Daily Gospel Reflection

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November 22, 2020

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ - King of the Universe
Mt 25:31-46
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Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life.”

Reflection

Michael E. Cickovski ’88
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Today is a day that reminds us that Jesus is our king. But what kind of king is he?

We often think of kings as individuals who consolidate power, authority, and wealth under their own control. The concept is foreign to those of us who have lived in democracies our entire lives. For us, power comes from the people who chose their leaders through regular elections. Leaders have power only by virtue of the consent of the governed.

Jesus is not a leader in the sense of a modern democratic leader nor in the sense of a traditional historical monarch. Today’s gospel shows us that Jesus is the king who comes to us, through every age, in the form of the poor, the vulnerable, the downtrodden, and the hungry. Jesus is the king who casts aside power, authority, and wealth so that he can identify with those who are most in need. He is a king who invites our loyalty rather than coercing it. The most dramatic aspect of this reading is the fact that Jesus tells us that service to others is truly (and literally) service to him.

Jesus’ kingship is a transformation of our idea of kingship on every level. He arrives as a baby and leaves on the cross. Today’s feast reminds me that every position of leadership that God has entrusted to me must be, first and foremost, an opportunity to serve others.

Prayer

Rev. Terry Ehrman, C.S.C.

Lord of love, suffering abounds in our world. Give us true, merciful, and compassionate hearts that do not ignore the poor, sick, and ignorant, nor view them as the enemy. Give us your grace to live the commandment of love: to love our neighbor as ourselves, for what we do to them we do to Christ your Son. Amen.

Saint of the Day

Pope St. Clement

Clement I was the fourth pope to lead the Roman Church. Clement was a follower of St. Peter and potentially even St. Paul. Clement is famous for his letter to the Corinthians, the community which received two of Paul's most famous letters. Clement's letter is written in response to a schism in the community in Corinth but we know little else about this pope from historical records.

According to ancient legend, however, the Roman populace rioted to have Christians expelled, and Clement, as the Bishop of Rome, was expelled to work in a marble quarry. There were many Christians who were forced to work there, and Clement encouraged and supported them.

The guards at the quarry noticed that he was converting many of his fellow workers to Christianity. Subsequently, Clement was ordered to be executed by drowning. An anchor was tied around his neck and Clement was thrown into the sea.

Stained glass image of martyrs from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. On the right, Pope St. Clement (wearing green) holds an anchor to symbolize his martyrdom.

In the letter to the Corinthians, Clement writes:

"Beloved, how blessed and wonderful are God's gifts! There is life everlasting, joy in righteousness, truth in freedom, faith, confidence, and self-control in holiness. And these are the gifts that we can comprehend; what of all the others that are being prepared for those who look to him. Only the Creator, the Father of the ages, the all-holy, knows their grandeur and their loveliness."

Clement I is a patron saint of those who work on the water and of marble workers. Some of his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on campus.

Pope St. Clement, pope and patron saint of those who work on the water—pray for us!


Image Credit: Our featured image of Pope St. Clement I is in the public domain. Last accessed October 18, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.