＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Ezekiel 14:11-12, 15-17/

 That the peo­ple of Israel may no longer stray from me.

Instead of defiling themselves with all their transgressions, they will be for me a people and I will be their God – word of Yahweh.”  The word of Yahweh came to me in these terms.

 If I also let wild beasts roam the land to deprive it of children so that it becomes a desolation without a passerby because of the beasts, if these three men were in the land, as I live, word of Yahweh, they would not save their sons or daughters but only they themselves would be spared while the land would be made desolate.

 The same would happen if I brought the sword against this land and ordered the sword to go through the land destroying people and ani­mals.

 

Ps 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6(1)

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28

 But no, Christ has been raised from the dead and he comes before all those who have fallen asleep. A human being brought death; a human being also brings resurrection of the dead. All die for being Adam’s, and in Christ all will receive life.  However, each one in his own time: first Christ, then Christ’s people, when he comes.

 Then the end will come, when Christ delivers the kingdom to God the Father, after having de­stroyed every rule, authority and power. For he must reign and put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed will be death. When the Father has subjected everything to him, the Son will place himself under the One who subjected everything to him. From then on, God will be all in all.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 25:31-46

 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all his angels, he will sit on the throne of his Glory. All the nations will be brought before him, and as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, so will he do with them, placing the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

 The King will say to those on his right: ‘Come, blessed of my Father! Take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you wel­­comed me into your house. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to see me.’

 Then the good people will ask him: ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food; thirsty and give you drink, or a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to see you?’ The King will answer, ‘Truly, I say to you: when­ever you did this to these little ones who are my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.’

 Then he will say to those on his left: ‘Go, cursed peo­ple, out of my sight into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you did not give me anything to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you did not welcome me into your house; I was naked and you did not clothe me; I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

 They, too, will ask: ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, naked or a stranger, sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ The King will answer them: ‘Truly, I say to you: whatever you did not do for one of these little ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go into eternal punishment, but the just to eternal life.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

Read:

“Viva Cristo Rey!” The last Sunday of the Liturgical Calendar is the Solemnity of Christ the king. This year, Cyle A, presents Jesus as the Shepherd – king. The first reading speaks of the Shepherd who is dismayed with Israel who has time and again become disobedient. Thus, there is a promise of the coming of a good Shepherd.

Jesus is the God Shepherd who will lay down his life for his sheep (2^nd reading). He is also the King, who on Judgment day will discriminate the good from the bad – the sheep from the goats.

Reflect:

In Israel, the shepherd’s staff was used to guard and guide the sheep. The shepherd was always ready to put his life at risk for the sake of the sheep. The shepherd was always in the look-out for any danger.

Today the Flock of Christ, the Pope and Bishops follow the Good Shepherd. Always, there is great risk in becoming a true shepherd. There is joy for the shepherd when the flock is docile. There is great sorrow for the shepherd when the flock is, like goats, head strong and disobedient.

Pray:

We pray for the Church on this last Sunday of the Liturgical Calendar. We pray that the shepherds of the Church may be like Jesus the Good Shepherd. We also pray that we, the faithful, may be more like sheep and not goats.

Act:

We must all seek to belong to the flock of Christ. Our king is a Good Shepherd; but he’s also a king who will return to be our judge!Make me docile, oh Lord. May I follow Jesus, my Good Shepherd and king.