Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King                            

November 20, 2011                                                       

                                       LIVE IT!

    “If the poor would only get out and find work, they would not be poor!” This common misconception pacifies the conscience of many people. Instead, Jesus says that we should not let people suffer; we must reach out to them. He is neither suggesting that we respond nor encouraging us to; he is demanding that we do.

      He also states quite clearly that we will be judged by God as to how well we care for those who are disadvantaged. How does your local community respond to Jesus’ call? Can hungry people get a free meal somewhere? Does your school or parish have food or clothing drives? How are shut-ins and terminally ill people cared for? Who visits or writes to the prisoners in the county jail? How does your community, school, or parish respond to refugees or immigrants? Who are the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, the naked, the sick, or the imprisoned in your neighborhood or community? What can you do to help minister to them?

      Many opportunities exist for young people to do such ministry. For example, every spring break, young people from all over the country help build homes for poor people. Every weekend, teenagers in major cities serve food in soup kitchens. Many teenagers staff day-care centers for children of people who live in homeless shelters. Many young people are responding! Are you?

 Mt 25, 31–46

1^st Reading – Ezekiel  34:11-12, 15-17

11 For thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will look after and tend my sheep. 12 As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark. 13 I will lead them out from among the peoples and gather them from the foreign lands; I will bring them back to their own country and pasture them upon the mountains of Israel [in the land’s ravines and all its inhabited places]. 14 In good pastures will I pasture them, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing ground. There they shall lie down on good grazing ground, and in rich pastures shall they be pastured on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD. 16 The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal [but the sleek and the strong I will destroy], shepherding them rightly.17 As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD, I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats.  

Questions for discussion:

In this parable, what do you learn about the mission of Jesus?        

What will God do to those who have been scattered?

How will God provide for them?

How do sheep (people) treat each other? How will God treat each group           

2^nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 15: 20-26, 28

† 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, 23 but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; 24 then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death, 27 for “he subjected everything under his feet.” But when it says that everything has been subjected, it is clear that it excludes the one who subjected everything to him. 28 When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will [also] be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

Questions for Discussion:

How do you connect Christ’s resurrection with your own hope of resurrection from death?

How would your life be different without your hope that you will be resurrected?

Gospel - Matthew 25:31-46                                                          

31 ”When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, 32 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. 33 He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 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. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ 40 And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 41 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. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 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.’ 44 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?’ 45 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.’ 46 And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Questions for Discussion:          

 What do you like to Drink when you are really thirsty?

1.    Thinking about this parable Jesus told, how would you feel if you were placed in the group of sheep? or a group of Goats?

             Sheep                                                                             Goats

·         Surprised?                                                                    Surprised?

·         Overjoyed?                                                                   Terrified?

·         Unworthy?                                                                       Angry?

·         Grateful?                                                                         Guilty?

·         Relieved?                                                     

2.       What kind of people do you have the most compassion for?

·         Homeless

·         Sick or disabled

·         Lonely

·         Refugees

·         Elderly

·         Starving

·         Prisoners

·         Other____

3.    When was the last time you did something for someone hungry, alone, poor, sick, or imprisoned?

4.    If Jesus were to come today and evaluate your life, what would he say about how you have “cared for” Him by caring for others?

·         “You’re doing great!”

·         “You’re doing a lot better than you used to.”

·         “You used to do much better.”

·         “You’re doing the best you can.”

·         “You’re in big trouble.”

5.    How would you rate this group on taking care of each other when someone is hurting or in need?

·         I think we do a pretty good job.

·         We are learning.

·         We have a long way to go.

·         We don’t talk about these things.

 One last question: Is the Judgment verse (45-46) in this chapter consistent with your view of Jesus?

      Why or Why not?

Enjoy the readings and please pass them on……………..

IHN tommy

†Readings for Sunday November 6^th 2011                           

                           Use Your Mistakes as Light for Others

        

            Jesus uses an image everyone can relate to, a big wedding, to teach us the importance of making Him the biggest priority in life.  While they did weddings a little differently back in Jesus times, the importance of good planning was still important.  Today, an engaged couple is asked to spend at least six months planning and preparing: They cannot be married in the Church if they just showed up, knocked on the priest’s door, and asked to be married on the spot.  Jesus, knowing how big weddings are, decides to use a marriage analogy.  A first glance at this parable might seem like Jesus is a little harsh.  Is the bridegroom keeping out these virgins just because they did not bring enough oil?  Why is oil so important?  This parable is not so much about oil as it is about being prepared.  The foolish virgins did not do what they needed to do to prepare for the wedding, and because they took it lightly, the bridegroom was infuriated.  Because they took Him for granted, he wanted nothing to do with them at His wedding.  It would be like bridesmaids forgetting their dresses at the wedding, and simply shrugging it off like it was no big deal.  If that happened today, would the bride and groom not be furious?  They would have every reason to kick those bridesmaids out of the wedding.  They would take it as a personal insult.  What Jesus is trying to teach us is how we need to be spiritually ready for Him to come to us.  This will happen ultimately at our death, but He is literally present to us at every moment of our lives.  He invites us to stay awake, to stay spiritually pure, away from sin and anything that keeps us from Him.  Our call is to be ready for Him at every moment of the day, so that, whether it is today or tomorrow, our lives will be in a state of grace, reflecting God’s love to ourselves and those around us. Summary of the Gospel

Discussion Questions

1   Why do you think the foolish virgins took their preparation so lightly? What would have caused the bridegroom to get so upset?
2   When have you taken your relationship with Jesus lightly? What motivates you to stay focused on Him, even during ‘dry’ times?
3   How can the Sacrament of Confession help you ‘stay awake’ on a regular basis? What attitudes about Confession do you need to get ‘over’ to better meet Jesus there?                                                                                4   When have you used your mistakes to teach others better ways to live?

                         
 Reading 1 Wisdom 6:12-16

Resplendent and unfading is wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known in anticipation of their desire; Whoever watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed, for he shall find her sitting by his gate. For taking thought of wisdom is the perfection of prudence, and whoever for her sake keeps vigil shall quickly be free from care; because she makes her own rounds, seeking those worthy of her, and graciously appears to them in the ways, and meets them with all solicitude.

Reading 2 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep. Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, console one another with these words.

Gospel Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus told his disciples this parable: "The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise.  The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise ones replied, 'No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.' While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, 'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!' But he said in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.' Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour."