The Reign of Christ

On this final Sunday of the church year, our gospel is one Jesus’ most moving parables (Matthew 25:31-46). In the end, Jesus announces that the ones who are faithful are those who served Christ by ministering to those who are poor, hungry, naked, sick, or estranged. In the first reading for this weekend (Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24) we see that our faithfulness is modeled after God's. God is the shepherd who seeks the lost, weak, and injured and feeds them with justice. We gather this weekend to celebrate the reign of Christ and his victory over death, while we wait for the fullness of what is to come. Acknowledging Christ as our merciful ruler, we show our gratitude and faithfulness through our loving words and deeds.