Texts taken from the Missalette “On Your Word” November-December 2024

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (S) (B)
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FIRST READING

From the book of the prophet Daniel (Dn 7:13-14)
As I watched in the night visions, behold, one like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven; he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. To him were given dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages served him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship shall never be destroyed. - The Word of the Lord.

Commentary on the First Reading

In the Book of Daniel, we are presented with a figure of an Ancient One, whose majesty is absolute, and a “son of man” who appears before him. We are speaking of God, so this refers to the Father and the Son. The Father gives the Son all kingdoms and the power to judge. We can therefore consider that all of us will be judged, from the first to the last, by the Lord Jesus Christ. Certainly, God is one; there are not three divinities, but judgment concerning our lives has been placed in the hands of Jesus, king, judge, and Lord. We will not be judged by the Holy Spirit, nor, strictly speaking, by the Father. Why? Because Jesus is God incarnate, who has already paid for everyone once and for all, and has already pronounced a verdict. His sacrifice on the cross repaired disobedience and rebellion, so the judgment is one of acquittal. Are we not overcome with joy? All we have to do is believe in our eternal salvation through Christ’s infinite merits, then ask for forgiveness, be humble and meek, and often invoke the blood of Christ to continually purify our souls. 

SECOND READING

From the Book of Revelation of Saint John the Apostle (Rv 1:5-8)
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will beat their breasts because of him. Yes. Amen! Says the Lord God: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the one who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty! - The Word of the Lord.

Commentary on the Second Reading

Jesus is the king, the one who freed us from evil through his death on the cross. The passage from Revelation adds something to the reading from the Old Testament: it tells us that if we are in him, we also share in his victory; therefore, even now we exercise a certain kingship, prophecy, and priesthood. We are baptized to live all this. We must exercise kingship above all over our passions, governing ourselves and bringing order and discipline into our lives, defeating the devil; prophecy by reading and interpreting Sacred Scripture and the events of the world in the light of faith in Christ; and priesthood by consecrating our world (work, home, family, etc.) and imploring eternal salvation for those whom God has entrusted to us. But we live all this not by virtue of our own abilities, but always through and for the Lord Jesus, whom Revelation continually praises as the Alpha and the Omega and as the Almighty. What greatness our lives possess! Let us therefore live what we are, immerse ourselves in our baptism, and work with Christ for the salvation of the world.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John (Jn 18:33b-37)
At that time, Pilate said to Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own, or have others told you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my servants would have fought to prevent my being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate then said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “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.” - The Word of the Lord. 

Commentary on the Gospel of the Day

Christ’s kingship is universal. He cannot be a sovereign in the way the world understands it, and Pilate had understood this, because Jesus had no army, imperial court, chariots, or horses. The Lord bases his kingship on service to the truth. Let us try to understand the depth of this expression. The ultimate struggle for every person takes place on the ground of truth and falsehood, and the two opposing leaders are Jesus Christ and the devil, called the “father of lies.” Jesus is the truth of all things; he is the one who brings light into the world so that people may be guided to live in truth. The truth is that we are children of God, that we are in this world to know and love him and to love one another. Everything else is falsehood. The truth is that we will live on this earth for a short time and then pass into God’s definitive kingdom, which is realized after death, if we are found faithful. The kingdom of God is therefore spiritual; it is within us, and the very opposition (persecution, hatred) that the devil brings upon us is proof that we are already in this Kingdom, through the sacraments and the life of grace. Truth and falsehood are therefore the two terms on which our entire lives are played out.