November 26, 2023 – Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Our Great Journey

Wishing all a blessed and safe Thanksgiving.

This week our theme is “Show Your Jesus”/ “Muestra a tu Jesús” based on Matthew 25:31-46/ Mateo 25:31-46

Opening Prayer:

All pray the Sign of the Cross

Lord our God, just as the rain comes down to the earth to make it fruitful, so you send forth your Word to do your will in the world. May this wisdom from heaven grow in our hearts. Help us to be like your Son in our words and actions. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

In addition to our prayers from the heart, our prayers for November are The Glory Be and the Morning Offering. Please pray these prayers daily to learn. The Morning Offering is a great prayer to start the day, before leaving the house in the morning.

Using the Bible, invite a family member to read the Gospel aloud.

Things to talk about:

What is the kindest thing you have ever done for another person?
What is Jesus teaching us in today’s Gospel?
How do people today get to be the sheep that Jesus describes in the Gospel?
Share a time when you have helped someone in need. Do you realize that when you help someone, you are helping Jesus?

Things to do:

Read and discuss the Corporal Works of Mercy, Click Here. (I always told the kids that Corporal is what we do for the physical body, from the Latin word, corpus). Think of examples children can do themselves. For example, “visiting the imprisoned,” could be reaching out in friendship to someone who seems lonely or isolated. “Burying the dead,” could be sending a card or picture to someone who recently experienced the death of a loved one.
Go through your closets and dressers to find some clothing or household goods to donate to our St. Vincent de Paul store in Kennesaw to “clothe the naked.”.
Attend the Advent Penance Service on December 3 to prepare your heart for Advent.
Visit or call and elderly family member or friend to say hello and spend time talking with them.
In anticipation of Advent go to https://daily.formed.org/advent and sign up for a 7 minute reflection. Rooted for older kids and Drawing Closer to God (a Catholic art show that teaches how to draw Advent symbols) for elementary. Our parish has a free subscription to FORMED.
Teens & Adults: Listen to Fr Mark Mary Ames, CFR video about The Final Judgment on FORMED, Chapter 7: For I Was Hungry, Click Here. Our parish has a free subscription to FORMED.

Closing Prayer: Jesus: King of the Universe

Almighty ever-living God, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of the Universe, grant, we pray, that the whole creation, set free from slavery, may render your majesty service and ceaselessly proclaim your praise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Name those who need our prayers. Close with the Sign of the Cross.

Join us on Friday evenings, 7:00 p.m. to Pray the Rosary for Peace in the Middle East. We are praying a Rosary Novena and will continue to gather to pray the Rosary through December 8. This is a great way to learn the Rosary prayers.

Catholic Insights

How often do we “Show our Jesus? to others? In this Gospel, Jesus teaches the Corporal Works of Mercy. This parable is sometimes referred to as the “sheep and the goats.” That we hear these works of mercy on the last day of the liturgical year is significant. There is a sense of urgency here, and we have no time to waste. We are invited to take a good look at our priorities and reflect on how well we are doing to build the Kingdom of God.

Five of the seven (7 is the number that symbolizes perfection in the Bible) are laid out by the “King” (representing God) as he welcomes the righteous into eternal life. The remaining two works of mercy, added by Catholic tradition, are taking care of the sick and burying the dead.

We will be judged by our response to the needs of others. (Parents you do this every day!) Our judge is Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who has given us a living example in giving his life for his sheep. We are reminded today that what really matters is what we do with the opportunities we are given to help others — especially those in need. Show your Jesus.