Daily Readings - Sun Nov 26 2017

First Reading - Ezekiel 34.11-12, 15-17

¹¹For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I myself will seek my sheep, and I myself will visit them¹²Just as a shepherd visits his flock, in the day when he will be in the midst of his sheep that were scattered, so will I visit my sheep. And I will deliver them from all the places to which they had been scattered in the day of gloom and darkness¹⁵I will feed my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down, says the Lord God¹⁶I will seek what had been lost. And I will lead back again what had been cast aside. And I will bind up what had been broken. And I will strengthen what had been infirm. And I will preserve what was fat and strong. And I will feed them on judgment¹⁷But as for you, O my flocks, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, among rams and among he-goats

Second Reading - 1 Corinthians 15.20-26, 28

1 Corinthians

Chapter 15

²⁰But now Christ has risen again from the dead, as the first-fruits of those who sleep²¹For certainly, death came through a man. And so, the resurrection of the dead came through a ma²²And just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be brought to life²³but each one in his proper order: Christ, as the first-fruits, and next, those who are of Christ, who have believed in his advent²⁴Afterwards is the end, when he will have handed over the kingdom to God the Father, when he will have emptied all principality, and authority, and power²⁵For it is necessary for him to reign, until he has set all his enemies under his feet²⁶Lastly, the enemy called death shall be destroyed. For he has subjected all things under his feet. And although he says²⁸And when all things will have been subjected to him, then even the Son himself will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all

Gospel - Matthew 25.31-46

Matthew

Chapter 25

³¹But when the Son of man will have arrived in his majesty, and all the Angels with him, then he will sit upon the seat of his majesty³²And all the nations shall be gathered together before him. And he shall separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats³³And he shall station the sheep, indeed, on his right, but the goats on his left³⁴Then the King shall say to those who will be on his right: ‘Come, you blessed of my Father. Possess the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world³⁵For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in³⁶naked, and you covered me; sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me.³⁷Then the just will answer him, saying: ‘Lord, when have we see you hungry, and fed you; thirsty, and given you drink³⁸And when have we seen you a stranger, and taken you in? Or naked, and covered you³⁹Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit to you?⁴⁰And in response, the King shall say to them, ‘Amen I say to you, whenever you did this for one of these, the least of my brothers, you did it for me.⁴¹Then he shall also say, to those who will be on his left: ‘Depart from me, you accursed ones, into the eternal fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels⁴²For I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and you did not give me to drink⁴³I was a stranger and you did not take me in; naked, and you did not cover me; sick and in prison, and you did not visit me.⁴⁴Then they will also answer him, saying: ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to you?⁴⁵Then he shall respond to them by saying: ‘Amen I say to you, whenever you did not do it to one of these least, neither did you do it to me.⁴⁶And these shall go into eternal punishment, but the just shall go into eternal life.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on God’s love, care, and ultimate judgment. In Ezekiel, we hear the Lord describe Himself as a shepherd who seeks out His scattered flock, heals the broken, and strengthens the weak. This passage reminds us of God’s deep concern for His people and His desire to restore and protect them. In 1 Corinthians, St. Paul explains the victory of Christ over death and sin, emphasizing that through Adam, death came into the world, but through Christ, all will be brought to life. This passage underscores the hope of resurrection and the ultimate triumph of God over all evil. Finally, in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus describes the final judgment, where He separates the sheep from the goats based on how they treated the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and imprisoned. Those who served the least among them served Christ Himself, while those who neglected them are separated from eternal life. These readings are deeply connected. Ezekiel’s image of the shepherd sets the stage for understanding Jesus as the Good Shepherd who seeks and saves the lost. Paul’s teaching on the resurrection highlights the ultimate purpose of God’s plan—to bring all things under Christ’s authority. Matthew’s parable then calls us to live in a way that reflects this reality, recognizing that our actions toward others are actions toward Christ. Together, these readings remind us that God’s love is both merciful and just, and that our response to His love is lived out in how we care for one another. As we apply these readings to our daily lives, we are challenged to see Christ in every person we meet, especially in those who are most vulnerable. The moral lesson is clear: our faith is not just about words or beliefs but about how we live out our love for God and neighbor. Let us ask ourselves: Do we treat others with the same care and compassion that God shows us? Do we recognize the dignity of every person as a child of God? Let us strive to live in a way that reflects the love of the Good Shepherd, knowing that our ultimate judgment will depend on how we have loved and served one another. May we embrace the call to be instruments of God’s mercy and love in the world.