Solemnity of Christ the King (C)

(Edited) Sunday Reflections (from) Liturgical Years 2011 (A), 2012 (B), and 2013 (C)

34th Sunday of the Year (B), November 25, 2012

Solemnity of Christ the King

Liturgical readings

Daniel 7:13-14
Psalm 93
Revelation 1:5-8
John 18:33b-37

"As it is, my kingdom is not here."

The gospel passage from John presents Jesus being interrogated by Pilate with the initial question, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Then the First Reading from the Book of Daniel presents the image of the Son of Man, who upon reaching the Ancient One, received dominion, glory and kingship. The responsorial psalm (Psalm 93) chants with the response: "The Lord is king; He is robed in majesty." And the Second reading, which is from the book of Revelation, begins with the sentence: "Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the first-born, from the dead and ruler of the kings of earth." All four Scripture passages (First reading, Responsorial psalm, Second reading, and Gospel) refer to the theme of Jesus as Lord and King.

The Kingdom Jesus wants to establish began with His public ministry in the unpaved roads of biblical Palestine. This ministry continued throughout Church history through the initial work of St. Paul, and then with the many missionaries of Eastern and Western Europe, who brought the gospel to the new world. It continues to this day to be established in every baptism celebrated in parishes all over the world - when the family and the sponsors affirm their faith in God and His Kingdom. This is the task of every missionary of the Church: to renew baptismal vows for the baptized, and to bring the gospel and the Sacraments to the unbaptized and the unbelievers. This Kingdom is not only the responsibility of the clergy, the religious and the Church's many missionaries; it is also the responsibility of the lay faithful who are called to witness the faith in the very professions they work on and in the families they build their lives with.

God's kingdom is also rekindled and made stronger in every Eucharistic celebration, but especially in the renewal of one's Christian commitment in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. For the Kingdom Jesus preached is where God's boundless mercy and justice abide. All members of this Kingdom are called to do their part that the Church may be a leaven and a light to the world - bringing the light of Christ's truth to all. How can this kingdom be built at its basics? How can it be brought to every family? One tradition is the enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the home. A priest officiates the rite of enthronement. Once the Sacred Heart is already enthroned in a home, all that is needed is to renew that consecration by the family. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus helps the family to see God as the true King and Lord of both the family and the home.

Memorial of Saints (November 24)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Andrew Dung-lac, priest
• Chrysogonus
• Colman of Cloyne, bishop
• Flora and Mary, virgins and martyrs

St. Andrew Dung-lac (+1839 A.D.) was one of 117 people who were martyred in Vietnam between 1820-1862 A.D. St. Andrew was a diocesan priest. He and his companions were canonized by St. John Paul II in 1988 A.D. They gave their lives for Christ, remaining firm in their faith. In this group of martyrs eight were bishops, 49 were priests, and one was a seminarian. There were 59 lay people in the group. 96 of the 117 martyrs were Vietnamese.

In the Byzantine calendar: November 24

• St. Catharine, Great Virgin-Martyr
• St. Mercurius, Great Martyr

Memorial of Saints (November 23)

Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints

• Clement I, pope and martyr
• Columbanus, abbot
• Felicity, martyr
• Amphilochius, bishop
• Gregory, bishop
• Trudo
• Miguel Pro

St. Clement I: (died c. 100 A.D.); under Trajan; fourth bishop of Rome from St. Peter; wrote famous letter to the Corinthians commanding them to seek peace and unity; mentioned in the Roman Canon.

St. Clement I succeeded St. Peter as his third successor. His letter to the Corinthians is the earliest proof that other churches accepted without questioning the authority of the bishop of Rome.

St. Columban or Columbanus: (died 615 A.D.); Irish monk and missionary to France; wrote a strict monastic rule and Penitential; founded monasteries at Luxeuil, Bobbio, and elsewhere; exiled to Italy for denouncing court immortality and lax bishops; died at Bobbio.

St. Columban's Foreign Missionary Society, popularly known as the Columbans, originated in Ireland in 1916 A.D. and chose St. Columban as their patron saint.

In the Byzantine Calender St. Ampilochius and St. Gregory also have their feast days commemorated every November 23. In the Byzantine Churches, St. Ampilochius is known as the Bishop of Iconium, while St. Gregory is known as bishop of Agrigentum.

The Byzantine and Roman Catholic calendars of Saints share a common origin in the early Christian Church but have diverged over time due to historical, theological, and cultural factors.

• Calendar Systems: The Byzantine Church traditionally uses the Julian calendar, while the Roman Catholic Church adopted the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century. This difference can lead to discrepancies in the dates of certain feast days.
• Selection of Saints: The two churches have different criteria for including saints in their calendars. The Byzantine Church tends to include a wider range of saints, including local and regional figures, while the Roman Catholic Church has a more centralized process for canonization.
• Present day Byzantine Churches: Byzantine Churches are represented by the Eastern Orthodox Church, which includes various autocephalous churches such as the Greek Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Serbian Orthodox Church. These churches continue to use the Byzantine liturgical calendar and traditions.
• Citations from Google Gemini:
  • Byzantine Architecture
  • Eastern Orthodox Churches
  • Definition of the Byzantine Rite

Blessed Miguel Pro (1891-1927 A.D.) was a Mexican Jesuit priest who was executed by a firing squad on November 23, 1927 A.D., at the order of the violently anticlerical government. He became one of the best known martyrs of the 20th century. He was beatified in 1988 A.D. Many Mexicans were martyred in the 1920s and 1930s during the civil war in Mexico. Most of these martyrs were priests.

(note: It is known that the intercession of the Martyrs, especially against temptation and evil, is an effective prayer. Of all the Saints, the Martyrs' lives, and especially their deaths, are closest in their witnessing to God's saving power in Christ. In the Litany of the Saints, the Martyrs are grouped after the Apostles, and placed before the group of Bishops and Doctors of the Church, signifying their nearness to Christ's sacrifice after the Apostles.)

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