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." 

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are my king and reign over all you have created. You desire to reign in my heart and that is what I most want. Teach me your ways so that I may be a faithful member of your Kingdom.

Encountering With Christ  

1. The Divine Shepherd: The prophet Ezekiel presents God as a shepherd who lovingly cares for his sheep. Ezekiel refers to the scattering of the sheep and how the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah were destroyed by the Assyrians and Babylonians and driven into exile. God promises to rescue the people, bring them back from exile, give them good pasture, and lead them into the rest of divine life. God will heal the humble and lowly, those who are lost and sick. But he will destroy the proud and strong. Like a shepherd, who, at the end of the day, separates the sheep from the goats, God will act as judge and separate the docile and humble sheep from the stubborn and prideful goats. Am I more like a sheep, attentive to the voice of the Shepherd, or a goat, who refuses to listen?

    

2. Christ Must Reign: Saint Paul concludes his First Letter to the Corinthians with an explanation of the Second Coming of Jesus. He first brings to mind Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and calls Jesus the “firstfruits” of those who have died. This recalls how Israel, in her liturgy, offered the first portion of the harvest to God. It was a way of symbolically consecrating the entire harvest. What Paul is saying is that Jesus is the first to be raised, but that those who belong to Jesus will also be raised. Jesus is the firstfruits and we will follow after him. Paul then compares Adam and Jesus, the New Adam. While Adam’s sin introduced humanity and us to death, Jesus’ righteousness brings us salvation. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and victory over death anticipates the final resurrection and definitive victory. When Jesus comes in glory at the end of time, he will hand over the kingdom to his Father. Evil will be definitively conquered, every tear will be wiped away, and sin and death will be no more.

    

3. The Final Judgement: When we die, we will be judged by our Lord and shepherd. Jesus tells us exactly what will be on the final exam. Those who are welcomed into the eternal kingdom are those who have practiced works of mercy. Those who are condemned to eternal punishment are those who neglect the hungry, the poor, the stranger, the imprisoned, and the sick. What we do for others out of love, we do for Christ. If we say that we love God and neglect our sisters and brothers in need we are liars (1 John 4:20).

    

Conversion with Christ: Lord Jesus, when I contemplate your glorious return at the end of time, I want to be numbered among your sheep. At times I can be stubborn like a goat and choose to follow my own will rather than your Father’s will. I don’t want to be a stubborn and rebellious goat. You are the Good Shepherd and the innocent lamb. As the Shepherd, you call me by name and lead me to restful waters. As the Lamb of God, you gave your life to take away my sins. Teach me today how to be a good shepherd and how to offer my life for the good of others.

Resolution: If I look back on this year, how have I practiced works of mercy? Have I fed the hungry? Have I welcomed the stranger? Have I clothed the naked? Have I cared for the sick or visited those in need? If I answer no to all of these questions, what changes can I make this upcoming month and year? If I answer yes to these questions, how can I continue, with God’s grace, to care for my brothers and sisters?