Will you Remember Me?: Thirty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025

                                                   Will you Remember Me?:

Thirty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025 

November 23, 2025

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2 Samuel 5:1-3; Psalm 122; Colossians 1:12-20; Luke 23:35-43

 

The Church year comes to an end today with Jesus calling all people to himself and welcoming them into his kingdom. David appears as the first king before whom all the tribes of Israel assemble, and he tells them that he will be their shepherd and will care for them. Jesus is the heir of King David who likewise models himself as a shepherd first. I’m the Gospel, we hear the story of the repentant thief who acknowledges his wrongdoing and proclaims the innocence of Jesus, and Jesus, as someone whose care is radical, includes him as one who is fit for the kingdom. I think so many of us call out to Jesus as that crucified man did: Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

 

Let us remember one thing: at the Crucifixion, Jesus forgave all sins, and that means that his kingdom is built on mercy. What does this mean for us? Jesus forgave all sins – yours, the sins of your past, the person who sinned against you, the ones you will do today, the ones you will do in the future. He asks you to know and to live in his mercy. Fr. Michael Himes, a Boston College professor wrote: “We have the temptation to refuse to accept our own innate goodness and the goodness of others. We disbelieve the good news that we made in the image and likeness of God and that creation is good – very good.” What can we say to make you know and believe that you are good and whole and beautiful and redeemed? What do I have to say to convince you?

 

The name of God is mercy. It seems that our prayer ought to be to ask for a sincere gratitude of God’s mercy. If I fully accept that God loves me radically and sincerely, then my participation in the kingdom is to love one another the same way. A Christian’s vision sees no barriers to full, flourishing human relationships. It is a worldview that welcomes in those who are estranged and distant. It unites those who squabble and gossip, and it reconciles enemies. It builds bridges and recognizes that the kingdom of God is a big tent, and that God invites many different people into it. 

 

Regrettably, we’ve all met people who profess to be Christians who have hardened hearts. Their judgments are absolute and their righteous belief in their correctness cannot be penetrated. They speak as if they own the truth. They want a small, closed tent and they believe they are inside the tent and others should not be permitted. They allow no room for mercy. The person who holds onto ideologies and makes sweeping judgments about types of people needs one’s attitudes and convictions challenged. This type of person somehow needs one’s heart to be softened.

 

We are in the tent because we have received the mercy of God, who, in the Christ event, revealed that God knows human suffering. We are in the tent because we are welcoming, non-judging, and merciful to others. The kingdom is built on hearts softened and enlarged by mercy. We are in the tent because we know or want God to love us sincerely.

 

How can I tell you that you are lovable just as you are made. You cannot earn God’s love; you cannot lose it. There is nothing about you that can separate you from God. Nothing at all. No sin. No decision you made, nothing you said. No physical feature or mental or emotional make-up. Nothing. God only sees your goodness and cherishes you just as you are. What do I need to say to you to help you believe that? God wants you to love and see yourself the way that God loves and sees you – with honor, with pride, and great satisfaction. God’s love reaches deep into your most hidden crevices and finds you to be remarkable. This love works miracles and knows no limits, and it can make the impossible happen.

 

This is the kingdom we are in. Christ is the shepherd of our souls, and his kingdom is built on this reconciling love where you know you are redeemed, forgiven, welcomed. You belong now and forever. Nothing can separate you from this reality. This is the kingdom to which we must let others know they belong. Others are asking the question, “Jesus, will you remember me?” This is the king who will come down from the cross, to embrace you in his arms, and say, “You have always been part of it. Yes, I want you. Yes, you belong. Come. You will be with me to the end of the ages.”

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

Monday: (Daniel 1) In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came and laid siege to Jerusalem. The Lord handed over to him Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and some of the vessels of the temple of God.

 

Tuesday: (Daniel 2) Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar: "In your vision, O king, you saw a statue, very large and exceedingly bright, terrifying in appearance as it stood before you.
The head of the statue was pure gold.

 

Wednesday: (Daniel 5) Suddenly, opposite the lampstand, the fingers of a human hand appeared, writing on the plaster of the wall in the king's palace. When the king saw the wrist and hand that wrote, his face blanched.

 

Thursday: (Sirach 50) And now, bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth; May he grant you joy of heart and may peace abide among you; May his goodness toward us endure in Israel to deliver us in our days.

 

Friday (Daniel 7) In a vision I, Daniel, saw during the night, the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea, from which emerged four immense beasts, each different from the others. The first was like a lion, but with eagle's wings.

 

Saturday (Daniel 7) "These four great beasts stand for four kingdoms which shall arise on the earth. But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingship, to possess it forever and ever."

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Luke 21) When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, "I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest.

 

Tuesday: (Luke 21) And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?" He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them!

 

Wednesday (Luke 21) They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony.

 

Thursday (Luke 17) As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”

 

Friday (Luke 21) Consider the fig tree and all the other trees. When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near; in the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near.

 

Saturday (Luke 21) Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth.

 

Saints of the Week

 

November 23: Columban, abbot (d. 615) was an Irish monk who left Ireland for France with 12 companions to found a monastery as a base for preaching. They established 3 monasteries within 10 years. Columban opposed the king's polygamy and was expelled. He set up monasteries in Switzerland and Italy before he died. Though he was expelled, the monasteries were permitted to remain open.

 

November 23: Miguel Pro, S.J., martyr (1891-1927) lived in Guadalupe, Mexico before entering the Jesuits. Public worship was forbidden in Mexico so Miguel became an undercover priest often wearing disguises. He was arrested and ordered to be shot in front of a firing squad without benefit of a trial. Before he died she shouted out, "Long live Christ the King."

 

November 24: Andrew Dung-Lac and companion martyrs (1785-1839) were missionaries to Vietnam during the 17th through 19th centuries. Over 130,000 Christians were killed, including priests, sisters, brothers, and lay people. Many of these were Vietnamese citizens. 

 

 

November 25: Catherine of Alexandria, martyr, (d. 310) is said to have been born in Egypt to a noble family. She was educated and converted to Christianity because of a vision. She refused to marry a man arranged to be her husband by the emperor, and she denounced him for persecuting Christians. She was arrested, tortured, and killed.

 

November 26: John Berchmans, S.J., religious (1599-1621), was a Jesuit scholastic who is the patron saint of altar servers. He was known for his pious adherence to the rules and for his obedience. He did well in studies but was seized with a fever during his third year of philosophy and died at the age of 22. 

 

Fourth Thursday: Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. is derived from a mix of European and Native American traditions. Joyous festivals were held in Europe to give thanks for a good harvest and to rejoice with others for their hard work. It is a day to give thanks for the many blessings we have received through God's generosity throughout the year. 

 

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• November 23, 1545: Jeronimo de Nadal, whom Ignatius had known as a student at Paris, entered the Society. Later Nadal was instrumental in getting Ignatius to narrate his autobiography. 
• In 1927: the execution of Fr. Michael Augustine Pro, SJ, by leaders of the persecution of the Church in Mexico. 
• November 24, 1963: The death of John LaFarge, pioneer advocate of racial justice in the United States. 
• November 25, 1584: The Church of the Gesu, built in Rome for the Society by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, was solemnly consecrated. 
• November 26, 1678: In London the arrest and imprisonment of St Claude la Colombiere. He was released after five weeks and banished. 
• November 27, 1680: In Rome the death of Fr. Athanasius Kircher, considered a universal genius, but especially knowledgeable in science and archeology. 
• November 28, 1759: Twenty Fathers and 192 Scholastics set sail from the Tagus for exile. Two were to die on the voyage to Genoa and Civita Vecchia. 
• November 29, 1773: The Jesuits of White Russia requested the Empress Catherine to allow the Letter of Suppression to be published, as it had been all over Europe. "She bade them lay aside their scruples, promising to obtain the Papal sanction for their remaining in status quo.