Readings: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17 Solemnity of Christ the King

Psalm 23:1-3, 5, 6 November 20, 2011

1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28

Matthew 25:31-46

Word: Christ’s disciples stay awake and are vigilant for the Lord’s second coming

Theme: We stay awake and are vigilant for the Lord’s second coming when we respond to the needs of the poor.

Promise: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Mt 25:34)

There are two words in this Gospel passage that we must all try to understand because these are the only two choices we have. It would also be good to pull out from your book shelf your Thesaurus to be able to comprehend what these choices are.

One is punishment which is associated with chastisement, retribution, torture, suffer, beating, flogging, scourging, and judgment referring to providential punishment. The other is the term righteous which refers to those who are virtuous and godly. Those who are virtuous act with moral rectitude, saintliness, godliness, right-minded. They can also be described as good persons, respectable, pillar of the church and society. Godly persons are those possessing purity of heart, spiritual-minded, good-natured, and unworldly.

 It is important for us to know these so that we may know why we need to stay awake and remain vigilant to prepare for the Lord’s second coming. We need to be alert so we can be clothed with the righteousness that God requires so we can avoid the punishment that awaits those whom God will place on his left.

I look at life as an educational system that we all need to go through and there are preliminary exams we have to face (trials, challenges, frustrations, persecution, loss of jobs) and, the mid-term exams (sickness, loss of loved ones, failed relationships, spiritual dryness, indiscretions, among others), and I know that there is a final exam that we need to hurdle and it is not as easy as it may seem to be. The good thing with this final exam that will determine how we will be graded by Our Lord is that we already know what are in the questionnaire and we also know that we will pass this final exam by simply doing what are being asked of us. Granting that we may have missed these opportunities, Our Lord who is the final arbiter provides us with the time we need to reorient our priorities in life and align it with the terms specified in our final exams.

This final exams has only six questions and these are: 1) Did you feed me when I was hungry? (2) Did you give me a drink when I was thirsty? (3) Did you welcome me when I appeared as a stranger? (4) Did you give me clothing when I had nothing to wear? (5) Did you take care of me when I was sick? And, (6) Did you visit me when I was in prison? What is amazing with this exam is that we can bring home the questionnaire and ponder on it and Our Lord Himself requires that we be honest with our responses.

On the other hand, granting that we come up short of the answers required in the questionnaire, Our Lord Jesus out of the generosity of his heart still gives us the opportunity to work on it so that when he comes we will have completed the conditions he requires.

This Gospel passage should ring clear in our ears in that there is no doubt there is a day of judgment when we will be classified either as goats or as sheep. The Lord used this example and this may have shocked his listeners because to the Jews any referral to goats represent evil and Our Lord will judge us not only for the wrong we have done but even for the things we failed to do. In reading this parable, it would be good for us to again read the previous parables on the wedding feast, soil, sower, vineyard workers, and talents among others, because these will show that there is indeed a time when we will be judged and made to atone for how well we lived our lives in accordance with the two greatest commandments that Our Lord had specified – love of God and love of neighbor.

There shouldn’t be any doubt that we will be judged when the time comes. The only variable that still isn’t clear is whether we will be made to stand on the right hand of God as sheep and inherit the Kingdom prepared for us or on his left as goats and be left out. But God is merciful and we should be able to take advantage of his love for us that should compel us to address the six scenarios specified in the questionnaire.

These acts that we may also term as corporal acts of mercy are things that we can do everyday and such acts are not dependent on wealth, talent or intelligence as these are actions that we can give for others to receive. These are acts that are exclusive to us and we are responsible for these and should not pass on the responsibility to either the government or the church because the men running these two institutions also have their own set of questionnaire. To see Jesus in our neighbor is not easy because we have our own human biases to contend with. But this parable today requires that we rise about our prejudices and use our spiritual eyes to be able to see Jesus in those around us especially the hungry, thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison.

There is no time to vacillate because we do not know the hour the thief will come. To refuse help to the least of our brothers and sisters will incur for us eternal punishment and there is no doubt about it. But the righteous will go to eternal life and there’s also no doubt about it. (v.46)

Reflection Question Guides:

1. What have you done to prepare yourself for the Last Judgment? Have you helped the poor and the needy – the least, the last and the lost?

2. How do you sustain your corporal works of mercy towards them?

 

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