Homily Points
34th Sunday A
General.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist is a memorial of things past - the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ - and of things to come - the Eschatological Banquet in the Kingdom of Heaven - where we, a priestly kingdom, will sing praise to Christ's God and Father for evermore. He is the same Father who, as Lord of creation, renews with the Spirit all that exists in His beloved Son, the Lamb, to whom myriads of angels, saints and beings call out loudly that He should receive all power, wealth, knowledge, strength, honour, glory and blessing. They do this in an everlasting Liturgy of praise now that, by his power, they have been cleansed of every blemish of sin and are aware that the Lamb should be given all due praise above all else for ever on high.Ezechiel.
We have the Lord's promise that, even in these hard, dark times, he will take care of his sheep. He will bring together all those sheep which have been spread and lost, wherever they might be, so that they might be one flock. They will then be laid to rest on grazing ground high on the mountains of Israel, even the lost sheep which were wounded and sick will all be healed in mind and body alike. High on those mountains, the Good Shepherd will be seen as the King of all creation.Psalm.
The Good Shepherd takes care of his sheep at all times, even if they have to pass through dark valleys and times. The Psalm reminds of the Eschatological Banquet which is being prepared, where those attending will also have oil poured over their heads, thus making them the Priests, Prophets and Princes as those worthy of such status should be.First Epistle to the Corinthians.
This is a very succinct exposition of the theology of how beings stand in the Christological order of things. Christ rose from the dead, first among those who have tasted death. As all have died through Adam's doings, so do we all receive life though Christ's passion, death and resurrection. Only in the Last Times will the true order be put right again, when Christ will return in his Father's hands the Kingdom after having destroyed all kingdoms and powers which are adverse to Him. Yet, the greatest enemy to be destroyed will be Death itself, namely the death of the soul which farther wreaks havoc in all creation.St Matthew.
He who has overcome death is high up in God's glory in heaven and is lauded, even from the time he was still on earth, as the Blessed One who appears in the name of the Lord God. Worth noting is that his praise was laudibly sung, in Mark's terms, both by those who walked before Christ (those who preceded him in time) and by those who followed him (Christians and humans who recognize his divinity) as a harbinger of the eternal (already and ever existing) Banquet of the Lamb.