XXXIV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME -  CICLO B – 2018

CHRIST KING OF THE UNIVERSE

«  We have reached the last Sunday of the liturgical year, the 34th Sunday in ordinary time. In this Sunday the liturgy of the church celebrates Jesus as King of the Universe. 

«  On the first Sunday in Ordinary time we have celebrated the Baptism of the Lord Jesus. After his baptism in the Jordan River, the voice of the Father said to Jesus “You are my beloved Son.” 

«  Jesus has healed, taught, forgiven and discussed with the religious authorities of his people, in a word, Jesus has lived a full human life, showing the unconditional love of the Father for all of us.   

«  During the 33 Sundays in Ordinary time, we have seen Jesus vulnerable in many occasions, and now the Church presents him as King and Lord.   

«  Even being king and Lord, he has not abandoned his tenderness, his compassion; on the contrary his kingship is of love, justice and kindness for all. 

 

FIRST READING: Daniel 7:13-14 

Ø  Last week,  we explained some interesting details of this book. Today we will concentrate in the message in chapter 7. 

Ø  The reading introduces the character of the “Son of man” title, which Jesus will apply to himself in many occasions.  

Ø  It is a title of sovereignty, of authority because to this character in the book of Daniel 

o   Royal power and dominion   will be given     

o   All the peoples and languages will respect him, and will bow down before him.

o    I transcribe here the commentary of Luis Alonso Schökel:  

§  In our time, the believer cannot just simply wait for a heavenly being, which will come to judge the oppressors and the oppressing structures.  

§  In and from faith, the Christian person, who is convinced of the liberator, consoling and encouraging value of the Word and of  Jesus Project,  has to transform  his struggles and sweats into  current prophecy.  

§  Time has not change the way God thinks.

§   It is up to us to do works of justice, solidarity and fraternity in the midst of a divided world, which is governed by the forces of evil. 

RESPONSORIAL PSALM – Ps.  93   

R.  THE LORD IS KING; HE IS ROBED IN MAJESTY
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. THE LORD IS KING; HE IS ROBED IN MAJESTY
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. THE LORD IS KING; HE IS ROBED IN MAJESTY
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed;
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. THE LORD IS KING; HE IS ROBED IN MAJESTY

      This psalm belongs to the IV book of psalms (psalms 90-106.) 

      It is a hymn to the divine kingship 

      His power gives firmness to creation   

      The decrees of the Lord are faithful and true.   

      His house is adorned with holiness     

      The kingship and power of God is his holiness, his love, his kindness, his tenderness toward his creation.      

GOSPEL OF JOHN 18:33-37

§  John narrates the encounter between Jesus and Pilate through a series of seven scenes.  

§  The one we will read is the second.  

§  It takes place inside the palace of Pilate.

§  During the interrogation Jesus declares himself king, but a king who does not belong to this world, in a word he declares himself God.  

§  He has come to give witness to the truth. What truth? The truth of God and, the truth of the human being.    

§  Only the one, who accepts the truth, can listen to his voice, the voice of the Master.   

SECOND READING: Rv 1:5-8

ü  This Reading is taken from the first chapter of the book of Revelation.   

ü  After the introduction and the greeting to the churches, the author of the book describes, in a poetic way,  who Jesus is:  

o   He is the faithful witness  

o   He is the first among the dead and the King of the kings of the world.  

o   He loves us and has liberated us from our sins with his blood.  

o   He has made of us a kingdom of priests for God his Father.  

ü  He comes upon the clouds; this reminds us the son of man of the vision of the book of Daniel.  

ü  All even those who killed him will see him.  

ü  And after that Jesus introduces himself saying:   

o   I am the alpha and the omega    

o   The one who is, was and will come, the all-powerful 

CLARETIAN CORNER 

This submission that God gave me to the will of my prelate was the strongest knot by which the Lord had tied the will of my prelate for the opinion of the procurator not to be followed in everything. As soon as the prelate made his note thinking that in that way all could go as well and forward, then the prelate objected that it was not feasible according to the law. So we had a very heavy battle, and, none of us are willing to mortify the other, all of us were very disgusted. This was the will of the whole hell: to make me unacceptable to my superiors. Venerable Maria Antonia París, Foundress .  Autobiography 222. 

I can see that what the Lord is doing in me is like what I observe going on in the motion of the planets: they are pulled by two forces, one centrifugal, the other centripetal. Centrifugal force pulls them to escape their orbits; centripetal force draws them toward their center. The balance of these two forces holds them in their orbits. That's just how I see myself. I feel one force within me, which I'll call centrifugal, telling me to get out of Madrid and the court; but I also feel a counterforce, the will of God, telling me to stay in court for the time being, until I am free to leave. This will of God is the centripetal force that keeps me chained here like a dog on his leash. The mixture of these two forces, namely, the desire to leave and my love for doing God's will, keeps me running around in my circle. Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Founder. Autobiography 623. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CLARET, Antonio María. Autobiografía.

PARIS, María Antonia. Autobiografía  en Escritos

RAVASI, Gianfranco. Según las Escrituras-Año B. San Pablo 2005.

Schökel, Luis Alonso, La Biblia de nuestro Pueblo.

Sagrada Biblia. Versión oficial de la Conferencia episcopal española.