“FIRST IMPRESSIONS”
CHRIST THE KING (A)
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November 22, 2026
By: Jude Siciliano, OP
Dear Preachers:
PRE-NOTE: I am grateful to those of you who have contributed to this preaching ministry through the internet. I have retired from a full-time preaching ministry and have moved to our priory in Houston. But “First Impressions” provides a way of continuing my itinerant preaching. I try to respond to donations: but recently Pay Pal no longer provides an email address for a donor. So, if that is the way you have sent a donation and have not heard from me know that I am grateful to you, despite the seeming silence on my part! Fr Jude
We who are familiar with Scripture know where God stands in relation to the poor. Both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament make this abundantly clear: God's heart is turned toward the poor, the suffering, and the vulnerable. Throughout the Bible, we encounter a God who hears the cries of the needy and calls us to respond.
In today's first reading, the prophet Ezekiel expresses God's frustration with the leaders who were supposed to care for the people but instead neglected them and looked after their own interests. God announces: "I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest." God presents himself as a loving shepherd who seeks out the scattered, cares for the injured, and heals the sick. Unlike those leaders who placed themselves first, God places the welfare of the flock above everything else.
This image of God as shepherd prepares us for today's Gospel, in which Matthew presents us with a dramatic courtroom scene. Jesus describes the final judgment, when the Son of Man comes in glory and separates the people as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. It is an appropriate conclusion to our liturgical year and to Jesus' public ministry. Immediately following this teaching, Matthew begins the Passion Narrative. Jesus is leaving his disciples with a final and essential lesson about what it means to follow him.
Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. But what kind of king is Jesus? He is not a king who seeks wealth, privilege, power, or personal comfort. He is a shepherd who cares for his people, especially those who are forgotten, neglected, and pushed to the margins of society. His kingdom is not measured by military strength, political influence, or material possessions. It is measured by love, compassion, justice, and service.
A month ago, we heard Jesus summarize the whole law and the prophets in two commandments: love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. If we want to love and serve the God we cannot see, Jesus tells us, we must love and serve the neighbor we can see. Today's Gospel takes that teaching one step further. Jesus identifies himself with the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. Whatever we do for them, we do for him.
Notice that Jesus does not ask those gathered before him how much religious knowledge they possess, how many prayers they have said, or how faithfully they have attended religious services. Instead, he asks how they treated people in need. Did they feed the hungry? Give drink to the thirsty? Welcome the stranger? Clothe the naked? Visit the sick and those in prison?
Christianity is more than a collection of beliefs, religious practices, and familiar prayers. Our faith must become visible through concrete acts of compassion. It is not enough to help someone today and then forget about that person's needs tomorrow. The hungry will be hungry again; the homeless will still need shelter; the sick will continue to need care; and those in prison will still need encouragement and human contact.
Faithful disciples do not give up after their first efforts. They keep finding ways to help. In our parishes, people organize food pantries, clothing drives, prison visitation programs, and other ministries. Doctors, nurses, teachers, lawyers, counselors, and other professionals often give their time and expertise to people who cannot afford their services. These are important expressions of Christian discipleship.
But the needs of the poor and vulnerable are often greater than individual volunteers or parish ministries can address. We must also be concerned about the larger structures of society that affect people's lives. This includes community, state, and national programs that aid those who struggle to obtain food, housing, health care, and other necessities.
In recent years, the federal government has reduced its commitment to several programs that provide essential assistance to poor and vulnerable Americans. Changes in government support have created additional difficulties for some families and individuals who depend on these programs to meet their basic needs. Government policies can certainly be debated, but our Christian responsibility to care for the poor should never be forgotten. We cannot ignore the suffering of people simply because addressing their needs is complicated or politically difficult.
Our concern must also extend beyond our local communities. We cannot be nearsighted or pretend that the desperate needs of people throughout the world do not concern us. Consider the plight of immigrants who leave their homes because of poverty, violence, or the hope of providing a better future for their families. The Catholic Church has consistently called for an immigration system that respects human dignity, protects families, and provides safe and lawful ways for people to migrate. While nations have legitimate responsibilities to protect their borders, they must also recognize the human beings who stand behind the immigration debate.
These are not simply political or economic questions. They are also moral and Christian questions. When we speak about the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned, we are speaking about real people whose lives and dignity matter to God.
The Feast of Christ the King challenges us to examine what kind of kingdom we are helping to build. If Christ is truly our King, then his values must become our values. We cannot honor him in our churches on Sunday while overlooking him in the suffering people we encounter during the week.
At the final judgment, Jesus does not identify himself with the powerful, the wealthy, or the influential. He identifies himself with the least among us. That is the remarkable message of today's Gospel: Christ is present in those who need our compassion and assistance.
As we bring this liturgical year to a close, let us remember that our allegiance to Christ the King is demonstrated not simply by what we profess but by how we live. The measure of our Christian faith is found in the love we extend to others, especially those who have the least.
To serve them is to serve Christ. And to welcome them is to welcome the King himself.
Click here for a link to this Sunday’s readings: