21
November
Solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe
Psalter III
White
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 power for ever and ever.
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 Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Daniel 7:13-14
I gazed into the visions of the night. And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man. He came to the one of great age and was led into his presence. On him was conferred sovereignty, glory and kingship, and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants. His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty which shall never pass away, nor will his empire ever be destroyed.
Psalm 92(93):1-2,5
R/ The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.
1. The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed; the Lord has robed himself with might, he has girded himself with power.
2. The world you made firm, not to be moved; your throne has stood firm from of old. From all eternity, O Lord, you are.
3. Truly your decrees are to be trusted. Holiness is fitting to your house, O Lord, until the end of time.
Second reading: Apocalypse 1:5-8
Grace and peace to you from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the First-Born from the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us and has washed away our sins with his blood, and made us a line of kings, priests to serve his God and Father; to him, then, be glory and power forever and ever. Amen. It is he who is coming on the clouds; everyone will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the races of the earth will mourn over him. This is the truth. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.
Gospel Acclamation: Mk 11:10
Alleluia, alleluia! Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessings on the coming kingdom of our father David! Alleluia!
Gospel: John 18:33-37
‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ Pilate asked. Jesus replied, ‘Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others spoken to you about me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done?’ Jesus replied, ‘Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind.’ ‘So you are a king then?’ said Pilate. ‘It is you who say it,’ answered Jesus. ‘Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.’
Prayer over the Offerings
As we offer you, O Lord, the sacrifice by which the human race is reconciled to you, we humbly pray, that your Son himself may bestow on all nations the gifts of unity and peace. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 28: 10-11
The Lord sits as King for ever. The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Prayer after Communion
Having received the food of immortality, we ask, O Lord, that, glorying in obedience to the commands of Christ, the King of the universe, we may live with him eternally in his heavenly kingdom. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation In our Gospel, Jesus attests clearly, “Yes I am a King”. He is a king who came to bear witness to the truth. In our world, people have based many things on lies. Jesus’ Kingdom, however, will be based on the truth. Mahatma Gandhi says, “God is truth and truth is God”. Christ is the real King. He is different from many other kings because he died for us on the cross. Jesus defended the truth to the point of offering his life for it. Many rulers of today do not uphold the truth. The words of the saintly Oscar Romero say it all: “Jesus’ kingship is not a despotic regime, but a regime of merciful love.” Jesus is the King of truth, and everyone who is of the truth hears His voice.