2020년 11월 22일 그리스도 왕 대축일(성서 주간)
제1독서
사무엘기 하. 5,1-3
그 무렵 1 이스라엘의 모든 지파가 헤브론에 있는 다윗에게 몰려가서 말하였다.
“우리는 임금님의 골육입니다.
2 전에 사울이 우리의 임금이었을 때에도,
이스라엘을 거느리고 출전하신 이는 임금님이셨습니다.
또한 주님께서는 ‘너는 내 백성 이스라엘의 목자가 되고
이스라엘의 영도자가 될 것이다.’ 하고 임금님께 말씀하셨습니다.”
3 그리하여 이스라엘의 원로들이 모두 헤브론으로 임금을 찾아가자,
다윗 임금은 헤브론에서 주님 앞으로 나아가 그들과 계약을 맺었다.
그리고 그들은 다윗에게 기름을 부어 이스라엘의 임금으로 세웠다.
제2독서
콜로새서. 1,12-20
형제 여러분, 12 성도들이 빛의 나라에서 받는 상속의 몫을 차지할 자격을
여러분에게 주신 아버지께 감사드리기를 빕니다.
13 아버지께서는 우리를 어둠의 권세에서 구해 내시어
당신께서 사랑하시는 아드님의 나라로 옮겨 주셨습니다.
14 이 아드님 안에서 우리는 속량을, 곧 죄의 용서를 받습니다.
15 그분은 보이지 않는 하느님의 모상이시며 모든 피조물의 맏이이십니다.
16 만물이 그분 안에서 창조되었기 때문입니다.
하늘에 있는 것이든 땅에 있는 것이든 보이는 것이든 보이지 않는 것이든
왕권이든 주권이든 권세든 권력이든
만물이 그분을 통하여 또 그분을 향하여 창조되었습니다.
17 그분께서는 만물에 앞서 계시고 만물은 그분 안에서 존속합니다.
18 그분은 또한 당신 몸인 교회의 머리이십니다.
그분은 시작이시며 죽은 이들 가운데에서 맏이이십니다.
그리하여 만물 가운데에서 으뜸이 되십니다.
19 과연 하느님께서는 기꺼이 그분 안에 온갖 충만함이 머무르게 하셨습니다.
20 그분 십자가의 피를 통하여 평화를 이룩하시어
땅에 있는 것이든 하늘에 있는 것이든
그분을 통하여 그분을 향하여 만물을 기꺼이 화해시키셨습니다.
복음
루카. 23,35ㄴ-43
그때에 지도자들은 예수님께 35 “이자가 다른 이들을 구원하였으니,
정말 하느님의 메시아, 선택된 이라면 자신도 구원해 보라지.” 하며 빈정거렸다.
36 군사들도 예수님을 조롱하였다.
그들은 예수님께 다가가 신 포도주를 들이대며 37 말하였다.
“네가 유다인들의 임금이라면 너 자신이나 구원해 보아라.”
38 예수님의 머리 위에는
‘이자는 유다인들의 임금이다.’라는 죄명 패가 붙어 있었다.
39 예수님과 함께 매달린 죄수 하나도, “당신은 메시아가 아니시오?
당신 자신과 우리를 구원해 보시오.” 하며 그분을 모독하였다.
40 그러나 다른 하나는 그를 꾸짖으며 말하였다.
“같이 처형을 받는 주제에 너는 하느님이 두렵지도 않으냐?
41 우리야 당연히 우리가 저지른 짓에 합당한 벌을 받지만,
이분은 아무런 잘못도 하지 않으셨다.”42 그러고 나서
“예수님, 선생님의 나라에 들어가실 때 저를 기억해 주십시오.” 하였다.
43 그러자 예수님께서 그에게 이르셨다.
“내가 진실로 너에게 말한다. 너는 오늘 나와 함께 낙원에 있을 것이다.”
November 20, 2022
The Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe
Daily Mass : http://www.catholictv.com/shows/daily-mass
Daily Mass : https://www.youtube.com/c/EWTNcatholictv : https://www.youtube.com/c/DailyTVMass
Reading 1
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
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
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
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."
Kingdom of Peace and Justice
Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. There is something powerful, I think, about declaring as a community that we have no king, no ruler, but God himself. At a time when the national discourse of the United States is inundated with tribal demands of our allegiance, isn’t it freeing to be reminded that we are called to love and serve God alone and in him find our true identity? The kingdom proposed by our readings and liturgical prayers today is one of peace and justice, truth and life, holiness and grace, an eternal kingdom in which no one seeks to sow division or manipulate others for their own gain. We are not called to sit on the sidelines and wait for that kingdom to be built. We are called to do our part, no matter how small, every day, brick by beloved brick.
—Fr. Louis Hotop, SJ, serves in ministry to migrants in the Brownsville (Texas) Diocese on the U.S.-Mexico border. He is a member of the Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you who are king over all creation, reign within my heart. Grant me the strength and grace to do my small part to build your kingdom today by serving my brothers and sisters in imitation of you, with gentleness and love, sincerity and truth, placing all things within your hands, trusting in your divine providence to guide me. Amen.
—Fr. Louis Hotop, SJ
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
"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."
Luke
Question: What kind of king dies on a cross between two criminals even though one has gone down in history as the “good thief?”
Answer: A king who suffers and accompanies his subjects when they are in agony. A king whose example teaches his subjects to do the same for others.
A sad fact of getting older is that you know more people who suffer from diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s that kill by inches. It’s hard to know how to relate to people undergoing such prolonged suffering, especially when your relationship has been based on witty conversation or activities.
When I was young, I became a surrogate daughter for a woman whose daughter was on the East Coast and communicated sporadically. We had a delightful relationship until she developed Alzheimer’s at a time when I was getting my doctorate, teaching fulltime and had two small children.
I stopped seeing her after a visit where she hardly knew me because time was so precious. Why spend it with someone who wouldn’t remember your visit five minutes later? I learned of her death a few years later from the newspaper because her family, understandably, did not inform me. But I’ve always felt bad about abandoning her.
Today’s gospel teaches us that Jesus wants us to stay connected with suffering people no matter what their mental or physical condition. We don’t have to minister to abandoned dying people like the Missionaries of Charity, just find time for the people in our lives who are confined to their homes or nursing homes.
We can try to alleviate their loneliness for even a few minutes even if they don’t remember it for more than that.
Because of the mistake I made with my old friend, I usually find 45 minutes a week to visit the husband of one of my closest late friends. I nod when he meanders and talks about people I don’t know because I know how much he looks forward to my visits. He loves talking to someone who adored his wife and can reassure him that she loved him too.
I know my friend in heaven is smiling when I head into her house where we had such good times.
If our dying King could accompany a thief to the end, we can accompany the people we know who need us.
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
THE CRUCIFIX AND THE KING
“There was an inscription over His head: ‘THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.’ ” —Luke 23:38
Many people have crucifixes on their walls, in their pockets, in their purses, or around their necks. Usually at the top of this crucifix are the letters I. N. R. I. This stands for “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” On Calvary, hardly anyone believed this inscription. In fact, “the chief priests of the Jews tried to tell Pilate...‘This man claimed to be King of the Jews’ ” (Jn 19:21).
What about you? Do you believe the letters on your crucifix? Or are the letters I.N.R.I. just an inscription to which you’ve never paid any attention? If you decide to take your crucifix seriously and be a faithful subject of King Jesus, you must:
- be rescued “from the power of darkness” (Col 1:13),
- repent,
- contradict leaders, soldiers, criminals, and the many people who continue to mock His kingship (Lk 23:35, 36, 39),
- be willing to be persecuted,
- worship King Jesus, for He is the King of kings (Rv 19:16) and God Himself, and
- tell everyone about the perfect King, Who is God and Love (see 1 Jn 4:16).
Are you willing to accept Jesus as your King? If so, kneel down before Him now and give Your most precious gifts to Him (see Mt 2:11). Give your whole life to King Jesus. Start talking to Jesus. Ask Him to show you Who He is. Begin to repent. Keep talking to Jesus until you can again honestly see or carry a crucifix not out of habit but out of love.
Prayer: King Jesus, I bend my knee and will to Your will and kingdom (see Phil 2:10).
Promise: “In [Jesus] everything continues in being.” —Col 1:17
Praise: “Sing praise to God, sing praise; Sing praise to our King, sing praise. For King of all the earth is God; sing hymns of praise” (Ps 47:7-8, NAB).
http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
Do you recognize that the Lord Jesus has been given all authority and power by his Father in heaven to reign over all creation - including the heavens and the earth? Jesus was crucified for his claim to be the Anointed King sent by the Father in heaven (John 18:37 and Luke 23:38) to establish his kingdom not only for his people Israel, but for all nations and peoples as well (Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 24:30 and Matthew 26:63-64).
God is King and Ruler over all
What is the significance and meaning of Jesus' kingship for us? Kingship today seems outdated and useless, especially in democratic societies where everyone is supposed to be treated equal and free. Many rulers in past ages claimed they had sovereign authority to rule by divine edict. But God did not give his people Israel a king at first. Why? Because God alone was their King and they needed no other. Nonetheless, God relented and chose David as King over Israel with the promise that God would raise up through David's royal line a Savior who would establish an everlasting kingdom of righteousness and peace that would endure for all ages (Psalm 89:29).
The Jews understood that the Messiah ("Anointed One") would come as God's anointed King to restore paradise and establish God's reign of peace for them. They wanted a Messianic King who would free them from strife and division and from foreign oppression. Many had high hopes that Jesus would be the Messiah and Ruler for Israel. Little did they understand what kind of kingship Jesus claimed to possess.
Jesus' claim to kingship
Jesus came to deliver his people, and the whole world, from the worst kind of tyranny possible - from bondage to sin, guilt and condemnation, and from the wages of sin which is death (Romans 6:23) and separation from an all-merciful and just Father who gave us his son to set us free and to adopt us as his beloved sons and daughters. Jesus came to conquer hearts and souls for an imperishable kingdom - a kingdom ruled not by force or fear - but by the power of God's righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
When Satan tempted Jesus during his forty day fast in the wilderness, he offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:8-9). Jesus knew that the world was in Satan's power. And this was precisely why Jesus came - to overthrow Satan's power and deception over the earth. Jesus knew that the way to victory was through submission to his Father's will and plan to lay down his life for us and reverse the curse of sin and death for us. The Father sent his only begotten Son into the world, not to condemn it, but to save it through the atoning sacrifice which Jesus would make for us through the shedding of his blood on the cross of Calvary.
Jesus came to restore Paradise for us - everlasting life with God
As Jesus was crucified on the cross alongside two criminals who were thieves, one mocked him for his claim to divine kingship. But the other thief recognized through the eyes of faith that Jesus was truly God's Anointed King and Savior. He petitioned Jesus to treat his poor soul with mercy and pardon, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Luke 23:42). Jesus not only granted him forgiveness, but a place with him in his everlasting kingdom. "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Jesus died not only as King of the Jews, but as King of all nations and Lord of the universe. His victory over the power of sin, Satan, and the world was accomplished through his atoning death on the cross and his resurrection on the third day. Jesus exchanged a throne of glory for a cross of shame to restore us from slavery to sin to glory with God as his adopted sons and daughters. That is why the Father exalted his Son and raised him in glory over the heavens and the earth. In the Book of Revelation Jesus is called King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). He now sits in glory at the right hand of the Father in heaven - and from his throne he rules as Lord over all Do you recognize Jesus Christ as your Sovereign King and Redeemer?
Which ruler and kingdom do you serve?
The Scriptures tell us that there are ultimately only two kingdoms in this world which are opposed to one another - the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. Each kingdom is ruled by one lord or master - the Lord Jesus Christ who is the true "Light of the World" - and the false messiah and deceiver who is called the "anti-Christ" and the "angel of light" who rules over men and women through the power of false promises, lies, and temptation to sin and disobedience.
If we follow the Lord Jesus and entrust our lives to him he will open our eyes to the light of his truth and guide us by his Holy Spirit along the path that leads to our true homeland with God. If we follow the course which is set by the ruler of this present world - a world which is opposed to Christ and blinded by Satan - then we will discover that sin, pride, and deception will lead us down a path of destruction, death, and separation, rather than life, freedom, and friendship with God and the people he has redeemed with the precious blood of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Which kingdom will you serve - today, tomorrow, and for all eternity? This present world will pass away, but God's kingdom will endure forever. If we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and King and submit to his rule for our lives, we become citizens of heaven and inherit an everlasting kingdom which is ruled by righteousness, peace, and love. Is the Lord Jesus the true King and Master of your life?
Lord Jesus Christ, you are my King and there is no other. Be the Lord and Master of my heart, mind, body, and soul. May I always seek to do your will and to serve your kingdom above all else.
Psalm 93:1-5
1 The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved;
2 your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring.
4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the LORD!
5 Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: My kingdom is not of the world, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Listen, everyone, Jews and Gentiles, circumcised and uncircumcised. Listen, all kings of the earth. I am no hindrance to your rule in this world, for 'my kingdom is not of this world.' Banish the groundless fear that filled Herod the Great on hearing that Christ was born. More cruel in his fear than in his anger, he put many children to death (Matthew 2:3,16), so that Christ would also die. But 'my kingdom is not of this world,' says Christ. What further reassurance do you seek? Come to the kingdom that is not of this world. Do not be enraged by fear, but come by faith. In a prophecy Christ also said, 'He,' that is, God the Father, 'has made me king on Zion his holy mountain' (Psalm 2:6). But that Zion and that mountain are not of this world.
"What in fact is Christ's kingdom? It is simply those who believe in him, those to whom he said, 'You are not of this world, even as I am not of this world.' He willed, nevertheless, that they should be in the world, which is why he prayed to the Father, 'I ask you not to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one' (John 17:15-16). So here also he did not say, 'My kingdom is not' in this world but 'is not of this world.' And when he went on to prove this by declaring, 'If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have fought to save me from being handed over to the Jews,' he concluded by saying not 'my kingdom is not here' but 'my kingdom is not from here.'
"Indeed, his kingdom is here until the end of time, and until the harvest it will contain weeds. The harvest is the end of the world, when the reapers, who are the angels, will come and gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin (Matthew 13:48-41). And this could not happen if his kingdom were not here. But even so, it is not from here, for it is in exile in the world. Christ says to his kingdom, 'You are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world' (John 15:19). They were indeed of the world when they belonged to the prince of this world, before they became his kingdom. Though created by the true God, everyone born of the corrupt and accursed stock of Adam is of the world. [But] everyone who is reborn in Christ becomes the kingdom that is no longer of the world. For God has snatched us from the powers of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). This is that kingdom of which he said, 'My kingdom is not of this world; my kingly power does not come from here." (excerpt from TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 115.2)
https://www.youtube.com/user/AnthonyCompanions/videos
More Homilies
November 24, 2019 The Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe