Sunday Sermon 11.26.23
LATIN MASS: LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
EPISTLE: Colossians 1:9 Therefore we also, from the day that we heard it, cease not to pray for you, and to beg that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will, in all wisdom, and spiritual understanding: 10 That you may walk worthy of God, in all things pleasing; being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God: 11 Strengthened with all might, according to the power of His glory, in all patience and longsuffering with joy, 12 Giving thanks to God the Father, who hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 In whom we have redemption through His Blood, the remission of sins;
The message of the Gospel is simple, but hard. It’s not a mystery about what the good works God wants us to perform. It’s not a mystery what holy behavior looks like. It is exceedingly simple, but it is very hard. Temptations and our sinful nature drive us to turn inward and focus on ourselves. This is the opposite of the Christian mindset we must put on. We must be fruitful and we must produce good works. In the ways that are available to us, we must live lives of holiness and charity. We were not made for comfort, but for holiness. Holiness is hard, yet simple. Strive for holiness by picking up your cross willingly and embracing it. Perform the spiritual and corporal acts of mercy as much as you can.
GOSPEL: Matthew 24:15 When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place: he that readeth let him understand. 16 Then they that are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains: 17 And he that is on the housetop, let him not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 And he that is in the field, let him not go back to take his coat. 19 And woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days. 20 But pray that your flight be not in the winter, or on the Sabbath. 21 For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be. 22 And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say to you: Lo here is Christ, or there, do not believe him. 24 For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect. 25 Behold I have told it to you, beforehand. 26 If therefore they shall say to you: Behold He is in the desert, go ye not out: Behold He is in the closets, believe it not. 27 For as lightning cometh out of the east, and appeareth even into the west: so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together. 29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of Heaven shall be moved: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven: and then shall all tribes of the earth mourn: and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty. 31 And He shall send His angels with a trumpet, and a great voice: and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them. 32 And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh. 33 So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors. 34 Amen I say to you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass, but My words shall not pass.
This prophecy was fulfilled in 70AD when the Romans sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple. This ended all sacrifices of the Old Covenant and they have not happened since. This prophecy will ALSO be fulfilled at the Second Coming of Christ and the Last Judgment. Prophecies in Scripture usually have multiple fulfillments by God.
Some things to note here. Many Protestants believe in the pre-tribulation Rapture, where Christians will be taken secretly by Christ before the tribulations begin that usher in the end of the world. But if you read this passage, you see that Christians are still on earth when this happens and they are experiencing and suffering under these horrors as well. Christ also warns about believing people claiming that Christ has returned. When Christ returns for His Second Coming, it won’t be a silent event. He will be escorted by legions of angels and the blaring of angelic trumpets.
As always, be ready for the arrival of Our Lord at all times. Keep your soul in a state of grace. Go to Confession at least once a month. Go to Mass. Pray your rosary.
NOVUS ORDO: SOLEMNITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE
OLD TESTAMENT: Ezekiel 34:11 For thus says the Lord God: I Myself will search for My sheep, and will seek them out. 12 As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out My sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I Myself will be the Shepherd of My sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. 17 As for you, My flock, thus says the Lord God: I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats:
Our Lord is the Good Shepherd. He cares for and tends to His sheep. But notice very carefully that He will judge between the sheep and the goats. The sheep are those obedient to Him and the goats are those who disobey Him. Sheep are obedient to God while goats are stubborn and disobedient creatures. Obey Christ. He is your Shepherd and He wants what is good for you. Trust Him.
NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Corinthians 15:20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a man; 22 for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at His coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when He hands over the Kingdom to God the Father, after He has destroyed every ruler 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 “God has put all things in subjection under His feet.” But when it says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is plain that this does not include the One who put all things in subjection under Him. 28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who put all things in subjection under Him, so that God may be all in all.
All will be placed under the authority of Christ whether they like it or not. He is the rightful owner of everything, since He created everything. He is Lord and King of every creature and every created thing. He is in authority and everyone will submit to Him. Those who disobey and refuse to acknowledge Him as King are thieves and usurpers because they try to take away from Him what is His.
Even those who do not want to accept that Christ is King will still bend the knee to Him. It will not go well for them.
Don’t be like those. Instead accept reality and accept that He is King. He wants to shower you with love, so accept it. You just have to obey Him rather than obeying your ego and sin. (You WILL obey one or the other.) So choose to obey Christ. Don’t be like those who are thrown out of His Presence.
GOSPEL: Matthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and He will put the sheep at His right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the King will say to those at His right hand, ‘Come, you that 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 something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, 36 I was naked and you gave Me clothing, I was sick and you took care of Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw You a stranger and welcomed You, or naked and gave You clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw You sick or in prison and visited You?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of My family, you did it to Me.’ 41 Then He will say to those at His left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from Me 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 nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me, naked and you did not give Me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
As noted above, the Gospel and the commands of Christ are simple, yet hard. But everything worthwhile is difficult. Things that are easy are fleeting and have no long term meaning. Search and strive for what is eternal. Perform the good works that you were created to do. Be a fruitful vine for God and do the good works He wants from you. Do not refuse to obey Him.
How you are judged for whether you will be saved or damned is based upon your actions and your works. If you choose to obey God, you will be saved. If you disobey, you will be damned. It’s not difficult to understand. It’s only difficult to do.
I am thankful every week for Sunday Sermon. I learn then think about what you have written and it makes holy sense! 🙏📿