Daily Readings - Sun Nov 22 2020

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

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

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 care for His people, the triumph of Christ over sin and death, and the call to live out our faith through acts of love and mercy. In the first reading from 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 is a beautiful expression of God’s compassion and His commitment to restoring His people. It was addressed to the Israelites during a time of exile and despair, offering them hope that God had not abandoned them and would one day gather them back to Himself. The second reading from 1 Corinthians expands on this theme by highlighting the victory of Christ over death. Paul explains that just as death came through Adam’s sin, so too has the resurrection of the dead come through Christ. This passage reminds us that Christ’s triumph is not just a historical event but a cosmic reality that will one day bring all things under God’s authority. It encourages us to live with hope, knowing that our ultimate destiny is to share in Christ’s glory. The Gospel from Matthew brings these themes together in the parable of the sheep and goats. Here, Jesus teaches that our ultimate judgment will be based on how we have treated the least among us—the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. Those who have shown compassion and kindness to these “least ones” will inherit eternal life, while those who have neglected them will face eternal punishment. This passage is a powerful reminder that our faith is not just about what we believe but about how we live out that belief in service to others. As we reflect on these readings, we are called to examine our own lives. Are we living as sheep who care for the vulnerable, or are we acting like goats who turn away from those in need? The Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, has shown us the way to live—by loving and serving others. Let us strive to imitate His example, trusting in His promise that whatever we do for the least of His brothers and sisters, we do for Him. In doing so, we not only honor God but also become instruments of His healing and restoration in a world that desperately needs His love.