Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15
Mt 25:31-46 Full Readings
Christ is in Evey Person
Today's readings my dear brethren have a double importance: firstly, a strong call for almsgiving and following God's law (first reading) in this Lenten season; and secondly, a criterion which God will use to judge us at the end of time on the judgement day. God has only one criterion of judging us here on earth and at the end of time: how we love others. Our lives are successes or failures on the basis of what we have done to alleviate hunger, thirst, exile, nakedness, disease, prison. Jesus tells us that our religion is summed up in the diligence and zeal with which we fight against these situations. To drive home this truth even more, he uses the image of the final judgement not only to show us what will happen at the end of the world, but also to teach us what should really count in our lives. Two striking points are stressed in today's gospel which we must take seriously.
Firstly, on the judgement day, we shall only be judged according to how we treated those in our midst who were in need; in other words, how we loved and did charity. All of our life is, in a sense, a preparation for the judgment we face at life's end. That is when we go before Our Lord and give account for everything we have done or failed to do. No excuses will be accepted, no more "second chances" given. Jesus' mercy doesn’t mean he ignores justice. "Mercy differs from justice, but is not in opposition to it," wrote Pope Saint John Paul II in his 1980 encyclical, Dives in Misericordia (Rich in Mercy). Would I be ready to face the Lord this very day? If not, why not? What facet of my life do I need to change right now? The church gives us especially this time of lent to go extra mile in almsgiving in preparation for the life to come, but also as a sign of lining our Christian life.
Those who loved and responded to the needs of the needy are the sheep and they will be saved and put on the right side of God because they are those who helped others, who showed mercy, who didn't turn a cold shoulder to someone in need. Our Lord doesn't praise them so much for their many prayers, their asceticism, their attending mass every day, or being religious leaders, as he praises them for their good deeds. All these are important of course but are not enough. Christ wants our love for him to be reflected in our love for others.
The second striking point is the reason for the first: that Christ is present in each person, and so what we do to others, we do to Christ. Oddly, many of those to be saved will not have realized that it was Christ they were helping. Do I see Christ in those who need help? Do I see Christ in my family members? My co-workers? The demanding boss? The unpopular classmate? The smelly beggar? Christ is in them; Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.) wrote, "Christ is at once above and below - above in Himself, below in his people. Fear Christ above and recognize him below. Here he is poor, with and in the poor; there he is rich, with and in God. Have Christ above bestowing his bounty; recognize him here in his need" (excerpt from Sermon 123, 44).
The goats are those who did not see Christ in every person and so did not come to his help. It's scary to think that those who will be lost were not necessarily "bad people." In this passage, Our Lord doesn't chide or rebuke them for doing wicked things. He doesn't accuse them of starting wars or peddling drugs or committing acts of terrorism. Rather, he faults them for the sin of omission, for things they didn't do. "You gave me no food …. You gave me no clothing." We may think ourselves good Christians because we don't cheat on our taxes or look at pornography or miss Mass on Sundays. But acts of charity are key, too. We should do these without neglecting the others.
A story of baptism of Martin of Tours (316-397 AD) can take this point home. When a young Roman soldier, he was reluctant to fully commit his life to Christ and be baptized as a Christian, but when he met a poor beggar on the road who had no clothes to warm himself in the freezing cold, Martin took pity on him. He immediately got off his horse and cut his cloak in two and then gave half to the stranger. That night Martin dreamt he saw a vision of Jesus in heaven robed in a torn cloak just like the one he gave away that day to the beggar. One of the angels next to Jesus asked, "Master, why do you wear that battered cloak?" Jesus replied, "My servant Martin gave it to me." Martin's disciple and biographer Sulpicius Severus states that as a consequence of this vision "Martin flew to be baptized" to give his life fully to Christ as a member of his people - the body of Christ on earth and the communion of saints and angels in heaven.
Brethren, every good deed done anyone for the love of Christ is actually done to Christ. If we want to reign with him eternally in his heavenly kingdom, we have to feed the hungry, help the sick, the naked, those in the prison and such others.
Let us Pray.
Help me Lord as I go through this day and this lent to be mindful of you and help me to see you in all those I encounter. May your love rule in my heart that I may only think, act, and speak with charity and good will for all.
Be Blessed.
No comments:
Post a Comment