King of the universe

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Sunday, 26 November 2023 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the last Sunday in our current liturgical year, which therefore marks the occasion of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. On this day, we celebrate the Kingship of Jesus Christ, Who is the Son of God and Our Lord, and hence, is also our King. He is the Lord and Master of all Creation, of the whole Universe and everything that we can see and perceive, and even things that are supernatural and beyond our comprehension. He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and no one is greater than Him. On this day, we celebrate and rejoice in the Lord Jesus, our Lord and King, and we honour Him greatly today, as we remind ourselves of what our Lord and King has done for us, and how we should therefore live our lives to be truly worthy of Him, for all the love and kindness that He has always shown us.

In our first reading passage today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel in which the Lord told all of His people, the Israelites and their descendants that He is their Lord and Shepherd, and He would guide and lead them all through to the right path, gathering all of them, scattered throughout the world, finding out and reaching to the lost ones, so that every one of them would once again be gathered in His loving presence. These words came to the people of God at the time when many of them were indeed scattered, away from the lands promised to them and their ancestors. At that time, many of the people of the former northern kingdom of Israel had been uprooted from their homeland and exiled to the far regions of Assyria and Mesopotamia, when the Assyrians destroyed that kingdom and their cities.

Similarly for the people of the former southern kingdom of Judah, which was destroyed just around the time of the ministry of Ezekiel, many of them had been exiled to Babylon and other places too. Some of them fled to Egypt, while others went to other areas, beginning the period of the extensive diaspora of the Jewish people and their relatives. All of these words that the Lord sent to them through His prophet, Ezekiel, were reminders to all of them that ultimately, He is their Lord and King, the One true Master that they all had, and not the lords and kings that had once ruled over them and misled them into the path of corruption and downfall, destruction and humiliation. He is a just and loving God and Master to all of His beloved people, not a tyrant or autocrat who oppressed and extorted the weak and the feeble for His own benefits.

That is why, He presented Himself as a loving Shepherd to all of them, which is why, the famous Psalm of David, Psalm 22 that is used today, is a reminder for us of the Lord our God, Who is our Good Shepherd. He is always loving towards each and every one of us, caring for us and providing for us all of our needs, just like that of a shepherd who loves all of his sheep. He will not spare any efforts to try to find any of the sheep that has been lost to Him, and that was exactly what the Lord had done for our sake. God has always been insistent in sending His guidance, help and providence to us, and in patiently leading and guiding us down the right path. He has sent numerous prophets, messengers, servants and guides in order to help His beloved people, His flock, to come back to Him.

Now, then as we heard from our Gospel passage today, we heard about the Lord Jesus explained and detailing to His disciples about the Last Judgment, the moment when the Lord, as the King of Kings and the Lord and Master of all will judge all the living and the dead, and everyone shall be judged based on their actions and deeds, with those who are righteous and good rewarded and blessed, as those who are considered worthy to be enjoying forever the fullness of God’s grace and love. We also heard of how the wicked and those who have committed evil deeds, or failed to do what the Lord had told them to do, will be condemned and punished for their wickedness and failures. It is a reminder therefore for all of us that just as the Lord is loving and kind towards us, but He is also a God Who is just and expecting.

What does this mean, brothers and sisters in Christ? It means that while our Lord and King loves each and every one of us and while He has done everything that He could in order to reach out to us and to be reconciled with us, there are also many obligations and requirements that we have to fulfil as the subjects and parts of this Kingdom ruled by our Lord and King. Just as how the states and kingdoms of this world work, we cannot be good and worthy citizens unless we obey the laws and the rules of the realm, and do what we are supposed to do in obeying those rules and following the demands and expectations that are required of us to be good and law-abiding citizens of our respective states and countries. Thus, the same logic applies to how we live our lives in following our Lord and King, Jesus Christ, as well.

To be true and genuine Christians, and to be good, worthy and beloved flock of our Lord, our Good Shepherd and our King, each and every one of us must always remind ourselves to do what the Lord has commanded us to do, in fulfilling our Christian obligations and in living our lives in the manner that truly shows our true and genuine faith in God. We cannot be true and genuine Christians unless we follow the Law of God and obey the rules and the ways which His Church has set before us. But even more importantly, we also cannot just merely be blind followers of the Law and commandments of God, as it is indeed possible for us to do what is required of us by the Church and the Law of God, but we do not truly and genuinely do them because of the faith and love we have for God.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we approach the end of this current liturgical year with this glorious and most joyful celebration of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and King, King of the whole Universe, let us all remind ourselves of what we can and should do in our lives, in each and every moments to glorify Him by our good, worthy and exemplary lives. Then we must also truly enthrone the Lord as the King over our lives, over our families and our whole existence. This means that He should be at the centre and as the focus of our lives, and not our many preoccupations in life, our career, ambitions, desire for worldly glory and fame, worldly pleasures and possessions, and other things that we often put as our focus instead of the Lord, our God and King.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we therefore able to commit ourselves anew to the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, our Good Shepherd and our King? Are we able to do our best in doing what is right and just in our lives, in accordance with what He Himself had told us in our Gospel passage today? That in His own words He told us to feed those who are hungry, serve those who are thirsty and seeking for a drink, in welcoming strangers and those who need our help, love and attention into our care, for those who are sick and ostracised by the society, and those who have been neglected and oppressed, among others. Are we able to do what the Lord had told and taught us to do, and in following His own examples, and the examples of the many other holy men and women that had gone before us? Let us be loving, compassionate and merciful, just as the Lord Himself has shown us such great love, compassion and mercy, all these while.

Let us all therefore do our best, in every way we can, to do what the Lord has told and commanded us to do, so that we may truly be faithful and worthy followers and disciples of His, in all circumstances and opportunities that He has provided us with. Let us all renew our commitment to do our best in being exemplary and faithful Christians, in everything that we say and do, and strive to be the inspirations and role models for our fellow Christians, and even also to any others, strangers and acquaintances, all those whom we encounter and interact with, at each and every moments of our lives. May the Lord continue to bless us all in our every good efforts and deeds, and may He, Our Lord and King, the King of all Creation and Universe, be with us always throughout this journey of life, so that in the end, when our lives in this world are over, we may come to Him worthily, to enjoy forever the fullness of His love and grace. Amen.

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Sunday, 26 November 2023 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 25 : 31-46

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “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 hand 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 something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed Me into your home. 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 righteous will ask Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and give You food; thirsty, and give You something to 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 : just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, 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 : just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me.’ And these will go into eternal punishments; but the just, to eternal life.”

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Sunday, 26 November 2023 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

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. For, as in Adam all die, so, in Christ, all will be made alive. 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.

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Sunday, 26 November 2023 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 22 : 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside the still waters, He restores my soul. He guides me through the right paths for His Name’s sake.

You spread a table before me in the presence of my foes. You anoint my head with oil; my cup is overflowing.

Goodness and kindness will follow me all the days of my life, I shall dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

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Sunday, 26 November 2023 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Ezekiel 34 : 11-12, 15-17

Indeed YHVH says this : I, Myself, will care for My sheep and watch over them. As the shepherd looks after his flock when he finds them scattered, so will I watch over My sheep; and gather them from all the places where they were scattered in a time of cloud and fog.

I, Myself, will tend My sheep and let them rest, word of YHVH. I will search for the lost and lead back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak; but the fat and strong will be eliminated. I will shepherd My flock with justice.

As for you, My flock – says YHVH – I will distinguish between one sheep and another, and set apart rams and goats.

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Sunday, 21 November 2021 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the last Sunday of the current liturgical year, as next Sunday will mark the beginning of the new liturgical year with the First Sunday of Advent and the beginning of the Advent season leading towards Christmas. This Sunday every year we mark the occasion of the great Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, also known as the Solemnity of Christ the King. This great celebration marks the end of every liturgical years reminding us of Our one true Lord and King, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and of all Creation.

As we listened to the words of the Scriptures we are called to reflect on the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for He is Our True King, the One Who lords over us all and the font and source of all authority in this world. He is the One to Whom we ultimately give our obedience and commitment to, even as we all obey the laws and the customs of the land, of our own respective states and countries. We reflect on the Lord our Saviour and King, Who willingly came down to dwell in our midst and to walk among us, taking up upon Himself our humble human forms, that He may share with us our humanity.

And by His sharing of our humanity, He became the One to lead us out of the darkness and into in the light. Through Him we have received the assurances of salvation and eternal life, as by His most loving sacrifice on the Cross, He gave us the perfect gift of His love and the gift of everlasting life through His sacrifice for our sake. In Him, Our Lord and King, enthroned upon His Cross, lifted up high between Heaven and earth, all of us have shared in His death, dying to our past wickedness, disobedience and sins, and sharing with Him the glorious Resurrection and new life through His own Resurrection on Easter.

Let us now spend some time to discern the readings of the Scripture we have just heard earlier on, beginning with our first reading taken from the Book of the prophet Daniel. In that passage we heard of the heavenly vision of the prophet Daniel, who received the vision of Heaven, seeing a Son of Man together with One of Great Age, which was in fact the manifestation of the Lord and His Holy Trinity, as the Son of Man was none other than Jesus, also the Son of God, while the One of Great Age referred to God the Father, the Creator of all.

In that vision, we were told that the One of Great Age, the Father, granted dominion, power and authority, of kingship over all creation and the whole universe to the Son of Man, which is symbolic of what we are celebrating on this day. In that action, the Lord revealed to Daniel and also to all of us that He is the One true Lord, Master and King of all, the One and only One Who has authority and power over all things, over all beings and over all creation. All kings, lords and rulers, all beings in Heaven, on earth and even in hell are all subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ, One God, One True King of all.

And as we heard in that passage from the prophet Daniel, he mentioned that the Kingship of Christ our Lord is clear and true, a true dominion that is for all time and for all things, unchanging and eternal. It is not merely just a symbolic kingship or rule that Our Lord’s Kingship us about, but a true Kingship, the King over all of us regardless of our national allegiance and regardless of our obedience to any worldly entities and states. The Lord’s kingship transcends the boundary of states and nations, and His kingship transcends any definition of race, or political affiliation and any other categories or groupings that we often divide ourselves into.

And in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to Pontius Pilate, the Governor of Judea during the time of His Passion and suffering, when He was about to be condemned to death by the same Pontius Pilate. I am sure all of us are familiar with what happened at that time, as the Lord had been falsely charged and accused by the chief priests, the elders and the Pharisees of the attempt to rebel against the Emperor in Rome, while also charging Him of blasphemy against God.

In the claim that the enemies of the Lord made, they claimed that Jesus used the title of the ‘King of the Jews’ in referring to Himself and therefore, together with His large and popular following, He was a great threat to the Romans. To the Romans, who were overlords and masters of the land at the time, there was no greater crime than to rebel against the state and the Emperor, by claiming kingship or leading a rebellion for freedom against the Empire. Such a crime was punishable by death, and not just that, but those guilty were often punished by crucifixion, reserved for the worst of offenders.

Thus Pilate asked the Lord for clarification, whether He was truly the King of the Jews, and the Lord then asked him back where he had heard it from, which Pilate replied in amusement because it was those chief priests who had said so. When Pilate said that he had the power to release Him or to crucify Him, he was actually referring to the fact that if the Lord could prove that He was actually slandered by the chief priests and that they falsely accused Him, Pilate could very well have freed Him. But the Lord spoke the truth then when He did say that, yes, He is indeed a King, although His kingdom is not of this world.

The Lord Jesus did speak the truth, that His Kingdom is not of this world and is unlike anything that this world has ever seen. His kingdom was not built on earthly glory or material wealth, power or any other things that became the foundation of other kingdoms and dominions of the world. Instead, His Kingdom is built on His own authority, true authority and power that surpasses anything else. He did not depend on those things that sustained kings and lords, like money, wealth, power, fame amongst other things. He has no need for such things.

And unlike other kings and rulers who always tried to vindicate and prove themselves, and many of them seeking glory and greatness, with some even seeking to be regarded as divine and to be worshipped, where man wanted and aspired to become like God, to be gods and deities, in their hopeless and meaningless pursuits for these purposes, the Lord Jesus Christ was unique. How is that so? That is because He Who is the personification of all glory and power, full of power and full of glory, fully Divine and Almighty, has willingly laid down His glory and majesty, emptying Himself and taking up the condition of a criminal and a slave, exactly at the moment when He was crucified.

Yet, it was by humbling Himself so completely and perfectly, that Our Lord and King won His greatest victory, in delivering all of us, His beloved people from the clutches of sin and death. The Lord has triumphed and delivered us from the certainty of death and destruction, and fulfilled everything that He has promised to us and to our ancestors from the very beginning of time. The Lord our King has laid down His own life, like a Good Shepherd laying down his life for his sheep, all because He truly loves us and cares for each one of us. All of us are precious to Him and He knows all of us by our names.

And as we heard in the Book of Revelations in our second reading today, the Lord Jesus, our King will come again triumphant at the end of time, He Who has conquered evil, sin and death. He shall come again at the end of all things, to gather all of us, His beloved people and He will bring us into the kingdom prepared for all of us, the kingdom of everlasting life, filled with true joy, peace and love. The Lord, Our King and Saviour will bring us all together and deliver us the final triumph and victory.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all spend some time to reflect on what we have just heard and discussed. Are we thankful that we have Jesus as Our Lord and King, not as a distant person or being, but as One Whom we can always depend on, One Who knows our sufferings and have gone through the same sufferings as we have endured, One Who loves us most deeply from His heart and had endured with that love despite of our infidelities and stubbornness in rejecting His love and betraying Him.

But if Christ is truly our King, then why is it that so many of us are still living our lives and acted in ways that are contrary to the teachings and the ways of the Lord? Why is it that so many of us disregarded Him, betrayed Him and preferred to walk in the path of sin rather than to follow Him wholeheartedly and obeying Him as we should as our Lord and King. These are important questions that we should ask ourselves as we ponder on our own lives and actions thus far in life.

Let us all as we rejoice in this great Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, remember that Christ is our one and only true Lord, Master and King. And let this not be mere empty commitment and dedication, but one of true love for our King, of true and living dedication in each and every moments of our lives. Let us renew our commitment to Him, obey Him from now on in His Law, commandments and will. Let us follow Him wholeheartedly from now on and have no more doubts in our hearts.

May the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour and King continue to reign in our hearts, and let us always remember His love for us, as He gave His life and suffered for our sake. May He empower us all and strengthen us with the faith that we may glorify Him and proclaim Him courageously in our respective lives, to the best of our ability. May Christ, Our Lord and King reign forever and evermore, in our hearts and in the whole world. Amen.

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Sunday, 21 November 2021 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 18 : 33b-37

Pilate summoned Jesus and asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “Does this word come from you, or did you hear it from others?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed You over to me. What have You done?”

Jesus answered, “My kingship does not come from this world. If I were a King, like those of this world, My guards would have fought to save Me from being handed over to the Jews. But My Kingship is not of this world.” Pilate asked Him, “So You are a King?” And Jesus answered, “Just as you say, I am a King. For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth hears My voice.”

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Sunday, 21 November 2021 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Revelations 1 : 5-8

And from Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him Who loves us and has washed away our sins with His own Blood, making us a kingdom and priests for God His Father, to Him be the glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

See He comes with the clouds and everyone will see Him, even those who pierced Him; on His account all the nations of the earth will beat his breast. Yes. It will be so. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, He Who is, Who was and Who is to come : the Master of the universe.

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Sunday, 21 November 2021 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 92 : 1ab, 1c-2, 5

YHVH reigns, robed in majesty; YHVH is girded with strength.

The world now, is firm; it cannot be moved. Your throne stands from long ago, o YHVH; from all eternity You are.

Your decrees can be trusted; holiness dwells in Your House, day after day, without end, o YHVH.

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Sunday, 21 November 2021 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Daniel 7 : 13-14

I continued watching the nocturnal vision : One like a Son of Man came on the clouds of heaven. He faced the One of Great Age and was brought into His presence. Dominion, honour and kingship were given Him, and all the peoples and nations of every language served Him. His dominion is eternal and shall never pass away; His kingdom will never be destroyed.