Dear Sisters and
Brothers in Christ, may the Peace and Love of Christ abide always with you!!!
Today’s Gospel invites
me to say that there are moments in life when we must stop and ask: What
truly matters? What will remain when all the noise fades, when our
achievements, possessions, and earthly titles lose their significance? Jesus,
in the Gospel, paints a vivid picture of the final judgment and makes us understand
that what matters most is love in action.
The King Who Judges by
Love:
The scene is grand and
awe-inspiring: the Son of Man comes in glory, surrounded by angels, seated on
His glorious throne. It is the final moment of truth. The nations are gathered
before Him, and He separates people into two groups, like a shepherd separates
sheep from goats. And what is the basis of judgment? Not religious knowledge.
Not social status. Not wealth or influence. But rather, love shown through
concrete actions:
v
Feeding the hungry
v
Giving drink to the thirsty
v
Welcoming the stranger
v
Clothing the naked
v
Visiting the sick and imprisoned
In other words, Jesus
does not ask, “Did you go to church every Sunday?" He does not ask,
"Did you preach eloquently, sing in the choir, or memorize the
Scriptures?" These are good, but they are not the final test. Instead,
He asks: "Did you love?" And not love in words alone, but in real,
tangible, sacrificial acts of mercy.
Beyond Religious
Affiliation – A Universal Call to Love :
One striking aspect of
this passage is that both the righteous and the condemned are surprised by the
King’s words. Neither group was aware that in serving, or failing to serve, the
least among them, they were actually serving or rejecting Christ Himself.
This tells us something
profound: Jesus identifies Himself with the suffering, the poor, the
forgotten, and the rejected of society. To encounter Jesus, we do not need
to look to the heavens, we need to look at the person in need beside us. He is
hidden in the hungry child, the lonely refugee, the prisoner abandoned by the
world, the sick person no one visits.
This is why this
teaching goes beyond religious boundaries. Whether we belong to a specific
denomination or not, whether we are clergy or laity, the command to love is
universal. This is the law written on the heart of every human being (Romans
2:15). At the end of time, it is not the label of our religion that will save
us, but the love we have lived out.
The Tragic Blindness of
the Goats :
The tragic difference
between the two groups is not ignorance, but indifference. The
"goats" are not condemned for committing great evils, but for failing
to act when love demanded it. They saw, but they did not care.
How often do we pass by
the suffering around us, excusing ourselves with busyness, fear, or
indifference? How often do we say, "Someone else will help", or even,
"They don’t deserve my help"? The goats failed not because they were
bad people, but because they did nothing when they should have acted.
What This Means for Us
Today
Jesus’ message is a
wake-up call. True faith is not just believing in God; it is living in love. We
are judged not by what we say, but by how we treat others. Love is the only
measure that will matter in the end. We may ask ourselves three fundamental
questions: When was the last time I helped someone in need without expecting
anything in return? Do I see Jesus in the poor, the rejected, and the
brokenhearted? Am I too focused on my own comfort to notice the
suffering around me?
If today were the final
day of judgment, would Jesus say to us: “Come, you blessed of my Father,” or, “Depart
from me, for I was in need, and you did not care” Now is the time to change. Now
is the time to love; tomorrow might be too late.
Choose to Love
Jesus’ teaching is not
meant to fill us with fear but to call us to action. He is not just telling us
about a future judgment, He is inviting us to live differently now. He is
urging us to stop postponing love, to open our eyes to the suffering around us,
and to see Him in those who need us today.
At the end of our lives, we will not be remembered for the
wealth we accumulated, the power we held, the religions to which we belonged or
the knowledge we gained. We will be remembered for the love we gave.
The King is watching. The time to act is now. Choose love.
A Prayer of Love in
Action
Lord Jesus,
You have taught us that true love is more than words,
it is found in feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger,
clothing the naked, and caring for the broken.
Open our eyes to see You in those in need,
our hearts to love without hesitation,
and our hands to serve without counting the cost.
May we never turn away from the least among us,
but recognize in them Your divine presence.
At the end of our journey, may we hear You say,
“Come, you blessed of My Father.”
Amen.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
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