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| Sunday 23rd November, 2008 - Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King
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Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want—Ps 22(23):1-3, 5-6. 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28. Matthew 25:31-46 [St Clement I; St Columban]. Link to Readings
‘Go away from me, your curse upon you.’
It is ‘your curse’ upon you, the Lord says, for it is by my own choice that I separate myself from Jesus. I was born out of relationship: I am welcomed into relationship with my Christian family through baptism and am called to live in relationship with all humanity.
If I believe this, yet selfishly ignore my brothers and sisters, remaining blind to their needs, this is my choice, bringing my own curse down on my head on judgement day. But if I nurture my faith through prayer and the sacraments, keeping my relationship with Jesus as an important part of my life, then maybe I will hear the welcome words, ‘Come, you who my Father has blessed’.
Lord, may I always follow Christ as my teacher and guide.
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| St Philip Neri
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A reputation for being a saint can be a nuisance because people want to stare at you, as if you were an animal in a cage. Philip Neri (16th century) knew this. He was so happy a Christian that all Rome thought him a saint. To protect himself from the merely curious, he would pretend to be drunk or half-witted. In fact, he was a serious priest; but one who thought that laughter was as much a gift from God as tears. In the streets or in the confessional he drew people to God by his genial, sympathetic personality. The priests who lived with him accepted his leadership because they were all his friends. They did not take vows or follow a Rule, but they lived in common. In their chapel (or oratory) they ran regular discussions where the young could find their feet and enjoy a novel musical form mixing sacred texts and choral singing (oratorios). They found this happy Christianity very attractive.
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