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THE SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF
THE UNIVERSE
NOVEMBER 26, 2017
MASS READINGS
MONDAY: DN1:1-6,8-20, DN3, LK 21:1-4
TUESDAY: DN2:31-45, PS 3, LK 21:5-11
WEDNESDAY: DN5:1-6,12-14,16-17,23-28, DN3,
LK 21:12-19
THURSDAY: ROM10:9-18, PS19, MT 4:18-22
FRIDAY: DN7:1-14, DN3, LK 21:29-33
SATURDAY: DN7:15-27, DN3, LK 21:34-36
NEXT SUNDAY: FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
– RDGS: IS 63:16B-17,19B;64:2-7, PS 80, 1COR
1:3-9, MK 13:33-37
MASS INTENTIONS
MONDAY: KATHLEEN LESTER
TUESDAY: JIM RUMPZA
WEDNESDAY:DEC. MEM. OF ANDERSON/
FARRELL FAMILIES
THURSDAY:BRADLEY KING
FRIDAY:POOR SOULS
7:30:KATHLEEN LESTER
10:00:FRANKLIN & ELLEN PONTO
NOON:JIM RUMPZA
MEMORIAL FLOWERS
Bob Bennett. Dorothy Nelson. Bob Griffin. Barba-
ra Morris. (Zachary Thise, Bob Andrews, Jim Clark
& M.E. Walden). Marvin Anthrop. Barbara Hirsh.
(Norb & Mark FitzSimons, Larry White). Marian
Schwartz. (Churck Wallpe, Mike & Marge & Ann
Kirsch). Richardson & Nelson families
GOSPEL REFLECTION:
“…but the righteous to eternal life."
Of the many attacks Christianity has had to endure perhaps
none is more unfortunate than the notion that we just ig-
nore the world and focus our attention on a sort of blissful
afterlife, a kind of “pie in the sky when you die”. We
know that nothing can be further from the truth and yet,
truth be told, we still consider the reward when we most
likely should focus on the act of charity we think will
bring about the reward. As a matter of fact, the whole no-
tion of merit and reward should be reconsidered in the
light of the Gospel and not defined according to the ways
of the world. First, we were created to respond to the God
as his faithful children which means that the “commands”
found in Scripture were meant to be received not as a se-
ries of “do’s” and “don’t’ s” with more “don’t’s’” than
“do’s”. We were created to respond lovingly and as a re-
sult to fulfill our created destiny of living in a world with
an intimacy between God and the rest of creation, i.e.
Eden. Because of the Fall we found ourselves at odds
with everything, including ourselves. To make things
right, (righteousness) God has given us commands and “in
the fullness of time” (Gal. 4:4-7) he gave us his only be-
gotten Son to model for us and ultimately to be one with
us in bringing about the righteousness of the Kingdom
(Mt. 6:33). As we engage in this we gradually begin to
change, to become more like Christ (Gal. 2:20), Christ
lives in us and we begin to reflect the glory of the light
which has come into the world (John 3:19). Rather than
look at our actions as “meriting” rewards we begin to see
them as the result of our lives become conformed to the
will of the Father and in effect, the Father acknowledges
what he himself as brought about, (Gen. 1:31). In this way
we become acceptable to the Lord, we are recognized and
given a place in that King-
dom which we, through
our grace-filled loyalty
and love, have helped
bring about.
THE SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF
THE UNIVERSE
NOVEMBER 26, 2017
~The Feast of Christ the King~
"That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those
that are in Heaven,
on earth and under the earth:
And that every tongue should confess that
the Lord Jesus Christ
is in the glory of God the Father."
Philippians 2:10-11
Christ Himself speaks of His Own kingly authority [see link for Bible Citations]: in His last
discourse, speaking of the rewards and punishments that will be the eternal lot of the just and
the damned; in His reply to the Roman magistrate, who asked Him publicly whether He were a
king or not; after His resurrection, when giving to His Apostles the mission of teaching and
Baptizing all nations, He took the opportunity to call Himself king, confirming the title public-
ly, and solemnly proclaimed that all power was given Him in Heaven and on earth. These
words can only be taken to indicate the greatness of his power, the infinite extent of His king-
dom. What wonder, then, that He Whom St. John calls the "prince of the kings of the earth" ap-
pears in the Apostle's vision of the future as He Who "hath on His garment and on His thigh
written 'King of kings and Lord of lords!'." It is Christ Whom the Father "hath appointed heir
of all things"; "for He must reign until at the end of the world He hath put all his enemies un-
der the feet of God and the Father."
It was surely right, then, in view of the common teaching of the sacred books, that the Catholic
Church, which is the kingdom of Christ on earth, destined to be spread among all men and all
nations, should with every token of veneration salute her Author and Founder in her annual lit-
urgy as King and Lord, and as King of Kings. And, in fact, she used these titles, giving expres-
sion with wonderful variety of language to one and the same concept, both in ancient psalmody
and in the Sacramentaries.
THE SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF
THE UNIVERSE
NOVEMBER 26, 2017
Pope Pius XI instituted The Feast of Christ the King in 1925 for
the universal church in his encyclical Quas Primas. He connected
the denial of Christ as king to the rise of secularism. At the time
of Quas Primas, and many Christians (including Catholics) be-
gan to doubt Christ's authority and existence, as well as the
Church's power to continue Christ's authority. Pius XI, and the
rest of the Christian world, witnessed the rise of non-Christian
dictatorships in Europe, and saw Catholics being taken in by
these earthly leaders. Just as the Feast of Corpus Christi was in-
stituted when devotion to the Eucharist was at a low point, the
Feast of Christ the King was instituted during a time when re-
spect for Christ and the Church was waning, when the feast was
most needed. In fact, it is still needed today, as these problems
have not vanished, but instead have worsened.
Pius hoped the institution of the feast would have various effects.
They were:
1. That nations would see that the Church has the right to free-
dom, and immunity from the state (Quas Primas, 32).
2. That leaders and nations would see that they are bound to give
respect to Christ (Quas Primas, 31).
3. That the faithful would gain strength and courage from the
celebration of the feast, as we are reminded that Christ must reign
in our hearts, minds, wills, and bodies (Quas Primas, 33).
Today, the same distrust of authority exists, although the problem
has gotten worse. Individualism has been embraced to such an
extreme, that for many, the only authority is the individual self.
The idea of Christ as ruler is rejected in such a strongly individu-
alistic system. Also, many balk at the idea of kings and queens,
believing them to be oppressive. Some even reject the titles of
"lord" and "king" for Christ because they believe that such titles
are borrowed from oppressive systems of government. However
true these statements might be (some kings have been oppres-
sive), these individuals miss the point: Christ's kingship is one of
humility and service. Jesus said:
You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gen-
tiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority
over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever
wishes to become great among you will be your servant; whoever
wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son
of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his
life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:42-45, NAB).
and
Pilate said to Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?"... Jesus an-
swered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my king-
dom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to
keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my
kingdom is not here." So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a
king?" Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. For this I was born
and for this I came into the world,to testify to the truth (John
18:33b, 36-37).
Thus, Jesus knew the oppressive nature of secular kings, and in
contrast to them, he connected his role as king to humble ser-
vice, and commanded his followers to be servants as well. In
other passages of Scripture, his kingdom is tied to his suffering
and death. While Christ is coming to judge the nations, his
teachings spell out a kingdom of justice and judgment balanced
with radical love, mercy, peace, and forgiveness. When we
celebrate Christ as King, we are not celebrating an oppressive
ruler, but one willing to die for humanity and whose "loving-
kindness endures forever." Christ is the king that gives us true
freedom, freedom in Him. Thus we must never forget that Christ radically redefined and transformed the concept of king-ship. Christ the King Sunday used to be celebrated on the last Sun-
day of October, but since the calendar reforms of 1969, the
feast falls on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time, which is the
Sunday before Advent. It is fitting that the feast celebrating
Christ's kingship is observed right before Advent, when we
liturgically wait for the promised Messiah (King).
History
The earliest Christians identified Jesus with the predicted Mes-
siah of the Jews. The Jewish word "messiah," and the Greek
word "Christ," both mean "anointed one," and came to refer to
the expected king who would deliver Israel from the hands of
the Romans. Christians believe that Jesus is this expected Mes-
siah. Unlike the messiah most Jews expected, Jesus came to
free all people, Jew and Gentile, and he did not come to free
them from the Romans, but from sin and death. Thus the king
of the Jews, and of the cosmos, does not rule over a kingdom of
this world.
Christians have long celebrated Jesus as Christ, and his reign as
King is celebrated to some degree in Advent (when Christians
wait for his second coming in glory), Christmas (when "born
this day is the King of the Jews"), Holy Week (when Christ is
the Crucified King), Easter (when Jesus is resurrected in power
and glory), and the Ascension (when Jesus returns to the glory
he had with the Father before the world was created). However,
Pius XI wanted to specifically commemorate Christ as king,
and instituted the feast in the Western calendar in 1925.
In the 21st century many Western Christians, Catholic and
Protestant, celebrate Christ the King Sunday, including Angli-
cans and Lutherans. Unfortunately, in some mainline Protestant
churches, "king" language is not popular, and the feast is down-
played. However, in a chaotic and unjust world that seems to
scorn any kind of authority, many Christians proudly celebrate
Christ the King Sunday, where the loving and merciful - and
just - king of the universe is praised and glorified.
HISTORY AND MEANING OF THE SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING
THE SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF
THE UNIVERSE
NOVEMBER 26, 2017
CHRIST THE KING, CHRIST
THE SERVANT by Rev. Colleen Woodley
The Celebration of Christ the King is the end of our liturgical
year. The readings and Gospel today present us with a stark con-
trast. The readings show Jesus as the “firstborn of creation” and
the “firstborn of the dead”, while the Gospel shows Jesus being
mocked by those who killed him, using the term “King of the
Jews” above his head as he dies.
As we prepare for the coming of the Advent Season, we under-
stand the premise that the infant Jesus is born into kingship, even
as a vulnerable, poor infant. So what is this kingship we are called
to celebrate? What is kingship in our day and age? If we consider
the use of inclusive language, kingship can be problematic. Here
in the U.S. we have never had a monarchy, so kingship is not a
term that we can relate to politically. Perhaps I am more comforta-
ble with the idea of leadership rather than kingship.
If we choose to use the term leadership, what is the picture of
leadership that we get when we look at Jesus? Certainly Jesus was
a teacher, he explained things, he healed people, and he admon-
ished those who he found to be in error. But Jesus also turned the
common image of leader on its head by the way he served others.
Jesus comforted those who were grieving, he fed the hungry, and
he washed the feet of both his friends and strangers. Jesus listened,
he understood people, and he stopped and recognized those who
had no prominence. Jesus was considerate, thoughtful, and com-
passionate. He knew when someone was in need of his help, his
care, and his attention. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus healed a woman
who had been hemorrhaging for years. Even without seeing her,
he sensed the healing power leaving him as the woman touched
his robe.
His servant’s heart, his healing power, and his leadership were
evident at all times. He was constantly considering and addressing
the needs of others, all others, and he acted on these considera-
tions.
The leadership that Jesus exhibited may remind us of leadership
shown by a parent or devoted caregiver, a physician or nurse, a
teacher. The care and attention that he gave to all of his followers,
no matter who they were, was his mission. He loved and cared for
all people, all those created in the image of God. He took their
needs and their faith in him personally, and made it his life’s
work. Jesus calls all of us to leadership as well. He calls us to lis-
ten and to be thoughtfully considerate of the needs of those around
us.
Leadership does not always refer to the boss, and it
doesn’t mean overarching power or dominance.
Youngsters lead, the elderly lead, those with limited
ability lead. In the Gospels, we see Jesus, who is
known from birth as a king and leader, in positions of
weakness and vulnerability. While this is an enigma,
it does paint a true picture of the authentic human
condition, in which Jesus fully participated.
As we reflect on the life of Jesus, certainly his divini-
ty as the son of God and his royal bloodline from
King David are reasons to honor his kingship and
know of his power. However, it may be the image of
servant leader that beckons us and finally calls us to
follow him. We are invited to listen to that call, to
serve, to lead, and to love.
The King of Love My Shepherd Is By: Henry W. Baker
The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his
And he is mine forever.
Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul he leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love he sought me
And on his shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
Thou spredst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From thy pure chalice floweth!
And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never.
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within thy house forever.
THE SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF
THE UNIVERSE
NOVEMBER 26, 2017
SUNDAY OFFERING: $8896
CCHD: $2126/BAKE SALE:$1300
BREAKFAST: $600
“FIND OUT HOW MUCH GOD HAS GIV-
EN YOU, AND FROM IT TAKE WHAT
YOU NEED; THE REMAINDER IS NEED-
ED BY OTHERS”
ST. AUGUSTINE
STEWARDSHIP BY THE BOOK: We celebrate
today what is popularly and traditionally called the
Feast of Christ the King. This is also the beginning of
the last week of our Catholic Liturgical Year, as the
New Year begins with Advent next Sunday. We often
mention that time is a gift to us; this idea of measuring
Church time is also a gift, but do we truly appreciate
it?
People tend to say “I go to church.” In reality, Christ
does not call us to “go” to church; He calls us to be
Church. We should live our lives in such a way that it
is clear we are Catholic and Christian and part of
Christ’s Kingdom, for He is our King. Were you aware
that the name “Christ” is a royal title in itself? In Greek
it means “the anointed king.”
St. Paul referred to the Lord as “king of kings and lord
of lords,” a phrase with which we are familiar. If we
accept Christ as our King, and if we live our lives as
His disciples and followers we are certainly part of His
Kingdom. Pope Pius XI instituted today’s solemnity in
1925 at a time when many countries were struggling
with total loyalty to secular royalty. Pius XI wanted
Catholics to recognize that their loyalty was to a higher
power, their spiritual king in heaven.
Pius XI wrote at that time, “For Jesus Christ reigns
over the minds of individuals by His teachings, in their
hearts by His love, in each one’s life by the living ac-
cording to His law and the imitating of His example.”
Schoenstatt of Indiana welcomes Sr. Ann Astell, Professor of Theology
at Notre Dame University to share the depth of Schoenstatt’s Founder
Fr. Joseph Kentenich’s childhood prayer, “Hail Mary for the sake of
your purity…” on the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception,
Dec. 7, 2017 at 6PM at MCL Cafeteria. Meal is on your own followed
by Sister’s talk at 6:30pm.
The Saint Dunstan Schola presents
A GEORGE MALCOLM CENTENNIAL
Join us for a musical celebration of the one-hundredth anniversary of the birth of
George Malcolm, Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral and critically ac-
claimed harpsichordist. The two-part concert will feature music from both aspects
of his musical personality – the first half, in honor of the Advent season, will
feature the Saint Dunstan schola singing Malcolm’s Christus Natus Est – a setting
of the liturgical office of Matins for Christmas, interspersed with readings from
the Bible and the Church Fathers. The second half will feature special guest per-
former Dr. Rebecca Burkhart, professor of harpsichord at Ball State University,
performing some of Malcolm’s signature pieces – along with a few musical sur-
prises along the way. Saturday, December 16th…a light supper will be offered
after Mass with the concert to follow.
Free will offering to benefit the St. Matthew 25 Care-and-Share Soup Kitchen.
FIRST FRIDAY DEVOTIONS-DEC. 1, 5:00 EXPOSITION
AND OPPORTUNITY FOR CONFESSION TO 5:30 WITH
EVENING PRAYER, ADORATION AND BENEDICATION
OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT AND VENERATION OF
THE RELIC OF ST ANN WITH PATRONAL PRAYER…
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1FIRST FRIDAY
DEVOTIONS 5PM 2
3 SRE 4 5 SAA6PM/BT 6 7LOM,NOON BL
RCIA 6PM BL
8HDO MASSES
7/NOON/5PM 9
10 SRE 11 12 13 14LOM,NOON BL
RCIA 6PM BL
15 16
17BREAKFAST 18 19 20PARISH
COUNCIL-6PM
BT
21LOM,NOON BL
RCIA 6PM BL
22 23
24 25
7:30 “MASS AT DAWN”
9:30 “MASS AT DAY”
26 27 28LOM,NOON BL
RCIA 6PM BL
29 30
31NO SRE
THE HOLY FAMILY
CH-CHURCH
BL-BEHLER
BT-BENNETT
MH-MEMORIAL HALL
GROUPS, CONTACTS AND ACTIVI- TIES:
ACTION COMMUNITY, (SAA)ROSE KILLIAN ALLENDUF [email protected]
FINANCE COUNCIL, STEVE [email protected] LEGION OF
MARY, (LOM) CHERYL RAYBURN [email protected] PARISH COUNCIL,
SANDRA MCMAHON [email protected] RCIA, TOM MATTINGLY
[email protected] RELIGIOUS EDUCATION, FR. DOMINIC domi-
[email protected] HOMEBOUND MINISTRY,(HM) KAREN HATKE kshat-
CONCERT OF
WORD & MUSIC-
Light supper in Memori-
al Hall after Mass fol-
lowed by Concert-Free
Will Offering to Mat-
thew 25 Soup Kitchen
24NO SRE
VIGIL 6PM
“MIDNIGHT MASS”
10:30 P.M.