Monday of the First Week of Lent
Lectionary: 224
Lectionary: 224
The LORD said to Moses,
"Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them:
Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.
"You shall not steal.
You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another.
You shall not swear falsely by my name,
thus profaning the name of your God.
I am the LORD.
"You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor.
You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer.
You shall not curse the deaf,
or put a stumbling block in front of the blind,
but you shall fear your God.
I am the LORD.
"You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment.
Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty,
but judge your fellow men justly.
You shall not go about spreading slander among your kin;
nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor's life is at stake.
I am the LORD.
"You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.
Though you may have to reprove him,
do not incur sin because of him.
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
"Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them:
Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.
"You shall not steal.
You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another.
You shall not swear falsely by my name,
thus profaning the name of your God.
I am the LORD.
"You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor.
You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer.
You shall not curse the deaf,
or put a stumbling block in front of the blind,
but you shall fear your God.
I am the LORD.
"You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment.
Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty,
but judge your fellow men justly.
You shall not go about spreading slander among your kin;
nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor's life is at stake.
I am the LORD.
"You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.
Though you may have to reprove him,
do not incur sin because of him.
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 19:8, 9, 10, 15
R. (John 6:63b) Your
words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Verse Before
The Gospel2 COR 6:2B
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
behold, now is the day of salvation.
GospelMT 25:31-46
Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."
Meditation: Eternal life versus eternal
punishment
Do you allow the love of God to rule in your heart?
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.) said, "Essentially, there are two kinds of
people, because there are two kinds of love. One is holy, the other is selfish.
One is subject to God; the other endeavors to equal Him." Jesus came not
only to fulfill the law of righteousness (Leviticus 19), but to transform it
through his unconditional love and mercy towards us.
The Lord Jesus proved his love for us by offering up
his life on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. His death brings
freedom and life for us - freedom from fear, selfishness, and greed - and new
abundant life in the Holy Spirit who fills our hearts with the love of God
(Romans 5:5). Do you allow God's love to purify your heart and transform your
mind to think, act, and love others as the Lord Jesus has taught through word
and example?
The lesson of separating goats and sheep at the end of
the day
Jesus' description of the "Son of Man", a Messianic title which points to the coming of God's anointed Ruler and Judge over the earth (John 5:26-29, Daniel 7:13ff), and his parable about the separation of goats and sheep must have startled his audience. What does the separation of goats and sheep have to do with the Day of God's Judgement over the earth? In arid dry lands such as Palestine, goats and sheep often grazed together during the day because green pasture was sparse. At nightfall, when the shepherd brought the sheep and goats to their place of rest, he separated them into two groups. Goats by temperament are aggressive, domineering, restless, and territorial. They butt heads with their horns whenever they think someone is intruding on their space.
Jesus' description of the "Son of Man", a Messianic title which points to the coming of God's anointed Ruler and Judge over the earth (John 5:26-29, Daniel 7:13ff), and his parable about the separation of goats and sheep must have startled his audience. What does the separation of goats and sheep have to do with the Day of God's Judgement over the earth? In arid dry lands such as Palestine, goats and sheep often grazed together during the day because green pasture was sparse. At nightfall, when the shepherd brought the sheep and goats to their place of rest, he separated them into two groups. Goats by temperament are aggressive, domineering, restless, and territorial. They butt heads with their horns whenever they think someone is intruding on their space.
Goats came to symbolize evil and the expression
"scape-goat" become a common expression for someone bearing blame or
guilt for others. (See Leviticus 26:20-22 for a description of the ritual
expulsion of a sin-bearing goat on the Day of Atonement.) Jesus took our
guilt and sins upon himself and nailed them to the cross. He payed the price to
set us free from sin and death. Our choice is either to follow and obey him as
our Lord and Savior or to be our own master and go our own separate way apart
from God's way of truth and righteousness (moral goodness). We cannot remain
neutral or indifferent to the commands of Christ. If we do not repent of our
wrongdoing (our sins and offenses against God and neighbor) and obey the Gospel
we cannot be disciples of the Lord Jesus nor inherit his kingdom of
righteousness, peace, and joy. Separation of the good from the bad is
inevitable because one way leads to sin, rebellion, and death and the other way
leads to purification, peace, and everlasting life with God.
Love of God frees us from inordinate love
of self
The parable of the goats and sheep has a similar endpoint as the parable of the rich man who refused to give any help to the poor man Lazarus who begged daily at the rich man's doorstep (Luke 16:19-31). Although Lazarus was poor and lacked what he needed, he nonetheless put his hope in God and the promise of everlasting life in God's kingdom. The rich man was a lover of wealth rather than a lover of God and neighbor. When Lazarus died he was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom to receive his reward in heaven. When the rich man died his fortunes were reversed and he was cast into the unquenchable fires of hell to receive his just desserts. The parable emphasizes the great chasm and wall of separation between the former rich man held now bound as a poor and miserable prisoner in hell and Lazarus clothed in royal garments feasting at God's banquet table in the kingdom of heaven.
The day of God's righteous judgment will disclose which kind of love we chose in this present life - a holy unselfish love directed to God and to the welfare of our neighbor or a disordered and selfish love that puts oneself above God and the good of our neighbor.
When Martin of Tours (316-397 AD), a young Roman soldier who had been reluctant to fully commit his life to Christ and be baptized as a Christian, 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.
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).
On the day of judgment Jesus will ask "whom did you love"?
When the Lord Jesus comes again as Judge and Ruler over all, he will call each one of us to stand before his seat of judgment to answer the question - who did you love and put first in this life? Inordinate love of self crowds out love of God and love of neighbor. Those who put their faith in Jesus Christ and follow his way of love and righteousness will not be disappointed. They will receive the just reward - life and peace with God in his everlasting kingdom.
If we entrust our lives to the Lord Jesus today, and allow his Holy Spirit to purify our hearts and minds, then he will give us the grace, strength, and freedom to walk and live each day in the power of his merciful love and goodness. Let us entrust our lives into the hands of the merciful Savior who gave his life for us. And let us ask the Lord Jesus to increase our faith, strengthen our hope, and enkindle in us the fire of his merciful love and compassion for all.
"Lord Jesus, be the Master and Ruler of my life. May your love rule in my heart that I may only think, act, and speak with charity and good will for all."
The parable of the goats and sheep has a similar endpoint as the parable of the rich man who refused to give any help to the poor man Lazarus who begged daily at the rich man's doorstep (Luke 16:19-31). Although Lazarus was poor and lacked what he needed, he nonetheless put his hope in God and the promise of everlasting life in God's kingdom. The rich man was a lover of wealth rather than a lover of God and neighbor. When Lazarus died he was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom to receive his reward in heaven. When the rich man died his fortunes were reversed and he was cast into the unquenchable fires of hell to receive his just desserts. The parable emphasizes the great chasm and wall of separation between the former rich man held now bound as a poor and miserable prisoner in hell and Lazarus clothed in royal garments feasting at God's banquet table in the kingdom of heaven.
The day of God's righteous judgment will disclose which kind of love we chose in this present life - a holy unselfish love directed to God and to the welfare of our neighbor or a disordered and selfish love that puts oneself above God and the good of our neighbor.
When Martin of Tours (316-397 AD), a young Roman soldier who had been reluctant to fully commit his life to Christ and be baptized as a Christian, 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.
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).
On the day of judgment Jesus will ask "whom did you love"?
When the Lord Jesus comes again as Judge and Ruler over all, he will call each one of us to stand before his seat of judgment to answer the question - who did you love and put first in this life? Inordinate love of self crowds out love of God and love of neighbor. Those who put their faith in Jesus Christ and follow his way of love and righteousness will not be disappointed. They will receive the just reward - life and peace with God in his everlasting kingdom.
If we entrust our lives to the Lord Jesus today, and allow his Holy Spirit to purify our hearts and minds, then he will give us the grace, strength, and freedom to walk and live each day in the power of his merciful love and goodness. Let us entrust our lives into the hands of the merciful Savior who gave his life for us. And let us ask the Lord Jesus to increase our faith, strengthen our hope, and enkindle in us the fire of his merciful love and compassion for all.
"Lord Jesus, be the Master and Ruler of my life. May your love rule in my heart that I may only think, act, and speak with charity and good will for all."
A Daily Quote from the early church
fathers: Gathering and Separating, by an anonymous early author from
the Greek church
"And he will separate them one from another as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." So then, people on earth are
intermingled, and not only intermingled in that the righteous live side by side
with the wicked, but they are also indistinguishable. Between the righteous and
the wicked there is no apparent difference. Even as in wintertime you cannot
tell the healthy trees apart from the withered trees but in beautiful
springtime you can tell the difference, so too each person according to his
faith and his works will be exposed. The wicked will not have any leaves or show
any fruit, but the righteous will be clothed with the leaves of eternal life
and adorned with the fruit of glory. In this way they will be separated by the
heavenly shepherd and Lord. The earthly shepherd separates animals by their
type of body, whereas Christ separates people by their type of soul. The sheep
signify righteous people by reason of their gentleness, because they harm no
one, and by reason of their patience, because when they are harmed by others,
they bear it without resistance. He refers to sinners as goats, however,
because these vices characterize goats - capriciousness toward other animals,
pride and belligerence." (excerpt
from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 54, the Greek fathers).
MONDAY,
FEBRUARY 19, MATTHEW 25:31-46
Lenten Weekday
(Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18; Psalm 19)
Lenten Weekday
(Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18; Psalm 19)
KEY VERSE: "Come, you who are blessed by my Father" (v. 34).
TO KNOW: Jesus' last discourse in Matthew's gospel provides an illustration of those who were either blessed or chastised at the final judgment. Jesus' picture was drawn from the sheep and goats that were pastured together during the day and separated at nightfall. He said that the favored "sheep," those who would inherit God's reign, would be placed at his right hand of God (the place of authority); however, the "goats" would be punished for having failed to heed God's commands. The criteria that Jesus used for this sorting out was the corporal works of mercy. Those who have done good deeds for one of “these least brothers of mine” (v. 40) will be blessed (vv. 34–40), but those who have failed to do these deeds for one of “these least ones” (v. 45) will be condemned (vv. 41–46). The good deeds are feeding the hungry, offering hospitality to the homeless, clothing the naked, comforting the sick, and visiting the imprisoned. Christians who recognized the suffering Christ in the world's unfortunate ones would be eternally blessed by God. St. John of the Cross wrote: "When the evening of this life comes, we will be judged on how we love."
TO LOVE: What works of mercy do I plan to do this Lent?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to see you in all those in need.
PRESIDENTS' DAY, USA
George Washington's Birthday was originally implemented by the federal government in 1880 in the District of Columbia. The holiday was celebrated on Washington's actual birthday, February 22. Abraham Lincoln, another revered president, was born on the 12th of February. The first formal observance of his birthday took place in 1865, the year after his assassination, when both houses of Congress gathered for a memorial address. While Lincoln's Birthday did not become a federal holiday like George Washington's, it did become a legal holiday in several states. In 1968, legislation shifted the observance of Washington's Birthday to the third Monday in February. After the act took effect in 1971, Presidents’ Day became the commonly accepted name as a celebration of the birthdays and lives of all U.S. presidents.
Monday 19
February 2018
St
Boniface.
Leviticus
19:1-2, 11-18. Psalm 18(19):8-10, 15. Matthew 25:31-46.
Your
words, Lord, are spirit and life—Psalm 18(19):8-10, 15.
Jesus
lives in the people we meet …
In
today’s gospel reading, we hear the things that are important to Jesus and how
we should measure up in these areas of our lives. What we do or don’t do for
the people in need we encounter in our lives dictates the way we will be
judged.
All
people are made in the image and likeness of God. Jesus taught his followers to
love one another as he loved them. What we do or don’t do for other people
impacts for good or for bad on our relationship with our Creator God, and we will
be judged accordingly.
We
can know, love and serve Jesus through prayer and in the Eucharist, but the
defining test is seeing him and serving him in the people we encounter. Lord,
we pray for the grace to heed this call of Jesus.
Saint Conrad
of Piacenza
Saint
of the Day for February 19
(c. 1290 – February
19, 1351)
Saint
Conrad of Piacenza’s Story
Born
of a noble family in northern Italy, Conrad as a young man married Euphrosyne,
daughter of a nobleman.
One
day while hunting he ordered attendants to set fire to some brush in order to
flush out the game. The fire spread to nearby fields and to a large forest.
Conrad fled. An innocent peasant was imprisoned, tortured to confess, and
condemned to death. Conrad confessed his guilt, saved the man’s life, and paid
for the damaged property.
Soon
after this event, Conrad and his wife agreed to separate: she to a Poor Clare
monastery and he to a group of hermits following the Third Order Rule. His
reputation for holiness, however, spread quickly. Since his many visitors
destroyed his solitude, Conrad went to a more remote spot in Sicily where he
lived 36 years as a hermit, praying for himself and for the rest of the world.
Prayer
and penance were his answer to the temptations that beset him. Conrad died
kneeling before a crucifix. He was canonized in 1625.
Reflection
Francis
of Assisi was drawn both to contemplation and to a life of preaching; periods
of intense prayer nourished his preaching. Some of his early followers,
however, felt called to a life of greater contemplation, and he accepted that.
Though Conrad of Piacenza is not the norm in the Church, he and other
contemplatives remind us of the greatness of God and of the joys of heaven.
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW
25,31-46
Lectio
Divina:
Monday,
February 19, 2018
Lent
Time
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Lord,
holy God, loving Father,
you give us the task to love one another
because You are holy
and You have loved us before we could love You.
Give us the ability to recognize Your Son
in our brothers and sisters far and near.
Make us witnesses that love exists and is alive
and that You, the God of love,
exist and are alive now for ever.
you give us the task to love one another
because You are holy
and You have loved us before we could love You.
Give us the ability to recognize Your Son
in our brothers and sisters far and near.
Make us witnesses that love exists and is alive
and that You, the God of love,
exist and are alive now for ever.
2)
GOSPEL READING - MATTHEW 25:31-46
Jesus
said to his disciples: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all
the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations
will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right
and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come,
you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty
and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed
me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous
will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or
thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or
naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And
the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for
one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those
on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for
the Devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was
thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and
you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then
they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a
stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' He will
answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least
ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but
the righteous to eternal life."
3)
REFLECTION
The
Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as the New Messiah. Like Moses, Jesus also
promulgates the Law of God. As with the ancient law, the new one, given by
Jesus, also contains five books or discourses. The Sermon on the Mountain (Mt
5:1 to 7:27), the first discourse, opens with eight Beatitudes. The discourse
on vigilance (Mt 2:4, 1 to 25, 46), the fifth discourse, contains the
description of the Last Judgment. The Beatitudes describe the door of entrance
into the Kingdom, enumerating eight categories of people: the poor in spirit,
the meek, the afflicted, those who hunger and thirst for justice, the merciful,
the pure of heart, the peacemakers and the persecuted because of justice (Mt
5:3-10). The parable of the Last Judgment tells us what we should do in order
to possess the Kingdom: accept the hungry, the thirsty, the foreigners, the
naked, the sick and the prisoners (Mt 25:35-36): At the beginning, as well as
at the end of the New Law, there are the excluded and the marginalized.
Matthew
25:31-33: Opening of the Last Judgment. The Son of Man gathers together around
Him the nations of the world. He separates people as the shepherd does with the
sheep and the goats. The shepherd knows how to discern. He does not make a
mistake; sheep on the right, goats on the left. Jesus does not make a mistake.
Jesus does not judge nor condemn. (cfr. Jn 3:17; 12:47). He does not separate
alone. It is the person himself/herself who judges and condemns because of the
way in which he/she behaves toward the little ones and the excluded.
Matthew
25:34-36: The sentence for those who are at the right hand of the Judge. Those
who are at the right hand of the judge are called Blessed of my Father! That
is, they receive the blessing which God promised to Abraham and to his
descendants (Gen 12:3). They are invited to take possession of the Kingdom,
prepared for them from the foundation of the world. The reason for the sentence
is the following: I was hungry, a foreigner, naked, sick and prisoner, and you
accepted me and helped me! This sentence makes us understand who are the sheep.
They are the persons who accepted the Judge when he was hungry, thirsty, a
foreigner, naked, sick and prisoner. Because of the way of speaking about my
Father and the Son of Man, we can know that the Judge is precisely Jesus
Himself. He identifies Himself with the little ones!
Matthew
25:37-40: A request for clarification and the response of the Judge: Those who
accept the excluded are called just . That means that the justice of the
Kingdom is not attained by observing norms and prescriptions, but rather by
accepting those in need. But it is strange that the just do not even know
themselves when they accepted Jesus in need. Jesus responds: Every time that
you have done this to one of my brothers, you have done it to me. Who are these
little brothers of mine? In other passages of the Gospel of Matthew, the
expression “my brothers” indicates the disciples (Mt 12:48-50; 28:10). This
also indicates the members of the community who are more abandoned and
neglected who have no place and are not well received (Mt 10:40). Jesus
identifies Himself with them. In the broader context of the last parable, the
expression “my smallest brothers” is extended and includes all those who have
no place in society. It indicates all the poor. The just and the blessed by my
Father are all the persons from all nations who accept and welcome others with
total gratuity, independently of the fact that they are Christians or not.
Matthew
25:41-43: The sentence for those who were at the left hand side. Those who were
on the other side of the Judge are called cursed and they are destined to go to
the eternal fire, prepared by the devil and his friends. Jesus uses a symbolic
language common at that time to say that these persons will not enter into the
Kingdom. And here, also, their is only one reason: they did not accept or
welcome Jesus as one who is hungry, thirsty, a foreigner, naked, sick and/or a
prisoner. It is not that Jesus prevents them from entering into the Kingdom,
rather it is our way of acting that is our blindness which prevents us from
seeing Jesus in the little ones.
Matthew
25:44-46: A request for clarification and the response of the Judge. The
request for clarification indicates that it is a question of people who have
behaved well, people who have their conscience in peace. They are certain to have
always practiced what God asked from them. For this reason they were surprised
when the Judge says that they did not accept Him, did not welcome Him. The
Judge responds: Every time that you have not done these things to one of my
brothers, the little ones, you did not do it to me. It is the omission! They
did not do anything extra. They only missed practicing good towards the little
ones and the excluded. This is the way the fifth Book of the New Law ends!
In
the saints and Church Fathers we have a lot to learn about virtues and vices.
It is not enough to just avoid vice, or sin, but to also work toward attaining
virtue and virtuous behavior. To do no harm is not the same as to help. This is
what we are called to do: to not just avoid doing wrong or harm, but to go out
of our way to do good as well.
4)
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
What
struck you the most in this parable of the Last Judgment?
Do
I focus my life more on avoiding harm or on doing good for others?
Stop
and think: if the Last Judgment would take place today, would you be on the
side of the sheep or on the side of the goats?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
The
precepts of Yahweh are honest,
joy for the heart;
the commandment of Yahweh is pure,
light for the eyes. (Ps 19,8)
joy for the heart;
the commandment of Yahweh is pure,
light for the eyes. (Ps 19,8)
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