A reading according to the Gospel of 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 the 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."
REFLECTION: 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, marks the end of the liturgical year. The second coming of the Lord will have the glorified King , Jesus Christ, presenting all creation and souls to God the Father. This feast was established in 1925 by Pope Pius XI because of so much secularism in the world. The emphasis was that the kingship of Christ is not based on human power but on loving and serving others.
According to St Augustine, there are two kinds of people, two kinds of love. There is the holy or love of God and there is the selfish or the love of the world (concupiscence). The holy love seeks out the love of God and is subject to Him. The other endeavors to equal Him.
Do we allow Jesus who is our Lord and King to rule in our hearts so we can think, act and love others as He has taught us?
The constitution of the Kingdom of God are the beatitudes. We are called to live these beatitudes according to our function in life in following Jesus. The beatitudes are personal but yet communal. Jesus lived out humility, mercy and meekness He proved His love for us by overcoming sin, sickness, pain and death. His death was the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
The Lord King will tend to our needs. He will rescue those of us hidden in cloudy and dark places. He will seek out the lost, the sick and the dying. He will even restore us and make us His heirs.
Each one of us is to participate in this Kingdom and to spread the Word in the new covenant of servitude, truth, life and love. The Lord lives in our families, our friends, our community, neighbors, those in line at the St Vincent de Paul office, the isolated, forgotten, imprisoned, strangers and those who live in foreign and remote lands.
He will reward those who fed Him, clothed Him, cared for Him, visited Him and who allowed Him in their hearts.
And so when He presents us to His Father, our words and deeds to expand the Kingdom will be rewarded.
And we can hear Him say, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Viva Cristo Rey!!!
