend the rights of Christ the King and His Church against those who would deny religious liberty, whether in our own nation or anywhere in the world. This is why Cardinal Dolan, in response to the latest attempt by the Administration in its final version of the HHS healthcare mandate, which forces Catholics to compromise our commitments to the dignity of all human persons, has written: We are united in our resolve to continue to defend our right to live by our faith, and our duty to serve the poor, heal the sick, keep our apostolates strong and faithful, and insure our people (Letter to Bishops, Sept. 17, 2013). Internationally and daily in such places as Sudan and South Sudan, Egypt, Syria, Libya, Palestine, India, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan, Nigeria, Vietnam, and China, we see the parishes and property, the lives and livelihoods of our brothers and sisters in Christ threatened just for practicing their faith. We stand in solidarity with these persecuted Christians knowing,
as St. Paul wrote, that in the Church, the Body of Christ, if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together (1 Cor. 12:26). As citizens of the United States, we have no king. We are members of a democratic republic, with a written constitution that defends basic human rights, defines a limited government, and proscribes any laws prohibiting the free exercise of religion. As Catholics exercising our religious liberty, we proudly proclaim that Christ is our King not just at Mass but wherever we are at home or at work, at school or at play, in government or in business, in our charities and our hospitals. In this we are united as we fight courageously under the banner of Christ the King for liberty and justice for all. [(Optional paragraph for those parishes participating in the CCHD collection Nov. 24): One of the ways we fight for justice for all is through the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, or CCHD. The CCHD is an instrument of the Catholic Church working to carry out the mission of Jesus Christ,... to bring good news to the poor... release to captives... sight to the blind, and let the oppressed go free (Luke 4:18). Pope Francis recently told us to never tire of working for a more just world (Apostolic Journey to Rio de Janeiro). The CCHD is dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty by funding community programs that encourage independence. You are essential to its success. Your generous donations to the CCHD collection today will give those in poverty the support they need to make lasting changes.] All of us are called to carry on the mission of Jesus to reveal the merciful love of the Father. Compelled by this mission, we carry on works of mercy in the world. We evangelize and teach, heal and serve, minister and mentor, create and sell, buy and give, pray and mourn. All of this and more so that the Kingdom of Christ, by his grace, may be made more and more manifest in our midst. Viva Cristo Rey! (Long live, Christ the King!). Universal Prayer (Prayer of the Faithful) Celebrant: Aware that only in Christ do we find true freedom, let us present our prayers, interceding for all in need, as we respond, Lord, hear our prayer. Deacon/Reader: 1. For Pope Francis, our Bishop N., and all the ministers of the Church, that their preaching and example may encourage the faithful to stand firm in their beliefs as witnesses of the Gospel, we pray to the Lord 2. For our President, Governor, legislators, judges, and all in service to the common good, that through the gift of heavenly wisdom, they may never tire in their work to uphold religious freedom and conscience protection for all, we pray to the Lord
3. For those discerning God s call in their lives: may they be open to listen to the Lord s voice and find support to say yes to his invitation to serve freely in love, we pray to the Lord 4. For the many ministries of the Church that reveal God s power and love to the world, especially our educational institutions, health care facilities, community centers, and charitable services, especially the Catholic Campaign for Human Development: may they enjoy full protection to fulfill their mission, we pray to the Lord 5. For the sick who long for healing, for the dying, and for those called to heal and comfort the sick and suffering: may they be free to follow their faith, while fulfilling their professional duties, we pray to the Lord 6. For all of us who gather in prayer, trusting in God s grace to save: may we, through the gifts of the Spirit, have the wisdom to know God s will and find courage to stand up in witness to his love, we pray to the Lord 7. For those who have died and for all who grieve and mourn their passing from this life: may the promise of resurrection for the just give hope to all, we pray to the Lord Celebrant: Almighty eternal God, in whom we find true freedom and lasting peace, look with favor, we pray, on our needs and, seeing the faith that inspires us to pray to you, grant what we truly need, especially the freedom to serve you in love. Through Christ our Lord and King. Amen.