Kristong Hari

Dakilang Kapistahan ng Pagkahari

Nobyembre 23, 2025

 

Unang Pagbasa: 

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Pagninilay

Ni: Renato C. Vibiesca

 

Wala tayong malinaw o malalim na konsepto ng pagkakaroon ng hari dahil wala sa kultura natin ito o wala tayong karanasan na mapasakop sa isang hari bilang pinuno ng ating bayan, maliban noong panahon ng kolonyalismo na malupit at malungkot na kasaysayan naman ang naranasan. Madalas na nakikita lang natin ang anyong kastilyo sa mga resort o pasyalan bilang dekorasyon ng lugar upang magmukhang kaharian iyon. Ang Fantasy World sa Lemery, Batangas ang tanging kastilyong nakita ko sa Pilipinas na isang amusement park at tinaguriang Disneyland ng Pilipinas. Pero napakaliit nito kung ikukumpara sa Disneyland sa ibang bansa. Nagkaroon lamang ako ng mas malawak na pagmumuni tungkol sa kastilyo at sa kaharian nang bigyan ako ng grasya ng Diyos na makakita nito sa ilang mga bansa sa Europa. Una, hindi lang bakas ng kasaysayan ang ipinapahiwatig nito kundi ang kadakilaan at kabutihan ng isang hari sa kanyang nasasakupan. Isa sa una kong napansin sa mga kastilyo ay napalilibutan ito ng matitibay na pader o moog, ang istrukturang ito ng kaharian ay ibig patunayan sa nasasakupang mamamayan na magtiwala sila dahil ligtas sila sa loob at laging kinakalinga sila ng kanilang hari. Kapag may magtatangkang sumira ng kastilyo o manakop ng kanilang kaharian, ang hari ang nangunguna sa kanyang mga kawal upang ipagtanggol ang kaniyang nasasakupan. Sinisiguro rin ng hari na sapat at masagana sa lahat ng bagay ang mamamayan upang manatili silang masaya sa kanilang pamumuhay. Napapaisip ako na ang pagiging mabuting hari marahil ang dahilan kung bakit hanggang ngayon ay maunlad na mga bansa ang karamihang nasa Europa. Subalit higit pa sa lahat ng kagalingan ng kastilyo o anumang kaharian sa Europa o maging sa buong mundo ang nais ibigay ng ating Kristong Hari nang ipangako niya sa Ebanghelyo na isasama sa paraiso ang magnanakaw na nagbalik-loob at nanampalataya kay Hesus. Sapagkat ang Kaharian ng Diyos ay walang hanggan na hindi tulad sa anumang kaharian sa mundo na maglalaho at lilipas pagdaan ng panahon. Tanging ang Kristong Hari ang matibay na moog na nagliligtas sa ating mga kasalanan, ang tagapagtanggol ng tapat na sumasampalataya sa Kanya, ang Hari na nagbibigay ng kasaganaan, ang Diyos na nagbibigay ng walang hanggang kaligayahan. Ang matimyas na pag-ibig sa atin ng Kristong Hari ay biyaya ng kaligtasan ng mga tapat na sumasampalataya sa Kanya sa pamamagitan ng pagtakwil sa mga kasalanan at pagbabalik-loob, pagpapanibago ng buhay, at pagbabayad-puri sa lahat ng nagawang pagkukulang sa Diyos at sa kapwa. Amen.

 

Panalangin

Panginoong Hesus, nagsusumaamo kami na patawarin ang aming mga kasalanan, dulutan ng biyaya na makapagbagong buhay at manatiling tapat sa Iyo habang nagbabayad-puri kami sa lahat ng masamang aming nagawa upang maisama mo rin kami sa Iyong Kaharian. Amen.

Jesus Christ, King of Truth!

    

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

24 November 2024

 

First Reading: Dn 7:13-14

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 93:1, 1-2, 5

Second Reading: Rv 1:5-8

Gospel: Jn 18:33b-37

 

Reflection

By: Benj Santiago

 

"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."

Jesus' message is clear when He said He came to testify to the truth to expose the falsehood and deception of the world and the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees of His time. He came to reveal the Father's love, mercy, forgiveness, and generosity.

To listen to His voice in my daily activities and interaction with people around me is to follow His teachings, and examples of humility, service, compassion, healing, guidance, and above all, love. It is very challenging in many instances even with the people I love.

I examine my conscience if I am truly listening to Him or to the lies of the world. I find myself still failing in many instances.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, we humbly implore You to continue to make Your truth known to us. Forgive our shortcomings, remove all the lies in our minds and hearts, and send Your spirit of generosity and love. We pray this in Your Name, Amen.

God's Authority

    

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

28 January 2024

 

First Reading: Dt 18:15-20

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9

Second Reading: 1 Cor 7:32-35

Gospel: Mk 1:21-28

 

Reflection

By: Jose Paulo Gonzales

 

How great is the Lord that no power in the heavens, on earth, nor under the earth can dare hold a candle to Him. Speaking with authority such that dignitaries would beam with astonishment upon seeing Him, He also had the ability to cast out evil spirits with a single command; for they know who He is. They know the power He wields. They follow Him as they are subject to Him. This is our King: the King of kings, the Lord of lords. His Name is above every other name. He is Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.

The authority with which Jesus spoke perceivably springs from His confidence in the Father, for theirs is a bond unbreakable from of old. Jesus has been with God the Father from the beginning, and Jesus is the One through Whom all things were made (John 1). To interpret (as we cannot speak completely on the Lord’s behalf), Jesus’ authority comes from His eternal divinity with the Father and is not only a result of divine bequeathment, and such naturally translated into the quality of His preaching.

So special is the place Jesus occupies that entire lives are worth being lived for Him, as in today’s Second Reading. Such reading provides basis for why celibacy is practiced today in the Catholic priesthood; for a life lived entirely for Christ is a life not encumbered by the cares of the world and is thus a life undivided in Christ. This is why the priesthood maintains a special place in vocation as do other types of vocation: marriage, religious life (to include the diaconate and nunhood, which are other types of religious calling), and single blessedness. Whatever vocation a person chooses and lives up to in good faith is a rife space God can bless for His commissioning.

A life of stalwart spiritual zeal is one Christ has lived such that He did not withdraw from doing good on the Sabbath. While in today’s Gospel, Jesus has not yet done anything the pharisees can squarely condemn (as He was only preaching on the Sabbath which was apparently acceptable to the pharisees), in Mark chapter 3, Jesus, on Sabbath, would heal a man’s withered hand. Encounters such as this are what usually land Jesus in hot water, for the pharisees maintain a rigid disposition towards the conduct of Sabbath, namely they hold it to an absolute degree that one must resist doing any action on the Special Day. While the originative feeling is not one to be repudiated completely as the pharisees and the like may be ‘coming from a good place’, in the wisdom of the Lord, the prospect of doing good especially for the benefit of those whose needs do not pick any day significantly outweighs the stringent observance of the day of rest. After all, can a person of good heart and sound discernment maintain the composure of rest at the sight of a brother or sister in need? We have the answer in Jesus when He posed to the pharisees this rhetorical question: “which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (Mark 3:4) We could not save everybody every day; but where our hands can help, they are appreciated… as per the Lord, they can even save!

Prayer

Lord God, thank You for the gift of discernment that nevertheless with You has brought us this far in our Christian walk of life. Please continue to shower upon us Your wisdom and love to make for us a way of life guided not only by sound judgment but ultimately, love. May we continue to be Your hands that care for others so that we can live authentically as Your living tabernacles.

Thank You, Jesus! In Jesus’ most holy Name, Amen.

The King's Call

    

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

26 November 2023

 

First Reading: Ez 34:11-12, 15-17

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6

Second Reading: 1 Cor 15:20-26, 28

Gospel: Mt 25:31-46

 

Reflection

By: Carlo Alexis Malaluan

We have come to the “end” of the liturgical year. And what is more fitting but to celebrate it with a feast of a King whose kingdom does have no end. A very striking imagery of this Gospel passage is the act of separation - the distinction made between the “sheeps” and the “goats” - of those who have lived according to God’s commands and to those who have rejected it. This passage makes a distinction not only between those who have compassion and those who do not, but between those who are in a position to help, and those who are in need.

Christ has made a distinction. Not because He is a cruel judge but He will judge us according to the path we have chosen. Each one of us goes to the place we have chosen. Those whose lives were oriented to love and mercy come to the love and mercy of God. Those who excluded people in need from their lives have excluded themselves from God’s kingdom where there is only acceptance and love.

There are two kinds of people mentioned in the parable. First, the people who performed these deeds with no idea that they were actually serving Christ. Jesus says that whenever they gave food to the hungry, welcomed a stranger, clothed the naked, or visited the sick or imprisoned, they acted in kindness toward Jesus himself. Jesus can identify with the least of these because He has walked in their shoes. On the other hand, those who have failed to see the needs of the disadvantaged have acted as though they have never seen Jesus. They have not followed in Christ’s footsteps.  They have not heed to do the work that the Master has called them to do.

Jesus has only one “basic” criteria: our love for others. Can we see the true humanity, the image of God, in the needy people of this world?  The problem is we lump problems and people together: the homeless, the welfare class, welfare queens, the Third World, the mentally ill, the unemployed, illegal immigrants.  There is scarcely a human face to be seen in any of those broad categories. We summarily size up, categorize, characterize, and sometimes dismiss literally millions of people via a blanket label.  We reduce all the homeless or all the unemployed to one basic sub-heading.  We assume every person in a given category is more-or-less the same.  But can we put a name or a face with anyone who actually lives in one of those segments of life?

Once a priest told me: You will never find Christ in the church (he is referring to the building), if you cannot find Christ in His Church (he is referring to the people). “Lord, when did we see you?”  Jesus’ answer will quite probably be, “When not?”.

There was a beautiful anecdote about Mother Teresa. She would spend hours in prayer, her hands covering her face - she was talking to Jesus. But when someone would call her immediate attention, she would smile to that person unbothered and undistracted in her time of prayer and solitude. Her reason was, I was talking from Jesus to Jesus! The same Jesus of her prayers is the same Jesus she finds in other people.

Jesus is not suggesting that we innovate excessively creative programs, that we do the social equivalent of a circus high-wire act or that we perform miracles.  He simply asks us to see Him in the people around us. 

Prayer

Jesus, open not only our eyes but also our hearts to see You in every person we encounter, to lend our hands to those in need, and to do Your greatest command which is to love.

Before Thy Kingdom

   

  Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

20 November 2022 

 

First Reading: 2 Sm 5:1-3

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

Second Reading: Col 1:12-20

Gospel: Lk 23:35-43

 

Reflection

By: Bernard Borja

 

I remember a scene from a movie about pirates where the pirates needed to vote for their king. For a long time, there has never been a king elected because the pirates would only vote for themselves. The election then started by saying the name that they are voting for. One by one, the pirates say out loud their own name. But one pirate surprised everyone when he voted for another. Commotion began and the pirates 

were complaining. Eventually, they followed the rules and elected the one who has the greatest number of votes, which is two. It was a funny scene but it made me think, when one of them stopped thinking highly about himself, it was when the tradition of voting selfishly was broken. If they only looked past their own benefits or amusement, it would not have taken a long time for them to have a king.

God’s kingdom has always been with all of us. From the beginning, God continues to make His kingdom known to us. While it is very true that we receive salvation through Christ, it is also through His kingdom that we receive the fullness of grace that God wants us to take part. During Jesus’ ministry, he constantly proclaimed the kingdom of God through healing, repentance, and justice. In His sorrowful passion, many people still perceived the kingdom differently. They even sneered at Him to “save Himself.” and prove that He is a king. Today, this is somehow a familiar scene to behold. We expect to receive blessings because we believe that it is our birthright. We don’t look past ourselves and only think of the benefits that we can get. We look up and ask God to do things for us because we are constantly trying to test His greatness. While it is true that we can ask God anything through our deep faith, sometimes we forget that we are in His kingdom and that we are approaching a king.

In corporate offices, there is a courtesy needed when meeting the executives. When people go to a palace, we see how reverence is shown when a king or queen walk past them. Even government leaders are approached in a polite and well-mannered way. Why is it that there are times when we come before Jesus, our King, we unconsciously look at Him as our servant? Are we taking the verse “the Son of Man came not 

to be served but to serve others” (Mat 20:28) literally? Do we perceive our prayers as commands?

The repentant thief believes that he is with a true king. Though he also wants to be saved by Jesus, the thief believes that it will only be through justice for his crimes. The thief acknowledged it by admitting his sinfulness and conceding to the condemnation he was subjected to. He believes that salvation is received through Jesus and passed through His kingdom which includes justice and repentance.

When we come before The Lord to pray, remembering our disposition will help us recognize and acknowledge the kingship of Jesus Christ. When we only think of ourselves, the benefits that we will gain while setting aside concern for others, we forget about the kingdom of Jesus and how it welcomes us to receive His graces. We approach Jesus by remembering that we also need to come before His kingdom which is also built by justice. In this way, it will also help us prepare to welcome Him to dwell in our hearts, as He constantly pursue and accompany us in all our journeys.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, we come before You and acknowledge our sinfulness. We offer to You our struggles to recognize Your kingship over us, and we ask for guidance that we may be able to constantly proclaim Your kingdom through justice and repentance. We humbly pray that we may also be able to prepare for your coming. We ask these through the intercession of Mary, our Queen Mother, that we may also find consolation in the judgment subiected to us because of our sins. Amen.

Christ the King

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

21 November 2021 

 

First Reading: DN 7:13-14

Responsorial Psalm: PS 93:1, 1-2, 5

Second Reading: REV 1:5-8

Gospel: JN 18:33b-37

 

Reflection

By: Pietro S. Albano

 

Arise!

"Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."

The church holds an annual Global Celebration of Youth People (also known as World Youth Day) during the Solemnity of Christ the King. This year, the theme is Stand up. I appoint you as a witness of what you have seen (cf Acts 26:16). In today's Gospel, Pilate asked Jesus if He was king. While the Roman governor would think of an earthly king who commands armies, oppresses the weak, and has enormous wealth, our Lord presents Himself as king of a heavenly kingdom, a kingdom that stands and fights for the truth. That is why He said, "My kingdom does not belong to this world." Today's Gospel as well as World Youth Day's theme have something in common: both call the young people to be a witness of Jesus, the King who came not to be served, but to serve. In His message to celebrate this occasion, Pope Francis made this appeal to the youth:

"In Jesus' Name I ask you: Arise! Testify that you too were blind and encountered the light. You too have seen God's goodness and beauty in yourself, in others, and in the communion of the Church, where all loneliness is overcome."

"Arise! Testify to the love and respect it is possible to instill in human relationships, in the lives of our families, in the dialogue between parents and children, between the young and the elderly."

"Arise! Uphold social justice, truth, and integrity, human rights. Protect the persecuted, the poor and the vulnerable, those who have no voice in society, immigrants."

"Arise! Testify to the new way of looking at things that enables you to view creation with eyes brimming with wonder, that makes you see the earth as our common home, and gives you the courage to promote an integral ecology."

"Arise! Testify the lives of failure can be rebuilt, that persons spiritually dead can rise anew, that those in bondage can once more be free, that hearts overwhelmed by sorrow can rediscover hope."

"Arise! Testify joyfully that Christ is alive! Spread His message of love and salvation among your contemporaries, at school and in the university, at work, in the digital world, everywhere."

• How can you be a witness to Jesus today?
• How can you inspire young people to stand up for Jesus?
• How does the youth inspire you to listen attentively to Jesus?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your word today. We entrust to You all young people all over the world. Transform the hearts that they may stand up and be counted among Your witnesses in the world that longs to be freed by the truth that comes from You. Amen.

 

Jesus, the King of Truth!

 The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of Universe 22 November 2020

 First Reading                                                            EZ 34:11-12, 15-17

Thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep. 
As a shepherd tends his flock
when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,
so will I tend my sheep.
I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered
when it was cloudy and dark. 
I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD. 
The lost I will seek out,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal,
but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,
shepherding them rightly.

As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD,
I will judge between one sheep and another,
between rams and goats.

Second Reading                                                   1 COR 15:20-26, 28

 

Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power. 
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
When everything is subjected to him,
then the Son himself will also be subjected
to the one who subjected everything to him,
so that God may be all in all.

Gospel                                                                        MT 25:31-46

Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life.

 

Reflection

By: Art Reyes

 

Today is the Solemnity of Christ the King, the King of universe. This is also the day when we as a Church, conclude our liturgical year. In today's Gospel we proclaim the great mystery of our faith. By his crucifixion, Jesus is shown to be the King and Savior of all. Christ is our King!

Many of our leaders today are very privileged, untouchable, and unjust. It is because they think that their power is endless, that they can manipulate anyone's mind. A true king leads us to truth, serves not himself but the very people who look up to him.

I recently heard a story about somebody asking an archaeologist about when they thought civilization appeared in the human race. We would think that the evidence of early civilization would be wall carvings on an explored cave or finding ancient clay pots. But the archaeologist answered that it was a broken thigh bone.

In the ancient world, a broken leg meant death. A broken leg made you easy prey, you could not hunt to get food, and you could not get to the river to drink. Somebody had to take the time to protect, feed, and tend to the injured person, nursing them back to health until they could do the tasks that they needed to do to survive by themselves. This is the first sign of civilization: someone caring for the life of another.

The social media that we are hooked into now is a platform that are full of lies, deceit, and distractions. There are people whose livelihood is to tell lies in favor of their patrons--usually the politicians who are addicted to power. The civility among us is almost extinct as we exchange hurtful words, insults, and lies to save our pride in the lost argument. We have lost the ability to interact with one another authentically. We have stopped caring for each other.

The social media may end the culture and human civilization. Or has it already? We need our God the most at this time so we can stay focused on the truth. Let us continue to faithfully listen to His voice.

Let us be reminded that there is One who is the truth. All worldly power, influences, and wealth will pass. Let us not be influences by lies by those who are in power. We owe them nothing.

Only Christ is our King! The King of Truth!

 

Prayer 

 

O Lord Jesus Christ, You are the way, the life, and the truth. Help me to live in truth, to speak it, to experience it, and to share it. Lord, You are King! Amen.

 

 

Enthrone Jesus!

Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe

24 November 2019

First reading                                                                  2 Samuel 5:1-3
All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Look, we are your bone and flesh. For some time, while Saul was king over us, it was you who led out Israel and brought it in. The Lord said to you: It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you who shall be ruler over Israel.”
So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord and they anointed David king over Israel.

Second reading                                                     Colossians 1:12-20

We give thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into 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 all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers-all things have been created through him and for him.

He himself 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, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Gospel                                                                     Luke 23:35-43

[Around the cross] the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at Jesus, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Reflection

By Anabelle P. Balla

Jesus, You are King of kings!

What a better way to celebrate Christ the King than singing Him praises and proclaiming He is King! It is time to re-affirm and declare Jesus as the Ruler of our life, of our hearts.

I am sure you are familiar with the song below from Don Moen. Come and sing along!

Jesus, we enthrone You

We proclaim You are King

Standing here, in the midst of us

We raise You up with our praise

And as we worship build Your throne

And as we worship build Your throne

And as we worship build Your throne

Come Lord Jesus and take Your place

Jesus, we enthrone You

We proclaim You are king

Standing here, in the midst of us

We raise You up with our praise

And as I worship serve Your place

And as I worship serve Your place

And as I worship serve Your place

Come Lord Jesus and take Your place

At times, we have behaved as though Christ isn't our King. Let this solemn feast remind us that He is just waiting for us to open the door of our hearts and take His place in our lives. The Repentant Thief welcomed Jesus, at the nick of time. And Jesus obliged. Let's not wait for that occasion to happen. Let's seize every moment to acclaim the Lord as our King!

Prayer

Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God and King forever and ever.  Jesus, remember us when you come into Your kingdom. Amen.

Unlike Any Other King

Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe

25 November 2018

First reading                                                                  Daniel 7:13-14
As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.

Second reading                                                     Revelation 1:5-8

Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, is the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

Gospel                                                                     John 18:33-37

Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Whoever belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

Reflection

By Benj Santiago

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty”.

Today is the Solemnity of the Christ the King! A fitting closure of the Liturgical Year! Our “King”  born not in a great palace, but in a poor and smelly manger inside a cave. 

He has outlived all the kingdoms of this world as predicted by prophet Daniel even before He was born: “given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed”. He will continue to reign for He is the beginning and the end. As John the Beloved wrote in Revelation “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty”.

But unlike any other king, Jesus came to serve and to love, not to lord it over His dominion. He came to offer His life as a supreme sacrifice that we may all be redeemed from our sins. In different ways, we too exercise some degree of leadership - in our family, work, or community. Do people see in us the servant leadership of Jesus or are we like any other king out there? Let Christ's Kingdom continue to reign in our hearts!

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, our King of Kings, our Supreme Redeemer, the One Who Reigns forever, we worship and praise You! We give You thanks and all the glory! We pray that You continue to inspire our leaders and all of us to be more like You. We pray that You reign in our hearts and minds forever and ever. Amen.

The King is Among Us

Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe   26 November 2017

First reading

Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17

Thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will fed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.

I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats:

                

Second reading

1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28

Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things under him, that God may be everything to every one.

Gospel

Matthew 25:31-46

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Reflection

by Art B. Reyes

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ, the King of the universe. In today’s Gospel, it is told that the Son of Man will come at the end of time. The final judgment will come upon us, where the good will be rewarded and the bad will be punished. Our true identity will be exposed, stripped of our worldly possessions and obsessions.

The final judgment will be based on what we did or did not do for the Lord, and on the other hand is also based on what we did or did not do for the least of our brothers and sisters.  Let us pray that the Lord grant us wisdom to feel His presence in everyone, be rich or poor, powerful or weak. May the final judgment give us hope and not fear. May we rely not on our self understanding but on God’s mercy.

A king, as we know, is someone who is rich, lavish, and luxurious. But here is Jesus, the King of kings, who associates Himself with the leper, the sick, the lowest of the low, and the outcast. Here is the king who died in a violent death, like a criminal. And here is the king who taught us about taking care of homeless, unfortunate, thirsty, and hungry.

Jesus is King, but not the kind of king we might have imagined or expected. His kingship is hidden to some of us, but those who have faith are able to see and recognize Jesus as King. Why would a king choose to live in the hearts and souls of the poor, oppressed, and those who cry out in suffering? Because Jesus identifies Himself in them. Because He stands by their side. Our King is among the poor and the suffering.

Today's Gospel invites us to make our own judgment. May we, with eyes of faith, recognize that Jesus, the crucified One, is indeed the King and Savior of all.

Prayer

O Lord Jesus Christ the King, reign supremely in my heart and in my life. Help us see and recognize You in the poorest among us. Help us to be Your voice speaking out love and acceptance. Help us to be Your feet walking beside those in need, to be Your ears to listen to their cries. Help us to be Your hands to clothe, feed and shelter them.

And when our time comes, may we welcome You not with fear, but with hope. Amen.