Friday, November 20, 2015
The Feast of Christ the King!!!!
Open this link and enjoy. These are the readings, psalm and gospel from this Sunday's Feast of Christ the King. Here is an explanation of the feast. Find some literary devices in Sunday's liturgy of the word provided in the link and explain how the feast is particularly relevant today.
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It is always nice to reflect on the weekend's readings before mass so that I understand and can pay more attention to what is going on. This week of Christ The King's pressings are astonishing and are very important to the feast that concludes the church year.
ReplyDeleteThe first reading uses a metaphor when the tribes are talking to the next king of Isreal, David. They say to him "here we are, your bones and your flesh." They are obviously not his real bones and his flesh, just as we are not literally the body parts of the church. This metaphor explains how the people support him fully as the new king and appreciate him far more than Saul, the "fake ruler." This is connected to the feast of Christ The King because we are supposed to recognize Christ as the true God, no matter how many false gods we encounter in life. We have to support God with our praise and thanks.The Responsorial Psalm addresses Jerusalem by using apostrophe. Although it seems as if Jerusalem is being personified and talked to, it could be viewed as metonymy as well. They could be using "O Jerusalem" as a reference to all the people of Jerusalem. The second reading is beautiful in the way it flows so naturally. It is a poem that uses enjambment to continue the stepmom thoughts without unnecessary pauses. Although I was not able to easily spot specific literary devices that I own enough to explain, I can tell it is a literary masterpiece in all of its elegance. The Gospel reading uses diction with negative connotation to talk about the criminals, guards, and especially all of the people of the world that have ever sinned and helped nail Jesus to the cross. The words "sneered," "jeered," and "condemnation" all show how disgusting this time was, giving way to a repulsive tone. The magnificent part of the gospel is that although it is dominated by negative thoughts and actions, Jesus' one line at the end was powerful enough to change the tone to create a feeling of pure peacefulness. Jesus will see all of us sinners in "Paradise" and states it simply at the end of the reading to give us a glimpse of the repeat experienced in Heaven.
The feast of Christ The King emphasizes Christ's royalty over everyone and everything. As we end the liturgical year, we must remember that Christ is higher than all on earth. This is relevant today because people often forget who they are supposed to be praising. Especially during the holiday season, we must remember that Christ is more important that making a Christmas list, going shopping, eating Thanksgiving dinner, and attending parties. More importantly, we need to realize that God made these wonderful traditions, but they are not Him. We cannot prioritize what is not God during His birth season but still have to have fun loving what he created. We must enjoy but not praise things that are not God, and we cannot let "fake gods" distract us.
I think that perhaps the reason it is so hard for us to remember Jesus during the holidays is because our society actively tries to make Jesus smaller than all of the craziness. It seems that even when we try to keep Jesus the center of it all, we are torn down by society, who works to forcefully shove all of the material things in our faces. There are people out there who are actually trying to take "Christ" out of the term "Christmas" to be "respectful" of those who do not celebrate the holiday. Hopefully Christ the King Sunday will remind us all to stand strong against these pressures and remember what is really important.
DeleteThe holidays are a crazy time for everyone, and it's very easy to lose sight of what is important. I am guilty of that myself a lot. With so much going on around us, it's like we are on sensory overload. We have to be able to step back and put things into perspective and remember why Christmas is important.
DeleteYou're right Grace. It seems like these days, thanksgiving has turned into dinner followed by shopping. No one actually seems to take the time to thank Christ the King for everything we have been gifted. Instead, were more concerned with getting more gifts. It's sad that our society has taken God out of thanksgiving. But that's the way things are today.
DeleteIn the first reading, a metaphor is used by the tribes as they spoke to David. They exclaim, "Here we are, your bone and your flesh" to indicate that they belong to David, and that they promise to be his people, much like the bone and the flesh belong to the body. This reading is meant to remind us of the loyalty we are expected to have to our Lord, Jesus Christ. Additionally, the second reading uses the device of antithesis, which includes pairing two contrasting ideas together to point out their differences. The second reading does this by contrasting the concepts of light and darkness. It states that God made us capable of "[sharing] in the inheritance of the holy ones in light" referring to those in heaven. The reading then goes on to say that God, "delivered us from the power of darkness." In this way, the reading was able to show head two contrasting fates - one of light and one of darkness - to proclaim the good that Our Almighty Father has done for us. This reading also uses the device of imagery. Towards the end, it claims that Christ "[made] peace by the blood of his cross." This is obviously referring to the death that Christ endured for us. By using the image of the bloody cross, however, a new dimension is added to the reading. It inevitably causes the reader to recall the ultimate sacrifice that The Lord underwent for our sake, and to visualize in a very real way the extent of that sacrifice. One literary element included in the Gospel is diction. There is a rather harsh tone that comes with the Gospel, as it explains the taunting and verbal torment that Jesus underwent while hanging on the cross. Words such as "jeered," "reviled," and "condemned" create a sense of negativity that makes clear the cruel way in which Jesus was treated during the time of his execution.
ReplyDeleteThe Feast of Christ the King seeks to venerate our Savior, Jesus Christ, and acknowledge him as our Almighty Ruler. One way I think this is extremely important today deals with the extreme lack of reverence in our churches today. It seems that these days more than ever, it is so easy for us to forget who Jesus is. Not only is He our Father who loves us, but He is also our Almighty God who created all things. How often do we neglect to genuflect - REVERENTLY genuflect - when crossing in front of the tabernacle? How many times do we pop the Eucharist in our mouths without a second thought, without consciously recognizing the Eucharist as the God of the universe? It is such an easy thing to do, and it is something that I have been especially mindful of recently. A few months ago, my dad had me watch this video comparing the reverence of the old Latin masses to that of the modern masses. It was astounding to note the difference. (I'll leave a link below. I encourage you to watch at least a few minutes of it. It's actually laughable.) I think that reverence is definitely something to reflect on as we celebrate this Christ the King Sunday.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6fc7_OhT3fA
Mary, I agree that the mass is no longer held in as much esteem as it once was. Many catholics show up late and leave early, viewing it as a one hour obstacle in the middle of their weekend. This shows that they are not truly living their faith and recognizing the divinity of Christ. This feast day should help these people realize that faith is not an extracurricular activity. They should take their faith seriously and practice living in the light of Christ's love. The first step towards living the faith is being reverent at mass, something which many people fail to do today.
DeleteMary, it really bothers me to see what our faith has turned into. So many people go to Sunday mass because they are forced to, but they really don't care to be there at all. I have gone to Masses where every one there is extremely reverent and realizes the true majesty of what is going on around them. I'm afraid that this is not what happens in Elk County anymore. There are so many "cafeteria Catholics" who only want to act like they are Catholic when it seems like it will boost their popularity or make them seem like a good person. The real measure of being a good Catholic is persevering and holding strong in our faith even when we are being persecuted and going against what is deemed right by society.
DeleteThe most common literary device that can be found throughout the Bible is metaphors. Unlikely descriptions can be seen throughout to compare two different things. In this reading, the metaphor comes when describing how the people now fully support David and stand behind him, unlike how they did not stand behind Saul. The metaphor that is used is that the people are the "flesh and bones", therefore supporting King David. Juxtaposition is used in the second reading between the themes of lightness and darkness. This reading shows God and his followers in lightness and asks for deliverance from the powers of the dark. This could also be taken as imagery. The lightness and the darkness show the pureness of God and give the reader an idea of the difference between God and those who live I the darkness.
ReplyDeleteJust like many other Responsorial Psalms, an apostrophe is used to address something. In this case, an apostrophe is used to address Jerusalem, the holy land of God. The whole group of people in Jerusalem is being addressed simply as "Jerusalem", which is use of metonymy. The Gospel does not use many distinct literary devices, but the tone of the piece makes the meaning much more powerful. Harsh words are used throughout to show the terrible things that Jesus had to endure.
The Feast of Christ the King is prevalent in our society today because people have such a secular mindset. The way society is organized now makes it so that people can think it is okay to live their lives without any moral compass. People do not care anymore if they are acting morally or not because they push God out of their minds. This needs to be fixed within our society because it has become so morally devoid. People do not treat God with a reverence anymore, and this can be seen even in our own school. When we are praying, so many people think that they are above praying and do not say anything. They are just showing everyone that they think that they are above praying. I wonder how far that will get them someday. (Sorry for the rant but nothing frustrates me more then when people think they are too good to pray.)
Also, this feast is important because of what is going on in the world around us. Wth the recent attacks in Paris, we need to ask God for protection over our homeland. Even in the prayer of the Christ the King novena, it asks for protection over our homeland. Right now, America needs protection from outside sources and other corrupt nations. However, America needs protection from itself in this time of immorality that is taking place inside our country.
Abbey, I have also noticed that many people at our school do not pray during morning and afternoon prayers. The stand silently and often do not even pay attention to the prayers as they are announced. This lack of respect shows how lax people are concerning their faith. They may believe they are above it, but they also may not care at all. They have let their faith become a Sunday ritual rather than the way of life it is supposed to be. One thing that always struck me was the question, "If you were accused of being a Catholic, would there be enough evidence to find you guilty?" This really forces us to evaluate how we live our lives and what others can see when they look at us. Do they see true Catholics living out the glory of Christ or just another pseudoworshipper of an antiquated God?
DeleteIn the first reading, the author uses a metaphor when he states "You shall shepherd my people Israel." The author does not literally mean to treat the people of Israel like sheep, but rather to guide them and lead them. David is to protect the Israelites from harm, and guide them to abundant places. This helps remind us that God only wants what is best for us, and will protect us from harm. The responsorial psalm uses metonymy with the phrase "O Jerusalem." The author is not speaking to the city itself, but rather to the people of the city. Using metonymy indicates the grandeur and specificity of the people that are being addresses. This helps to remind us that we are all members of the people of Jerusalem, and that we participate in the great tradition of worship of the true God. The second reading uses a lot of symbolic imagery. The second paragraph contains many images, and each of them has a deeper meaning beyond what is being stated. The author mentions that Christ is "the head of the body, the church." This indicates that Christ is our leader, and we follow his will. He author also mentions that he is "the firstborn from the dead." This line alludes to His resurrection from the dead. The symbolism comes from the word "firstborn." This indicates that many more people will be risen from the dead, foreshadowing the end times. This reading helps us to understand that we all follow Christ as both God and leader. The tone of the Gospel is especially important. When discussing the guards and unrepentant thief, the tone is harsh. Words such as "jeered," "sneered," and "reviled" make it abundantly clear that these people did not respect Jesus. However, when the good thief is forgiven, the tone is gentle and kind. The juxtaposition of these two tones shows that in the face of cruelty, Jesus is infinitely kind. It reminds us that He can forgive us even when we have sinned greatly.
ReplyDeleteThis feast is supposed to show us that Christ is the King, the one in control of our lives, and as such, we should venerate Him. Faith in today's society is not as important as it once was. Many people only practice their faith on Sunday's simply by showing up for mass and sitting through it. However, this is not true reverence for Christ. We should worship Him every day by our actions and through our prayers. This holy day serves as a wake up call to a better way of living. If everyone lived so that their lives honored Christ, the world would be a much better place.
I love how you mentioned that going and sitting through church is not enough, because it is not. That is like sitting at the dinner table with your plate in front of you but not eating anything. It is pointless to be there if you are not getting anything out of it. We do need to start being Christ like in what we do everyday to live better lives.
DeleteYou're right, Ashley, being at mass is not the only time people should worship Christ. You can go to mass every Sunday and sing, but that does not matter if you are going to treat everyone else you meet like dirt. It is important to remember respecting Jesus also means respecting our neighbor. If you toss every day people aside, you are tossing away Jesus.
DeleteIn the first reading, a metaphor is utilized. The tribes of Israel told David that they were his bone and flesh. This is obviously not meant to be taken literally, as that would be really disgusting. Rather, they mean that David can count on them as they are basically an extension of his body, ready to do his will. Another metaphor is used in the First Reading when the Lord says that David will shepherd His people. He is not literally going to treat the people of Israel like farm animals. That would be very demeaning. Instead, he just wants to David to be a leader to the people of Israel like how a shepherd is the leader of his flock of sheep. In the 2nd Reading, another metaphor is used. Wow, there seems to be a common thread here. I don't want to make any hasty generalizations, but I feel like there are a ton of metaphors here. Anyway, the 2nd reading states that Christ is the head of the body. Again, Christ is not literally someone's head. That would be weird. The Body refers to the church and Christ being the head of this body just implies that He is the leader of the church. The diction in the Gospel is also quite ugly, but it helps the Gospel achieve its purpose. The Gospel uses words such as "sneered," "jeered," and "reviled" to paint a picture of hatred that the people possessed for Jesus.
ReplyDeleteSo why is this Feast Day still important? Well I think there are a number of reasons for it to still be celebrated. One of the most important is that people seem to be forgetting that God is the ultimate authority. They think that just because they feel like doing something, no one can really stop them because this is a free country. And that's true, this is a free country. But once they leave this world, they aren't going to have a happy time in the Spiritual Realm, whether that be Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory. I also think Feast days like this are important because people have stopped going to mass. It just seems like people have started to consider mass to not be as important as it once was. And that's quite sad. Mass is the time when you get to receive the Body of Christ. I don't know why people would bypass that by just considering it to not be so important. I know my family considers it an essential part of every Sunday. And finally I also think it's important. I think this feast also gets us ready for Advent. It is of course, always celebrated on the last Sunday of Ordinary time. So this feast where we recognize Christ as the King gets us ready for the celebration of his birth.
We are very visual people as humans and I believe that since people cannot see the miracle that occurs at every mass as a huge production, they forget that it is important. Today at mass, the choir man caught my attention when he said "please stand as we begin this celebration." They sai it every weekend but today I thought about it. It does not seem like a celebration because it is not exciting, people don't sing with enthusiasm, and some do not even speak the responses. I wish that people, along with myself, could understand the mystery in a deeper way but until then, that is what faith is for.
DeleteWhat better way to prepare for Christ's birth than by recognizing him as our King? I think you're absolutely right. One purpose of this feast is definitely to help us get ready for Advent. How are we expected to prepare for the coming of our Savior without first coming to remember who He actually is as our King? Advent is such an awesome time to remember the almighty power of God, and that is something that we should all keep in mind as we prepare for his coming.
DeleteI agree, Nick, that kids seem to be unenthuastic about mass. I feel as though instead of people merely pointing it out, people need to come up with a solution. Why can't we find a way to make mass more appealing yet still have reverence for Jesus? I don't know if this is because I am really weird, but I know church would be a lot more interesting for me if people were singing and dancing like often seen in African Americsn churches and churches in the Carribean. Just a thought because I am always looking for solutions to problems instead of letting them stay a problem.
DeleteThe First Reading utilizes metaphor to show their presence by saying "Here we are, your bone and your flesh." I feel as if this could also be an understatement because instead of acknowledging themselves as people with souls, internal organs, and minds, they identify themselves merely as flesh and bones. Another metaphor is used when he tells them to shepherd his people. He did not literally mean to take them out to graze on grass then see them back, but instead to care for them as a good shepherd does for his sheep. The Responsorial Psalm utilizes anaphora by reiterating "Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord." the second reading uses a juxtaposition between light and dark but also irony between peace and blood. It is rather ironic that blood was needed to obtain peace because of their huge differences. Peace usually avoids blood because blood is a picture of violence. The Gospel is filled with imagery to help the reader depict the scene of Jesus on the cross being taunted. One such example is "Above him there was an inscription that read,"This is the King of the Jews."
ReplyDeleteThis is a very important reminder for everyone that Christ is the most important component of our lives and even the holidays coming up. It is easy to leave out thanking Jesus during Thanksgiving when you're surrounded by a mountain of mashed potatoes with gravy and, in my family, amazing chicken. But it is important to remember thanksgiving is about being thankful and Christ is the source of everything we are thankful for because without Him everything would be impossible. It is also important around this time because many people are too busy on a conquest for new items on Black Friday than thanking God for everything great they already have. It is also about a month before Christmas. I know I am excited to rip open some wrapping paper to reveal some new presents! But it is also important to remember Jesus is the real gift to the world. The holidays have become so commercialized that sometimes it is easy to forget to put the Christ in Christmas and be thankful for everything we are already blessed with.
You're right Lauren, I think it would be really fun if everybody sang and danced like they do in African American and Carribean churches. We would of course though have to adopt all of their other traditions. That includes saying peace be with you to literally everyone in the church. Heck, the peace be with you takes up like a majority of the mass. That's kind of depressing. But hey, whatever works.
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