Thirty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
November 20, 2016
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 (1).” 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 (2)
Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.” The other,
however, rebuking
(3) 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 (4), I say to you, today you will be with me
in Paradise (5).”
http://www.usccb.org
The difficult words
(1)The Christ of God means the
Messiah, the anointed Son of God, who was promised to all the prophets as the
Savior of the Jewish people.
(2)To revile means to attack
with hateful words.
(3)To rebuke is to correct
someone, or to tell them to stop what they are doing.
(4 Someone said "amen' when
they wanted what they were about to say to be taken as a solemn promise. It was
like saying “I swear”.
(5)Paradise means heaven.
This week’s spotlight
Paradise
The Book of Genesis tells us that God put the first
man and woman in a magnificent garden-the garden of Eden, or paradise. Because
the man and the woman disobeyed God, they had to leave paradise. We also use
the word paradise to designate another heaven, the kingdom of God. Jesus
promised paradise to the good thief, and to us!
Christ the King
Today we celebrate Christ, the King of the universe.
He is King, because he is God's beloved Son. He carried out the mission that
his Father gave to him, and gave his life on the cross for love of us. His
death was not defeat, but victory. The Father raised him up! The power of God's
love is stronger than death. Jesus, therefore, is not a king to be feared. We
are happy to be in his kingdom of love.
Reflection
The reign of love
This Sunday’s feast is called “The Solemnity of Christ
the King.” If Christ is king, what kind of king is he? Where is his kingdom?
This Sunday’s Gospel doesn’t show us a royal throne. It shows us Jesus on the
cross! Jesus is not a king of lands, riches, and armies. He is the King of
Love. The cross shows us a love that is stronger than hate, stronger than
suffering, stronger than evil and death. Today we celebrate a love that is
greater than any power in the universe. We open our hearts to his power every
time we make the sign of the cross. He does not force us to join his kingdom;
he offers it as a gift.
Discussion questions
1.What do the soldiers say to Jesus while he hangs on the cross?
2.Where is Jesus’ kingdom?
3.Who asks Jesus if he can come into his kingdom?
4.How does Jesus answer the criminal?
After receiving
Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. Thank
you for sending Jesus to die and rise as the King of Love. May he always be
King of my heart.
This week…
Make the sign of the cross
When you say your morning and
evening prayers this week, be careful to make the sign of the cross properly
and prayerfully. As you make it, remember the cross of Christ, the love of
Jesus for you and for all.
Contemplate the cross in your prayer corner
When you go to your prayer
corner, look at the cross on the wall and say out loud: "Thank you, Lord,
for your immense love." If you do not have a cross, you can display the
one you made for your box of marvels this summer.
Crossword Puzzle
Source: usccb.org
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