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Final Sunday of the Church Year

Christ the King Sunday

November 23, 2008 -- Note: There is ONLY a service at 10:30 for this date because of Thanksgiving break.

This final Sunday after Pentecost, the final Sunday of the Church Year, is celebrated as the Sunday of Christ the King.  Our attention is drawn again to a glimpse of God’s final outcome for creation, expressed in terms of shepherding in the First Reading (Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24) and as the cosmic reign of Christ in the Second Reading (Ephesians 1:15-23).  Meanwhile, in the Holy Gospel (St. Matthew 25:31-46) we are given a picture of the final return of Christ to rule, with strong implications for the way we treat people in the world in which we now live.

Clement, Bishop of Rome, died around 100
Clement was the third bishop of Rome. He is best remembered for a letter he wrote to the congregation in Corinth, still struggling with the same problems that led to Paul's letters to them. As did Paul, he focused on the need for love among Christians.

Prayer of the Week

O God of power and might, your Son shows us the way of service, and in him we inherit the riches of your grace.  Give us the wisdom to know what is right and the strength to serve the world you have made, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Gospel for Sunday:

St. Matthew 25:31-46

Jesus compares himself to a king who moves among his subjects to see how he is treated: what is done for the least of those who belong to his family is truly done for him.

“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. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34Then 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; 35for 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, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37Then 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? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40And 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.’ 41Then 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; 42for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I 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.’ 44Then 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?’ 45Then 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.’ 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Agnus Day

Agnus Day is a weekly cartoon drawn by Pr. James Wetzstein, based on the gospel lesson for Sunday.

Agnus Day