November 23, 2014

Reading

Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17

34:11 For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I myself will seek my sheep, and I myself will visit them.

34:12 Just 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 darkness.

34:15 I will feed my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down, says the Lord God.

34:16 I 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 judgment.

34:17 But as for you, O my flocks, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, among rams and among he-goats.

Second Reading

Saint Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians 15:20 – 26, 28

15:20 But now Christ has risen again from the dead, as the first-fruits of those who sleep.

15:21 For certainly, death came through a man. And so, the resurrection of the dead came through a man

15:22 And just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be brought to life,

15:23 but each one in his proper order: Christ, as the first-fruits, and next, those who are of Christ, who have believed in his advent.

15:24 Afterwards 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 power.

15:25 For it is necessary for him to reign, until he has set all his enemies under his feet.

15:26 Lastly, the enemy called death shall be destroyed. For he has subjected all things under his feet. And although he says,

15:28 And 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.

Gospel

Gospel according to Matthew 25:31-46

25:31 But 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 majesty.

25:32 And 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 goats.

25:33 And he shall station the sheep, indeed, on his right, but the goats on his left.

25:34 Then 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 world.

25:35 For 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 in;

25:36 naked, and you covered me; sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me.’

25:37 Then the just will answer him, saying: ‘Lord, when have we see you hungry, and fed you; thirsty, and given you drink?

25:38 And when have we seen you a stranger, and taken you in? Or naked, and covered you?

25:39 Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit to you?’

25:40 And 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.’

25:41 Then 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 angels.

25:42 For I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and you did not give me to drink;

25:43 I 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.’

25:44 Then 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?’

25:45 Then 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.’

25:46 And these shall go into eternal punishment, but the just shall go into eternal life.”


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