Solemnity of Christ the
King, Cycle A
General Intercessions
Celebrant: As we
acknowledge Christ our Lord and King, let us offer these prayers and petitions
to the Father in His name.
Deacon/Lector:
That the Church will be a worthy servant of
the Gospel and direct the people of God toward the promised kingdom, we pray to
the Lord…
That world leaders will govern justly and
wisely, and strive for true peace, we pray to the Lord…
That in Christ, the King of Justice and Life,
the evils of abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia may be eliminated from our
midst, we pray to the Lord...
That the world’s harvest will be gathered and
shared among all people, especially those who are in most need, we pray to the
Lord…
That more men and women will generously accept
the call to serve Christ and his Church as priests, deacons, and religious
brothers and sisters, we pray to the Lord…
That the departed may enjoy the peace and
endless life of heaven, we pray to the Lord…
Celebrant:
God of love, our refuge and our strength,
hear the prayers of your Church,
and grant us the grace to be ever faithful to you.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Bulletin Insert
The King of Life
The liturgy for
today’s Feast of Christ the King tells us that his is “a kingdom of truth and
life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace.”
Indeed, all these realities fit together perfectly. Truth and life go together,
because when we know the truth about God’s love and care for creation, we will
respect all life. When we know the truth about ourselves, that we belong only to
God, then we realize we cannot destroy any other person. A respect for life,
personally as well as in our laws and policies as a nation, is the first
requirement of justice and an absolute condition of peace. And the holier we
are, the more we allow God’s grace into our every thought and desire, the more
we will adhere to truth, defend life, and promote justice and peace.
Homily Suggestions on Pro-life Themes
The Solemnity of
Christ the King suggests many themes related to the defense of life and care of
the vulnerable. His Kingdom is a Kingdom of life and justice, as the Preface
reminds us. It is a Kingdom of Life because Christ identified himself on various
occasions as “the life” and said that his mission was to bring life. To stand
with Christ is to stand with life, and to stand with life is to stand against
whatever destroys life. “The last enemy to be destroyed is death,” the second
reading tells us. Union with God means we share in the process by which he
destroys the power of death (e.g. abortion) in the world.
The Kingship of
Christ also reminds us that not only as individuals, but also as nations, we are
subject to his laws. We do not want a theocracy, in which, for example, civil
law would require belief in the Eucharist or attendance at Sunday Mass. We do,
however, want a society that acknowledges its dependence on God, its ultimate
accountability to him, and its adherence to those fundamental requirements of
his law relating to the protection of basic human rights.
The first reading
and psalm speak about God’s care for the sheep, particularly the weaker ones.
His care for his people puts the same obligation on us, as the Gospel relates.
What we do to the least, we do to him. Defending the unborn, who are the weakest
of the weak and poorest of the poor, is required by the teaching of this Gospel
passage. When we defend the child in the womb, we are defending Christ in the
womb. That is why it is our business to intervene.
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