Author: Deacon Bob

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Zephaniah, Chapter 3, verses 14-18 is the inspiration for this song. It is the first reading of the Third Sunday in Advent, Year C.

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.
The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you,
so that you will not bear reproach for it. (Zeph 3:14-18, NRSV)

The Third Sunday of Advent in the Roman Catholic Church is known as Gaudete Sunday, “Rejoice Sunday.” In contrast to the purple liturgical colors of Advent, on this one Sunday in Advent the liturgical color is rose. The celebration of Christmas is so close that we are filled with anticipatory joy. We no longer just harbor hope for humanity, we know that the healing that humanity needs so desperately is about to happen in the birth of Jesus.

HOMILY FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT 2019

Today is Gaudete Sunday, “Rejoice Sunday”, in the liturgical Advent season. As a kid, when I saw the pink colored vestments of the priest at Mass, I knew that Christmas was very near. Advent was a time when the Sears and Montgomery Wards catalogues would arrive at the house, and I would slowly leaf through the toy section, dog earring the pages of the items I dreamed, hoped I might receive Christmas morning.

For a kid then, Rejoice Sunday brought those hopes and dreams of toy Nirvana every closer.

As an adult, my approach to this Sunday is far different than it was for me as a kid. Our earth is consumed by war and violence. Nation plotting against nation, right wing dictators taking power in many countries, our own nation is great turmoil, Yes, our earth dwells in darkness. It is not great secret that the Gospel of Jesus rails against many of the policies of our world governments including our own nation, seen in the separation and imprisoning of refugee families, forbidding doctors from administering flu shots to refugee children languishing in government cages, taking food from the mouths of the poor of our nation, and seeking to end affordable healthcare for many families in our nation.

National and global politics aside, there are many who are facing unemployment (the local flour mill in New Prague will close forever on December 31st), struggling with injuries and illnesses, the loss of significant relationships due to death and divorce. It is a tough time of year.

The awful state of our world is not just isolated to our present time. Horatius Bonar wrote:

“Come, and make all things new,
Build up this ruined earth;
Restore our faded paradise,
Creation’s second birth.”

An early American hymn stated similar sentiments:

Return, O God of love, return,
Earth is a tiresome place;
How long shall we thy children mourn
Our absence from thy face?

Yet, we are called to rejoice, nonetheless. Isaiah reminds us that God will turn around the disaster in which humanity exists.

“The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song. The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened:

Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing. Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.” (Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10)

St. Oscar Romero, martyred for the faith, wrote these words in the midst of the El Salvadoran Civil War in which the government right wing death squads roamed the land, “disappearing people”, torturing, raping, and killing men and women who assisted the poor.

“No one can celebrate a genuine Christmas without being truly poor. The self-sufficient, the proud, those who, because they have everything, look down on others, those who have no need even of God- for them there will be no Christmas. Only the poor, the hungry, those who need someone to come on their behalf, will have that someone. That someone is God. Emmanuel. God-with-us. Without poverty of spirit there can be no abundance of God.”

St Oscar Romero names the reason for us to rejoice. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. We do not linger in misery here on earth alone, isolated from God. God accompanies us and gives us hope. If we cultivate within ourselves, “the poverty of spirit” of which Romero writes, we will find an abundance of God. There is reason to rejoice.

In closing, there is a beautiful sixteenth century Advent Carol that expresses how we and our world will be transformed, entitled “Maria Walks Amidst The Thorn.” It is a message upon which to reflect on this Sunday and throughout this third week in Advent, especially so if we are facing some adversity in our lives.

MARIA WALKS AMID THE THORN

Maria walks amid the thorn, Kyrie elison  (Lord, have mercy),
Maria walks amid the thorn,
Which sev’n long years no leaf has born,
Jesus and Maria.

What neath her heart does Mary bear, Kyrie elison,
What little child does Mary bear,
Beneath her heart he nestles there,
Jesus and Maria.

And as the two were passing near, Kyrie elison,
Lo, roses on the thorn appear,
Lo, roses on the thorn appear,
Jesus and Maria.

This song is based on Psalm 85, and is the Responsorial Psalm for the Second Sunday of Advent, Year B.

Lord, you were favorable to your land;

you restored the fortunes of Jacob.

You forgave the iniquity of your people;

you pardoned all their sin.

You withdrew all your wrath;

you turned from your hot anger.

Restore us again, O God of our salvation,

and put away your indignation toward us.

Will you be angry with us forever?

Will you prolong your anger to all generations?

Will you not revive us again,

so that your people may rejoice in you?

Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,

and grant us your salvation.

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,

for he will speak peace to his people,

to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.

Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,

that his glory may dwell in our land.

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;

righteousness and peace will kiss each other.

Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,

and righteousness will look down from the sky.

The Lord will give what is good,

and our land will yield its increase.

Righteousness will go before him,

and will make a path for his steps. (Ps. 85, NRSV)

The psalmist writes of God’s everlasting love. In spite of Israel’s faithlessness, in spite of the many sins of Israel, God’s love remains steadfast and faithful. Kindness is the quality which flows from God’s faithful love. Tragically, humanity has been sorely lacking the quality of kindness throughout all of human history. If we acted in kindness toward one another, there would be no conflict, no hunger, no violence and war. All people would be cared for and loved. As in the first Psalm Offering of this Opus, there is an abundance of hope that humanity will be healed of its brokenness and sin, and restored to the humanity God intended at the creation of the world. May our lives be an expression of God’s kindness and peace in our world, in which love and faithfulness will meet, and righteousness (justice) and peace shall kiss.

HOMILY FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT

When I was in graduate school at the St Paul Seminary School of Divinity, my class did a number of church tours for our Art and Environment in Catholic Worship class. One of the churches we toured was St John the Baptist Catholic Church in Hopkins, Minnesota. When this church was built, there was a Eucharistic chapel attached to the sanctuary in which the tabernacle, where consecrated hosts were reserved to be distributed to the sick and homebound,  was located. Next to the tabernacle was a fairly large statue in honor of Mary, Mother of Jesus. Mary’s head on the statue was gazing at the tabernacle, her left hand pointing to the tabernacle. No matter how one looked at the statue, one’s eyes was always drawn to the tabernacle which contained the real presence of Jesus in the consecrated hosts. Fr Jim Notebaart, the professor of our class, observed, “Mary always points to Jesus.”

On this second Sunday in Advent, we meet John the Baptist for the first time. John is out and about preparing the way for Jesus, whose sandal strap John felt not worthy to fasten. Like Mary, John always points to Jesus. I love this passage from the Gospel of John, which I believe illustrates this point so succinctly.

²⁵ Now a discussion about purification arose between John’s disciples and a Jew. ²⁶ They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” ²⁷ John answered, “No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, I have been sent ahead of him.’ ²⁹ He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. ³⁰ He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:25-30, New Revised Standard Version)

Like Mary, Mother of Jesus, John always points to Jesus. Something on which to reflect during this second week of Advent is the question, “As disciples of Jesus, do our lives point to Jesus?”

Upon reflecting on this question, I have noticed the many times my life failed in pointing to Jesus, especially as compared to the practice of Mary and John the Baptist. Like many human beings, rather than a life consumed on Jesus and in service to God and neighbor, my life has been more self-consumed, self-focused. The challenge that John the Baptist presents to me this second week in Advent is not only to become aware of a life that has been self-consumed, but to begin a life more focused on Jesus, and to choose that my words and actions are pointed always to Jesus and what he has taught us in the Gospels.

I acknowledge that living a life pointing to Jesus is not a one time conversion event. This is more than just saying, “I have accepted Jesus as my personal Savior.” To live a life that points to Christ in everything is a long process, and like all human relationships, our relationship with Christ is one into which we must daily put forth all our effort. As important as the relationships we have with spouse, children, grandchildren, family and community are, the most important relationship we have is with Jesus Christ. When our relationship with Jesus improves little by little, day by day, the human relationships we hold most precious will also improve.

Advent is a time when Mary, Mother of Jesus, and John the Baptist can be important guides to living a life focused on Jesus. As we often call upon our friends to assist our lives, let us call upon Mary and John the Baptist to assist us in deepening our relationship with Jesus, the Christ.

Remembering with fondness and sadness the passing of my diaconal brother, Tom Semlak. Tom and his wife, Marge,  served the Archdiocese as a deacon from the time of our ordination on September 24, 1994 to his death on December 8, 2015. Marge later died on February 1, 2018. Because Tom died on December 8 (feast of the Immaculate Conception), I usually celebrate his feast day on the day of his funeral, December 14.

This is the prayer for a deacon at a funeral Mass.

God of mercy, You gave us Tom to proclaim the riches of Christ through the Word of God and in service to all of God’s children, particularly to the poor, the despised, and the hopeless. By the help of his prayers may we grow in knowledge of you, be eager to do good, and learn to walk before you by living the truth of the gospel. Grant this through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and brother,  who lives and reigns with you, and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

As an ordination present for Tom and Marge, the day of our ordination, I composed this music for them. Think of the music as an aural prayer for Tom and for Marge.

Here is an Advent Song for piano I composed last year and on my album, Songs For The Refugee Christ At Christmas (available for download at CDBaby.com). It is entitled, Come Lord Of Counsel. The text is based on Advent readings from the prophet Isaiah.

“A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,

the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the spirit of counsel and might,

the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 

His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

or decide by what his ears hear;

but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,

and faithfulness the belt around his loins.

The wolf shall live with the lamb,

the leopard shall lie down with the kid,

the calf and the lion and the fatling together,

and a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze,

their young shall lie down together;

and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,

and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.  They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain;

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11: 1-9, NRSV)

“In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say,  “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” (Isaiah 2: 2-5, NRSV)

Isaiah 11: 1-10 is the first reading on the Second Sunday of Advent, and Isaiah 2: 2-5 is the first reading on the First Sunday of Advent. There is an underlayment of hope and joy in these two scriptural readings from Isaiah. Humanity is not doomed to an eternity of chaos, violence, and brokenness, for God will come and save us and teach us how to walk in the light of the Lord.

The music reflects the excitement that Isaiah is imparting to the listener. As opposed to the normal Advent chants, stoic and rather dismal, the music is imbued with anticipatory joy. The musical form of the song is three part, ABA form. It is composed in the key of G major.

Last evening, I posted a Morning Prayer for Thanksgiving Day. After we have all napped after the afternoon turkey meal and all its delicious wonder, here is an Evening Prayer for Thanksgiving Day. Like the Morning Prayer, I have used my favorite inclusive language Bible, The Inclusive Bible for the Psalms, Canticles, and other scriptural texts. There is a beautiful text by Fred Prat Green which the liturgical music composer David Haas set to music a number of years ago. Acknowledgements for both the Inclusive Bible and the hymn text Now It Is Evening follow the prayer below.

THANKSGIVING EVENING PRAYER

INTRODUCTORY VERSE

O Adonai, come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to God our Abba, to Jesus the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning is now and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

Now It Is Evening[1]

Now it is evening: Lights of the city
Bid us remember Christ is our Light.
Many are lonely, Who will be neighbor?
Where there is caring Christ is our Light.

Now it is evening: Little ones sleeping
Bid us remember Christ is our Peace.
Some are neglected, Who will be neighbor?
Where there is caring Christ is our Peace.

 
Now it is evening: Food on the table
Bid us remember Christ is our Life.
Many are hungry, Who will be neighbor?
Where there is sharing Christ is our Life.

Now it is evening: Here in our meeting
May us remember Christ is our Friend.
Some may be strangers, Who will be neighbor?
Where there’s a welcome Christ is our Friend.

Fred Prat Green

PSALMODY[2]

Antiphon 1: Let us come before God with thanksgiving and extol God with music and song.

Psalm 23

Yahweh, you are my shepherd—
I want nothing more.
You let me lie down in green meadows;
you lead me beside restful waters:
you refresh my soul.

You guide me to lush pastures
for the sake of your Name.
Even if I’m surrounded by shadows of Death,
I fear no danger, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff—
they give me courage.

You spread a table for me
in the presence of my enemies,
and you anoint my head with oil—
my cup overflows!

Only goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life, all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in your house, Yahweh,
for days without end.

Glory to God our Abba, to Jesus the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning is now and will be for ever. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Let us come before God with thanksgiving and extol God with music and song.

Silent prayer

Antiphon 2: I will give thanks to you, my God, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 117

Praise Yahweh, all you nations;
extol God, all you mighty ones.
For God’s love toward us is great,
God’s faithfulness, eternal.
Alleluia!

Glory to God our Abba, to Jesus the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning is now and will be for ever. Amen.

Antiphon 2: I will give thanks to you, my God, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

Silent prayer

Antiphon 3: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Canticle – Ephesians 1: 3-10

Praised be the Maker
of our Savior Jesus Christ,
who has bestowed on us in Christ
every spiritual blessing in the heavens!

Before the world began,
God chose us in Christ
to be holy and blameless
and to be full of love;

God likewise predestined us
through Christ Jesus to be adopted children—
such was God’s pleasure and will—
that everyone might praise the glory of God’s grace
which was freely bestowed on us in God’s beloved, Jesus Christ.

It is in Christ and through the blood of Christ
that we have been redeemed
and our sins forgiven,
so immeasurably generous is God’s favor
given to us with perfect wisdom and understanding.

God has taken pleasure in revealing the mystery
mystery of the plan through Christ,
to be carried out in the fullness of time;
namely, to bring all things
in heaven and on earth
together in Christ.

“We give thanks to you, Sovereign God Almighty,
the One who is and who was,
for using your great power
and establishing your reign.

The nations raged,
but now it is time for your own anger,
and time for judging the dead,
and for rewarding your faithful and your prophets,
and your holy ones and those who revere your
Name—
both great and small
and for destroying those
who destroy the earth.”

“Now have come salvation and power,
and the reign of God,
and all authority for God’s Anointed.
For the accuser of our sisters and brothers,
who accused them before our God night and day,
has been brought down.

They triumphed over the accuser
by the blood of the Lamb,
and by the word of their testimony;
their love of life did not dissuade them from death. Let the heavens rejoice
and all who dwell in them;

Glory to God our Abba, to Jesus the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning is now and will be for ever. Amen.

Antiphon 3: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Silent Prayer

SCRIPTURE READING – Matthew 11:25-30

Then Jesus prayed, “Abba God, Creator of heaven and earth, to you I offer praise; for what you have hidden from the learned and the clever, you have revealed to the youngest children. Yes, Abba, everything is as you want it to be.” Jesus continued, “Everything has been handed over to me by Abba God. No one knows the Only Begotten except Abba God, and no one knows Abba God except the Only Begotten— and those to whom the Only Begotten

wants to give that revelation. Come to me, all you who labor and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon your shoulders

wand learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. Here you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

RESPONSORY

Lord, you have given us food, bread of the finest wheat.
Lord, you have given us food, bread of the finest wheat.
Honey from the rock to our heart’s content,
Bread of the finest wheat.
Glory to God our Abba, and to the  Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
Lord, you have given us food, bread of the finest wheat.

CANTICLE OF MARY

Antiphon: We give thanks to you, O God, for you satisfy the thirsty and fill the hungry with good things.  

My soul proclaims your greatness, O God,
and my spirit rejoices in you, my Savior.
 For you have looked with favor upon your lowly servant,
and from this day forward all generations will call me blessed.
For you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,
and holy is your Name.

Your mercy reaches from age to age
for those who fear you.
You have shown strength with your arm;
You have scattered the proud in their conceit;
you have deposed the mighty from their thrones
and raised the lowly to high places.
You have filled the hungry with good things,
while you have sent the rich away empty.

You have come to the aid of Israel your servant,
mindful of your mercy –
the promise you made to our ancestors –
to Abraham and his descendants forever.

Glory to God our Abba, to Jesus the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning is now and will be for ever. Amen.

Antiphon: We give thanks to you, O God, for you satisfy the thirsty and fill the hungry with good things.  

INTERCESSIONS

Our hope is in God, who gives us help. In thanksgiving to our God we call upon God and say: Look kindly on your children, Lord.

In thanksgiving to you, O God, for your loving care of our Church, may you guide us all as disciples of Jesus Christ.

In thanksgiving to you, O God, for earth, our home, may we protect our home from all that would harm all living things.

In thanksgiving to you, O God, for the change of seasons, may our hearts be open to the beauty and splendor of you present in Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.

In thanksgiving to you, O God, for our family and our friends, may you bless them and watch over them.

In thanksgiving to you, O God, for our community of faith, who rejoice with us in good times, and support us in time of sorrow.

In thanksgiving for the gifts which you have given us, O God, may we use our gifts to build up your Reign on earth .

In thanksgiving to you, O God, for the lives of all those who have gone before us, may they now rest in the peace and joy of heaven.

THE PRAYER OF JESUS

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done,
On Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil, for the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Loving God,

you are the true light and creator of all that is good. At morning, noon, and evening you watch over us and provide all which we need. May we ever live in the splendor of your presence, till that time we take our place around the table of your heavenly feast. We pray this through Jesus Christ, our Savior and brother, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

DISMISSAL

May God bless us, protect us from all evil
and bring us into everlasting life.

Amen.

[1] Now It Is Evening, by Fred Prat Green, © 1974, Hope Publishing Co.

[2] All Psalms and scripture passages from The Inclusive Bible: the first egalitarian translation , © 2007 by Priests for Equality, The Rowan & Littlefield Publishing Group Inc, Lathan, Maryland, 20706, USA

As an ordained deacon, I am to pray the Liturgy of the Hours at Morning, Evening, and at Night, daily. The Liturgy of the Hours is made up of Psalms, biblical canticles, scripture readings, prayers of intercession, and, of course, the Lord’s Prayer. Since there isn’t a specific morning/evening prayer for Thanksgiving Day, I put together a Morning Prayer for Thanksgiving Day. Because I pray better with Inclusive Scripture, the Psalms, Canticles, and Scripture passages are from The Inclusive Bible (c) 2007 by Priests for Equality. The Rowan & Littlefield Publishing Group Inc, Lathan, Maryland, 20706, USA

THANKSGIVING MORNING PRAYER
INTRODUCTORY VERSE

O Adonai, come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to God our Abba, to Jesus the
Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning is now and will be for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.

HYMN
My Heart Leaps Up
by William Wordsworth

My heart leaps up when I behold A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began; So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old, Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man; I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.

PSALMODY

Antiphon 1: I praise you, Yahweh, for you are good, your love endures forever.
Psalm 104

Bless Yahweh, my soul!
Yahweh, my God, how great you are! clothed in majesty and glory,

rapped in a robe of light, waters above;

you use the clouds as your chariot and ride on the wings of the wind; you use the winds as
messengers and fiery flames as attendants.

You fixed the earth on its foundations so it can never totter,
and wrapped it with the Deep as with a robe, the waters overtopping the mountains.

At your rebuke the waters bolted, fleeing at the sound of your thunder,
cascading over the mountains, into the valleys, down to the reservoir you made for them;
you imposed boundaries they must never cross so they would never again flood the land.
You set springs gushing in ravines, running down between the mountains, supplying water for wild
animals
and attracting the thirsty wild donkeys;
the birds of the air make their nests by these waters and sing among the branches.

From your palace you water the highlands
until the ground is sated by the fruit of your work;

you make fresh grass grow for cattle and plants for us to cultivate
to get food from the soil— wine to cheer our hearts, oil to make our faces shine,
and bread to sustain our life.

The trees of Yahweh drink their fill— those cedars of Lebanon,
where birds build their nests and, on the highest branches, the stork makes its home.
for the wild goats there are the high mountains, and in the crags the rock badgers hide.

You made the moon to tell the seasons, and the sun knows when to set:
you bring darkness on, night falls, and all the forest animals come out— savage lions roaring for
their prey, claiming their food from God.

The sun rises, they retire,
going back to lie down in their lairs, and people go out to work,
to labor again until evening.

Yahweh, what variety you have created,

arranging everything so wisely!
the earth is filled with your creativity! there’s the vast expanse of the sea, teeming with
countless creatures, living things large and small,
with the ships going to and fro
and Leviathan whom you made to frolic there.

All creatures depend on you
to feed them at the proper time. Give it to them—they gather it up.
open your hand—they are well satisfied. Hide your face—they are terrified.
take away their breath—they die and return to dust. send back your breath—fresh life begins
and you renew the face of the earth.

Glory forever to Yahweh!
May you find joy in your creation!
You glance at the earth and it trembles; you touch the mountains and they smoke! I will sing to you
all my life,
I will make music for my God as long as I live.

May these reflections of mine give God as much pleasure as God gives me!
May the corrupt vanish from the earth and the violent exist no longer!

bless Yahweh, my soul! Alleluia!

Glory to God our Abba, to Jesus the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning is now
and will be for ever.

Antiphon 1: I praise you, Yahweh, for you are good, your love endures forever.”

Silent prayer

Antiphon 2: It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O
most High.

CANTICLE – Ezechial 36:24-28
I will take you from the nations,
and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land.

I will sprinkle clean water upon you,
and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.

A new heart I will give you,
and a new spirit I will put within you;
and I will remove from your body the heart of stone

and give you a heart of flesh.

I will put my spirit within you,
and make you follow my statutes a
nd be careful to observe my ordinances.

Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors;
and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Glory to God our Abba, to Jesus the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning is now
and will be for ever.

Antiphon 2: It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O
most High
Silent prayer

Antiphon 3: In everything I give you thanks my God.
Psalm 100

Acclaim Yahweh with joy, all the earth! Serve Yahweh with gladness!
Enter into God’s presence with a joyful song!

Know that Yahweh is God! Yahweh made us,
and we belong to the Creator; we are God’s people
and the sheep of God’s pasture.
Enter God’s gates with thanksgiving and the courts with praise!
Give thanks to God!

Bless God’s Name! For Yahweh is good;
God’s steadfast love endures forever, and God’s faithfulness
to all generations.

Glory to God our Abba, to Jesus the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning is now
and will be for ever.

Antiphon 3: In everything I give you thanks my God.
Silent prayer

SCRIPTURE READING – Colossians 3:12-17
Because you are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with heartfelt compassion,
with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one

another; forgive whatever grievances you have against one another—forgive in the same way God has
forgiven you. Above all else, put on love, which binds the rest together and makes them perfect.
Let Christ’s peace reign in your hearts since, as members of one body, you have been called to that
peace. Dedicate yourselves to thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ, rich as it is, dwell in you.
Instruct and admonish one another wisely. Sing gratefully to God from your hearts in psalms, hymns
and songs of the Spirit. And whatever you do, whether in speech or in action, do it in the name of
Jesus our Savior, giving thanks to God through Christ.

RESPONSORY
Praise and exalt God forever.
Praise and exalt God forever.
Let all the earth bless our God.
And exalt God forever.
Glory to God our Abba, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
Praise and exalt God forever.

CANTICLE OF ZACHARY
Antiphon: It is a good thing to give thanks to you, O Lord, and to sing praises to your name, O
most High.
Blessed are you, the Most High God of Israel – for you have visited and redeemed your people.

You have raised up a mighty savior for us of the house of David,

as you promised through the mouths of your holy ones,
the prophets of ancient times: salvation from our enemies
and from the hands of all our foes.

You have shown mercy to our ancestors
by remembering the holy covenant you made with them,

the oath you swore to Abraham, granting that we,
delivered from the hands of our enemies,
might serve you without fear, in holiness and justice, in your presence all our days.

And you, my child,
will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you’ll go before our God
to prepare the way for the Promised One, Giving the people the knowledge of salvation through
forgiveness of their sins.

Such is the tender mercy of our God,
who from on high will bring the Rising Sun to visit us,

to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to God our Abba, to Jesus the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning is now
and will be for ever.

Antiphon: It is a good thing to give thanks to you, O Lord, and to sing praises to your name, O
most High.

INTERCESSIONS
O God you have given us the light of another day. In return we thank you as we cry out to you:
Bless us and bring us close to you.
For the universal Church, may we embody Christ’s message of hope, love, mercy, compassion and
healing to all who are broken and overwhelmed by circumstances in their lives.
In thanksgiving for the men, women, and children of the world, who daily offer their lives and time
in service of God and humanity.
In thanksgiving for God’s goodness and grace,
which God daily bestows upon us.
In thanksgiving for friends, families, and loved ones in whom we experience God’s love,
may thy travel safely to and from their places of destination,
For all those who are ill and injured, and those who are terminally ill, and for those who love and
care for them.
For the departed who in life were baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus, may the Spirit
through whom Jesus was raised from the dead, raise up their bodies into everlasting life.

Insert other needs and thanksgivings to God here.

THE PRAYER OF JESUS
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil,
For the Kingdom and the power and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.

CONCLUDING PRAYER
Loving God,

you are the true light and creator of all that is good. At morning, noon, and evening you watch
over us and provide all which we need. May we ever live in the splendor of your presence, till that
time we take our place around the table of your heavenly feast.
We pray this through Jesus Christ, our Savior and brother, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

DISMISSAL
May God bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us into everlasting life.
Amen.

In the Catholic Church, this last Sunday of the liturgical year is called the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, or for short, the Feast of Christ the King. Perhaps it is my American heritage, but I have always considered the name of the feast as unfortunate.

The word “king” carries with it a negative connotation. Throughout all of human history, the number of human monarchs who have been benevolent  and wise rulers are far fewer than those who have been heartless, greedy despots. Of all the kings in the Hebrew Testament , only David, Solomon, and perhaps, Josiah, are remembered fondly, and they were all flawed. As we read about the kings listed in the books of Kings and Chronicles in the Hebrew Testament, more often than not, the words written about these kings are, “He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his ancestors had done.”  This is usually followed by a description of the generally quick and grisly demise of the king.

The Gospels paint an image of Jesus that in no way resembles that of a king. Instead of having people serve him on hand and feet, we find Jesus on his knees washing the feet of his disciples and serving their needs. Jesus states time and again throughout the Gospels that he came to serve and not to be served. In John’s account of the feeding of the 5000, the people come to make him king, and Jesus responds by fleeing and hiding from them.

In John’s Passion we hear this dialogue between Pilate and Jesus. “Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”  Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?”  Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?”  Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”  Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king.” With such negative historical references about kings, why on earth would we impose such a title on Jesus?

Listen to these words from John’s Prologue. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” Jesus is far more than a King. He, through him all things were created, is the Lord of all. How is his reign described?  The Gospel today describes the kind of ruler or leader that Jesus is as “Lord.”

Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus did not identify himself with the rich and the powerful. He becomes one with the most despised  or most forgotten of his society. In the passage from Luke’s Passion, in his passion and death, Jesus becomes one with the thieves executed alongside him. Around him, the Jewish religious leaders mock and taunt Jesus. One of the thieves, in extreme pain physically and spiritually derides Jesus. The other thief rebukes the thief, stating that while Jesus is innocent of any crime, he and the other thief are being justly held accountable for the crimes they had committed. Jesus responds to the thief’s compassion by promising him a place in the eternal reign of God.

We will soon be celebrating the incarnation of Jesus at Christmas, when he became one with humanity by becoming one with us in everything human except for that of sin. In his passion and his death, out of love for us he became one with us in our suffering and our death. Denise Levertov describes this “oneing” with humanity in her poem, “On A Theme From Julian’s Chapter XX”.

One only is ‘King of Grief’.
The onening, she saw, the onening
with the Godhead opened Him utterly
to the pain of all minds, all bodies
sands of the sea, of the desert –
from first beginning
to last day. The great wonder is
that the human cells of His flesh and bone
didn’t explode
when utmost Imagination rose
in that flood of knowledge. Unique
in agony, infinite strength, Incarnate,
empowered Him to endure
inside of history,
through those hours when He took Himself
the sum total of anguish and drank
even the lees of that cup:[1]

Normal human kings seek to separate themselves from their subjects. Their relationship with the people they rule is not a power with relationship, taking on the hardships of the people they lead, but in a power over relationship that is meant to dominate and overwhelm their subject. Jesus is the complete antithesis of a human king. The “oneing” to which Denise Levertov refers, is one in which the one through whom all was created makes it his primary mission to be ONE with us. His is a power with relationship, never a power over relationship.

I love the portrait of Jesus above by Brother Robert Lentz OFM. It is entitled “Christ of Maryknoll”. It is a portrait of Christ as a Latino refugee held captive behind the barb wire of an internment camp run by ICE in the United States (Google Brother Robert Lentz OFM to see all his art). As he was in his earthly ministry, Jesus remains one with those who are poor, those who are outcast, those who are imprisoned. As Lord of Heaven and Earth, he continues to serve those who are in most need.

As we celebrate this Feast of “Christ the King”, let us not model our discipleship after that of earthly monarchs. Rather, let us model our discipleship after Jesus, Lord of All by becoming “one” with those most in need, serving them as Jesus once served us. iN OUR “”ONEING” WITH THE POOR AND OUTCAST, WE BECOME “ONE” WITH JESUS THROUGH WHOM ALL WAS CREATED.

[1] “On A Theme From Julian’s Chapter XX”  © 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 by Denise Levertov, A New Direction Book.