FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Daniel (Daniel 7:13-14)
“His dominion is an everlasting dominion.”
I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 93:1ab, 1d-2, 5 (R. 1a)
R/. The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.
The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.
The Lord has robed himself with might;
he has girded himself with power. R/.
The world you made firm, not to be moved;
your throne has stood firm from of old.
From all eternity, O Lord, you are. R/.
Truly your decrees are to be trusted.
Holiness is fitting to your house,
O Lord, until the end of time. R/.
SECOND READING
A reading from the Book of Revelation (Revelation 1:5-8)
“The ruler of the kings on earth… made us a kingdom, priests to his God. ”
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
The word of the Lord.
ALLELUIA Mark 11:9b, 10a
Alleluia. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Alleluia.
GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 18:33b-37)
“You say that I am a king.”
At that time: Pilate said to Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world.” Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
The kingship of Jesus is so radically different from the worldly understanding of kingship that this is probably why Jesus slipped away whenever people tried to forcibly declare him king. All things are created through him and for him but, showing the depth of his Father’s love, Jesus pre-eminently demonstrated his kingship through his suffering and death – not by being served. Jesus bore witness to the truth – the Father’s love for us. The face of the father’s love, Jesus emptied himself (kenosis) and became a servant-king, giving up everything in order that we may gain everything; he died so that we might live. As the new representative of humanity (acquired through his incarnation), Jesus undid the failure of our first representative Adam, to lead us from death to new life: adoption as sons and daughters of God.