R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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.”

In junior high school, and in high school, students first learn about dictatorships and totalitarian governments. They learn about Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin. It was Pope Pius XI in 1925, because of the rise in totalitarianism, who brought into the Liturgy the feast of Christ the King, to bring Christ as the Ruler back into the lives of Christians, back into society, and back into politics. Christ conquers! Christ reigns! Christ rules!

The prophet Ezekiel today introduces God as the Good Shepherd, reminding us of Christ’s claim as the Shepherd King, leading and feeding and protecting His sheep. Saint Paul today, presents Christ as the Ruler King. Saint Paul recognized that every form of power and authority must eventually give way. The Gospel gives us a picture of the Last Judgement, when Christ the King comes again at the end of the world. He separates the good from the bad – the sheep from the goats. The sheep who gave of themselves to those among themselves who were hungry and the thirsty and the naked and the sick and the imprisoned did the good to them, giving of themselves in all reality to Christ the King Himself. Our reward shall depend on how well we recognize the Risen Jesus Christ in the needy among us.

The life message is this: we need to surrender our lives to Christ’s rule, that Christ the King lives in our hearts with the Holy Spirit to render our lives to God the Father, and to totally live out His Gospel. Try living in humble service to one another. Remember what we pray at Mass: “Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.” He alone.

We need to accept Jesus Christ as the King of Love. John writes of this, “Love one another, as I have loved you.” We accept Jesus as the King of Love when we accept that Jesus already loves us unconditionally and sacrificially – that is, with agape love.

By contrast, look at Russia and Ukraine. Look at Palestine and Israel. Actually, look at any of the 32 countries currently engaged in conflicts or some sort of war – wars that can, and often do, result in large numbers of casualties. Afghanistan, Algeria, Camerron, Central Africa Republic, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia … the list goes on and on. It is a humanitarian crisis, as I speak and breathe before you today. All of this comes from hatred. This is not from the King of Love!

Christ alone is the King. Christus Vincit. Christ Conquers. Christus Regnat. Christ reigns. Christus Imperat. Christ rules. This Eucharist that we now celebrate is the clear message to the world today – that Christ, and Christ alone, is the King of the Universe.

Monsignor Michael J. Cariglio, Jr., Pastor & Rector, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Basilica – Saint Anthony Parish

Thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
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.
I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.
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.

As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD,
I will judge between one sheep and another,
between rams and goats.

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
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.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
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.

It has long been a Catholic understanding that when circumstances prevent one from receiving Holy Communion, it is possible to make an Act of Spiritual Communion, which is a source of grace. Spiritual Communion is an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and lovingly embrace him at a time or in circumstances when one cannot receive Him in sacramental Communion. The most common reason for making an Act of Spiritual Communion is when a person cannot attend Mass. Acts of Spiritual Communion increase our desire to receive sacramental Communion and help us avoid the sins that would make us unable to receive Holy Communion worthily.

Spiritual Communion Prayer

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,

Come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace you as if you were already there

And unite myself wholly to you.

Never permit me to be separated from you.

Amen.