Recherche

image-i-nations trésor

Matthew 25:31-46

34th Sunday of Year A, Feast of Christ the King – 2023

24 novembre 2023
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: compassion, concern and care, dominion, Jesus Good Shepherd, John 10:11, judgement, Matthew 25:31-46

Today’s feast celebrates Christ as King of the universe.
But, in the texts of our celebration, God is presented not as a king but as… a SHEPHERD.
This is how he wants to be known.
Both the first reading (Ezekiel 34:11-12,15-17), and the gospel text (Matthew 25:31-46), describe him as such.

We see him searching for the lost, rescuing those in darkness,
showing them where to rest, bringing back the stray,
bandaging the wounded and making the weak strong.
watching over all of them…

And it is to a shepherd that Jesus has identified himself as he said:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

In the gospel text, He invites us to have for others the same concern and care that he has for us, his sheep.
In fact, it will be on this very attitude that we will be judged –
not only on what we did but also… on what we did not do!…

We celebrate, not his dominion, but his compassion.
And he expects us to show this compassion to all those we live and meet with…

 

Note: Another text is available on a different theme, in French, at:https://image-i-nations.com/34e-dimanche-de-lannee-a-christ-roi-2023/

 

Source: Image: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

34th Sunday of the Year A – Feast of Christ the King

23 novembre 2017
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: 1 Cor.15:20-28, assistance, Care, commitments, encounter, king, kingdom, Matthew 25:31-46, needy, ompassion, recognise, see

It is interesting to note that, on this feast of Christ the King, the first and the 3rd readings do not speak of a king or a kingdom.

The 2nd reading of Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor.15:20-26.28) has a short reference to this theme when it speaks of the resurrection at the end of time when Christ will “hand over the kingdom to God the Father.”
We are told that this kingdom will be that of “those who belong to him.”

This is possibly where we can find the link with the gospel text: how are we to belong to Christ?
It is clearly spelled out in the text of Matthew: it is by welcoming Christ who came our way under the guise of the needy of all kinds.
If we have been able to recognize him in the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, the sick, those in prison – all those in need of compassion and assistance, then we will find a place reserved for us in God’s home.

It is demanding indeed:
not to turn away,
not to pass by,
not to do as if we had not seen –
but precisely to SEE, and to RECOGNIZE, and to CARE.

We are busy people,
we have so many commitments and so little time,
so much to do and so little free spaces in our agenda,
so many engagements already and so few hours to spare for what is not listed in our ‘to do list’…

Perhaps, in our daily planning, it may be wise to leave a line for the unexpected encounter of some people – the very ones listed in Matthew 25:31-46…

Pic: newcreationchurch-sj.org