Sunday November 24, 2024

THE SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE

Thirty-Fourth Sunday of the Year.

(LAST SUNDAY OF THE YEAR)

Office: Prop., Te Deum

Mass prop. Gloria. Creed.

Preface of the Solemnity

Vestment: White

Today’s Rosary: The Glorious Mystery

Vespers II of the Solemnity of Christ the King

EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION ALL OVER THE NATION. If the procession follows

the Mass, the Concluding rite of Mass is omitted.

Theme of the Sunday: A JUDGE WHO SAVES.

Both the first reading and the gospel speak of separating sheep from goats.
It is a distinction used by God who has only one criterion: how we love
others. Our lives are successes or failures on the basis of what we have done
to alleviate hunger, thirst, exile, nakedness, disease, prison. Jesus tells us
that our religion is summed up in the diligence and zeal with which we fight
against these situations. To drive home this truth even more, he uses the
image of the final judgement not to show us what will happen at the end of
the world, but to teach us what should really count in our lives. The second
reading teaches us that the kingdom of the Messiah built in this world is
through works of love for others

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Rv 5:12;1:6

How worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and divinity, and
wisdom and strength and honour. To him belong glory and authority for ever
and ever.

The Gloria (This hymn is Either sung or said)

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We
praise you. We bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks
for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father. Lord
Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the
sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the
Father, have mercy on us. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the
Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the
glory of God the Father. Amen.

COLLECT

Almighty ever-living God, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved
Son, the King of the universe; grant, we pray, that the whole creation, set
free from, slavery, may render your majesty service and ceaselessly proclaim
your praise. Through our Lord…
-FIRST READING-

“His dominion is an everlasting dominion.”

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Daniel (Daniel 7:13-14)

I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came
one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was
presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and
kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his
dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his
kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 93:1ab.1d-2.5 (R. 1a)

R/. The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.

The Lord has robed himself with might;

He has girded himself with power. R/.

The world you made firm, not to be moved;

Your throne has stood firm from of old.

From all eternity, O Lord, you are. R/.

Truly your decrees are to be trusted.

Holiness is fitting to your house,

O Lord, until the end of time. R/.

-SECOND READING-

“The ruler of the kings on earth… made us a kingdom, priests to his God.”

A reading from the Book of Revelation (Revelation 1:.5-8)

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of
kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his
blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory
and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the
earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the
Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the
Almighty.

The word of the Lord.

ALLELUIA Mark 11:9b.10a

Alleluia. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the
kingdom of our father David that is coming! Alleluia.

-GOSPEL-

“You say that I am a king.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 18:33b-37)

At that time: Pilate said to Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus
answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you
about me?” 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 is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my
servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my
kingship is not from the world.” Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus
answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have
come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the
truth hears my voice.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

The Creed (I Believe)

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all
things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only
Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light
from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with
the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our
salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of
the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under
Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third
day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is
seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge
the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the
Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the
Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has
spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic
Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward
to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

Celebrant:

Christ, the Universal King, invites us to honour him by being compassionate

to the least of our brethren. Let us pray for the grace to be kind-hearted
towards every human person, especially the poor and needy.

FOR THE GROWTH OF GOD’S KINGDOM ON EARTH: that, through the ministry
of the church, Christ, our Universal king, may rule in the hearts and home of
every person and that his kingdom may continually grow in every corner of
our world. We pray O Lord.

FOR THOSE IN CIVIL AUTHORITY: that in exercising their power of

governance, they may imitate our Lord, Jesus Christ, who came not to be
served but to serve, and may spend their lives promoting the good of the
people under their care. We pray O Lord.

FOR OUR YOUTHS: that young persons throughout the world may have their
lives rooted and built up in Christ the universal king. We pray O Lord.

FOR OUR PARISH COMMUNITY: that in honouring the king of the universe, we
may take good care of God’s creation, cultivating it with care and protecting
it for future generations. We pray O Lord.
FOR OTHER INTENTIONS: (the sick, church projects or other activities).

FOR THE DEAD, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF OUR PARISH COMMUNITY AND FAMILY
MEMBERS: that they may find joy in the presence of Christ the king in
heaven. We pray O Lord.

We pray in silence for our private intentions.

Celebrant:

Lord God, king of the universe, help us to submit ourselves to your rule at all
times, and grant that, by practicing Christian charity to our brothers and
sisters, we may receive the reward of eternal life. Through Christ our Lord.

R/. Amen.

TODAY’S REFLECTION

The last Sunday of the liturgical year marks the observance of the Solemnity
in hounour of Jesus Christ, King of the universe. What is special about this
feast?

Jesus is truly the king of the universe. When Pilate asked, “So you are king?”
Jesus replied: “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I
have come into the world…” The book of Revelation says, “He is the ruler of
the kings on earth”. Prophet Daniel and other prophets had long foretold the
kingship of Jesus.

Jesus’ kingship is not of this world. He existed from eternity. It was through
him that the universe was created and, as such, all things belong to him. His
dominion is an everlasting dominion.
He rules not by power and authority. Armies and weapons, but by merciful
love and humble service, by patient suffering and sacrificial death, by
benevolent compassion and unconditional forgiveness. The object of his rule
of love is the human heart. His throne is the cross and his crown is made of
thorns. The law of his kingdom is the law of love. How loyal are we to our
king and Lord, Jesus Christ?