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 on from another, as a shepherd 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.”
—Matthew 25:31-46
Viva Cristo Rey! Long Live Christ the King!
The kingship of our Lord Jesus Christ all over the universe is proclaimed, Jesus reigns in all of creation. The gospel reading tells us on what would happen in the end time and the glory of God in the end time.
Nowadays, we are all kept busy with what we do and what we plan to do. engrossed and involved with work and how we can preoccupy ourselves in the future. We get to that point where we miss the more important things in life—family, community and God. When the day of judgment comes, where will we go?
Today’s gospel presents to us what happens in the end time. Matthew’s description of the end time serves as a warning and reminder for all of the faithful, that those who are favored by God will inherit the kingdom while those who are not will have their eternal punishment.
Everyone will have a place and that depends on how you treat your brothers and sisters, neighbors or strangers. The Lord, through the Church, has been reaching out to us and reminding us on how can we inherit God’s kingdom and become children of the kingdom. Before God, we present ourselves and will be accountable with what we have become. Saint John of the Cross reminds us that “in the evening of our life, we will be examined in love,” are we prepared for the evening and meet our God?
We ask: “Lord, when did we see you?” Most people look and search for God inside their tiny and exclusive church, or in their private and personalized prayers. They see God as someone who is only found in a specific place and in their own experience. Or to some of us, God is just an abstraction or pure imagination as doubts and confusions block them in knowing and loving God. But when did we meet and see the Lord?
Jesus exhorted that in our encounters with people. We meet the Lord every time we meet and see our brothers and sisters, especially those who are in dire need. The least, those who are in the margins, and the poor who are helpless and powerless, they are God’s people and God is in them.
Have we seen God in our brothers and sisters? When someone is hungry or thirsty, did we bother sharing food and water to fill their hunger and quench their thirst? When he or she is naked and one has nothing, did we clothe that person? Or when one is sick or in prison, did we bother and care to visit and see that person who is suffering tremendously in pain and despair? When one is in need of our help, did we open our hearts and hands to be of assistance to the prisoners, the homeless, the helpless? For “whatsoever you do to the least of your brothers and sisters, you do unto me,” says the Lord Jesus.
Let us pray, reflect and as ourselves:
Have I seen the Lord in my brothers and sisters?
Did I give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and the prisoner?
Can I truthfully say before the Lord that I see Him and did good to Him through my brothers and sisters?
Am I ready to inherit God’s kingdom?
Prayer
Almighty and Ever- Living God, we thank you for all the gifts that we have received from your goodness. May you judge us in mercy and love, especially when we have not recognized you in the least of our brothers and sisters whom we meet and encounter in our daily lives. This we ask through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Intention
Let us pray for those who asked for our prayers, the sick and the abandoned, the hungry and thirsty, the homeless and naked, the prisoners and all victims of war and abuse, may the Lord’s consoling hands and saving love be their blessings through our generous and ind brothers and sisters.
