Solemnity of Christ the King - Cycle A

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General Intercessions: [English PDF]
	Celebrant: As we acknowledge Christ our Lord and King, let us offer these prayers and petitions to the Father in His name. Deacon/Lector: That the Church will be a worthy servant of the Gospel and direct the people of God toward the promised kingdom, we pray to the Lord… That world leaders will govern justly and wisely, and strive for true peace, we pray to the Lord… That in Christ, the King of Justice and Life, the evils of abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia may be eliminated from our midst, we pray to the Lord... That the world’s harvest will be gathered and shared among all people, especially those who are in most need, we pray to the Lord… That more men and women will generously accept the call to serve Christ and his Church as priests, deacons, and religious brothers and sisters, we pray to the Lord… That the departed may enjoy the peace and endless life of heaven, we pray to the Lord… Celebrant: God of love, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, and grant us the grace to be ever faithful to you. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Bulletin Insert:
	The King of Life The liturgy for today’s Feast of Christ the King tells us that his is “a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace.” Indeed, all these realities fit together perfectly. Truth and life go together, because when we know the truth about God’s love and care for creation, we will respect all life. When we know the truth about ourselves, that we belong only to God, then we realize we cannot destroy any other person. A respect for life, personally as well as in our laws and policies as a nation, is the first requirement of justice and an absolute condition of peace. And the holier we are, the more we allow God’s grace into our every thought and desire, the more we will adhere to truth, defend life, and promote justice and peace.
Homily Suggestions:
	Ez 34:11-12, 15-17 1 Cor 15:20-26, 28 Mt 25:31-46 Watch a video with homily hints The Solemnity of Christ the King suggests many themes related to the defense of life and care of the vulnerable. His Kingdom is a Kingdom of life and justice, as the Preface reminds us. It is a Kingdom of Life because Christ identified himself on various occasions as “the life” and said that his mission was to bring life. To stand with Christ is to stand with life, and to stand with life is to stand against whatever destroys life. “The last enemy to be destroyed is death,” the second reading tells us. Union with God means we share in the process by which he destroys the power of death (e.g. abortion) in the world. The Kingship of Christ also reminds us that not only as individuals, but also as nations, we are subject to his laws. We do not want a theocracy, in which, for example, civil law would require belief in the Eucharist or attendance at Sunday Mass. We do, however, want a society that acknowledges its dependence on God, its ultimate accountability to him, and its adherence to those fundamental requirements of his law relating to the protection of basic human rights. The first reading and psalm speak about God’s care for the sheep, particularly the weaker ones. His care for his people puts the same obligation on us, as the Gospel relates. What we do to the least, we do to him. Defending the unborn, who are the weakest of the weak and poorest of the poor, is required by the teaching of this Gospel passage. When we defend the child in the womb, we are defending Christ in the womb. That is why it is our business to intervene.

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