CHRIST THE KING - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessings on the coming kingdom of our father David! MK 11:10

EZEKIEL 34:11-12,15-17 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Today as the Church celebrates You under Your title Christ the King we rejoice for we have a King who is not only the ruler of the heavens and the earth but a King who lay down His life for His sheep. We are Your people, the sheep of Your flock. You know us by name. We belong to You and You assure us that one of Your sheep whom the Father has entrusted to You will be lost.

Thank You for this wonderful assurance, Beloved, that You know even those who have strayed far from the fold and while they may have lost sight of You, You have them in sight, and in time, You will lead them back to the fold for You O Lord are the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. 

Thank You, my Beloved, for this confidence that we can have in You for You O Lord are Truth. I will pray unceasingly for my loved ones to come home so one day we will be with You eternally. 

PSALM 22(23):1-3a,5-6 ©

The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me,

to revive my drooping spirit.
He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.

You have prepared a banquet for me

in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
forever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:20-26,28 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

How good it is to know that in the end death will be no more. You have won the victory by the power of Your glorious resurrection into heaven. You took upon Yourself the iniquity of the entire human race. You paid the price that we owed. You who are without sin became sin in order to stand in the breech and receive the punishment that was ours. Having crushed the head of the serpent just as God promised we can hope to receive a share in Your inheritance.

It is hard to believe Lord that this world has been redeemed. We look around us and we see a culture that is getting more and more steeped in debauchery. Forget Wisdom, common sense has long fled from the collective consciousness of people.  Twisted, maniacal ideologies that have no place in the realm of sanity have now taken center stage and all are forced to kowtow to the abhorrent and demonic culture and threatened with dire consequences if we fail to do so. But the hour is coming and You will return in glory. But before that day arrives Beloved, grant through the power of Your Blood that we return to the Truth and that all mankind worships the one true God and You, His Son whom He sent to redeem the world. How comforting it is to know Lord that You will do away with every illegitimate authority and power and You will reign over us all. We long for that day, Lord. Maranatha! Lord Jesus, Maranatha!

MATTHEW 25:31-46 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

May I never fail to see You in my neighbor especially those whom the world pushes to the peripheries and views as an inconvenience. You O Lord have been appointed as the righteous and just Judge for You know us, having come into the world as one like us in all things save sin. You know the depths of degradation to which the human heart can sink and You also know the heights of sublimity to which the soul can rise for You created us, You became like us, and nothing about us is unknown to You. 

While on earth You gave us an example of how we should treat those who are less fortunate than us and how we are always accountable for our brothers and sisters in need. Beloved, on the day of Your final return in glory grant that we will all be on the side of the sheep - not only we and our loved ones but the whole human race having received You as our Lord and our God may we be judged with compassion. Grant us this grace O Lord that while there is still time to live in grace and in truth so we will hear You say to us, 

 “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” And when we ask You, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” You will say to us, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”

Mother dearest, Your Son entrusted us to you and we have taken you home with us. Intercede for us, your poor, sinful children, and ensure that in the end, together with you we will all be praising and worshipping God face to face eternally.