Daily Readings - Sun Nov 26 2023

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 profound care for His people and our responsibility to act with compassion. In Ezekiel, God is portrayed as a shepherd who seeks out His scattered flock, rescuing and caring for them, emphasizing His justice and mercy. This imagery underscores God's active role in restoring His people, especially during their exile, promising them hope and renewal. In 1 Corinthians, Paul discusses the victory of Christ's resurrection, which conquers death and paves the way for believers' future resurrection. This passage reassures us of God's ultimate triumph, where Christ will reign until all things are subjected to Him, and death itself is defeated. This victory gives us hope and motivation to live in a way that honors God. The Gospel from Matthew vividly describes the Last Judgment, where the Son of Man separates the sheep from the goats based on their treatment of the needy. This teaching highlights that serving the least among us is equivalent to serving Christ. It challenges us to recognize Christ in everyone, especially the vulnerable, and to act with compassion. These readings connect through the theme of God's care and our response. Ezekiel's shepherd and Matthew's judgment both emphasize caring for others as a reflection of our relationship with God. Corinthians provides the hope that sustains us as we live out this compassion. In daily life, we are called to feed the hungry, visit the sick, and welcome strangers, recognizing Christ in each action. Our treatment of others has eternal implications, urging us to live with mercy and justice. The moral lesson is clear: our love for God is evident in how we treat His children, especially the most vulnerable. Let us strive to live in such a way that our actions reflect the love and care of the Good Shepherd.