Monday of the First Week of Lent
LOVE OF NEIGHBOR
ENCOUNTERING GOD IN PEOPLE
It is striking how the Bible insists, even in the Old Testament, that God is present where people love one another and do the works of mercy to one another. What we do to others is done to God. The Old Testament stressed love especially with regard to members of the chosen people, who were all to be considered as blood relatives, without excluding non-Jews. The New Testament extends this clearly not only to members of the people of God, but also to all people. The kingdom of God is present where people treat one another as brothers and sisters. Those belonging to the People of God have to bear witness to all that love exists and is alive, and therefore, that God exists and is alive, by their love, particularly by their respect and concern for the weak and the fragile ones. It is by love of neighbor that we will be judged.
Reading 1 Lv 19:1-2, 11-18
God spoke to Moses: “Speak to the congregation of Israel. Tell them, Be holy because I, God, your God, am holy.
“Don’t steal.
“Don’t lie.
“Don’t deceive anyone.
“Don’t swear falsely using my name, violating the name of your God. I am God.
“Don’t exploit your friend or rob him.
“Don’t hold back the wages of a hired hand overnight.
“Don’t curse the deaf; don’t put a stumbling block in front of the blind; fear your God. I am God.
“Don’t pervert justice. Don’t show favoritism to either the poor or the great. Judge on the basis of what is right.
“Don’t spread gossip and rumors.
“Don’t just stand by when your neighbor’s life is in danger. I am God.
“Don’t secretly hate your neighbor. If you have something against him, get it out into the open; otherwise you are an accomplice in his guilt.
“Don’t seek revenge or carry a grudge against any of your people.
“Love your neighbor as yourself. I am God.
Gospel Mt 25:31-46
“When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’
“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’
“Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—
I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’
“Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’
“He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’
“Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”
Prayer
Lord, holy God, loving Father,
you give us the task to love one another
because you are holy
and you have loved us before we could love you.
Give us the ability to recognize your Son
in our brothers and sisters far and near.
Make us witnesses that love exists and is alive
and that you, the God of love,
exist and are alive, now for ever.
Reflection:
1st Week of Lent–Monday
27 February 2023
Matthew 25: 31-46
Life is a time of choices – make the right ones!
Today’s Gospel opens with a solemn introduction to the narrative of the Last Judgment.
The Gospel repeatedly speaks of a God who is infinitely merciful and forgiving. We believe not in a condemning God but in a saving God. Then, how do we interpret the terrible threats in today’s Gospel as “good news” or “message of salvation?”
In Palestine, at sunset, shepherds tend to separate the sheep from the goats. The goats are more sensitive to cold and are placed under a roof. The sheep, covered with wool, like the cool of the night and have no problem spending the night in the open. Jesus conveys his message through this image, taken from everyday life. The language is typical of the preachers of that time. They used stunning images such as unquenchable fire and eternal penalties to provoke the listeners.
The text belongs to the judgment scene genre, found both in the Bible (cf. Dan 7) and in rabbinic literature. There is a presentation of the judge, accompanied by angels who serve as assistants and security guards, then the convocation of all people, the separation of groups, the sentencing and finally, the righteous are rewarded and the wicked punished. This literary genre aims not to inform about what will happen at the end of the world but to teach how to behave today.
The Lord will judge us on the choices we have made. In fact, the Lord does not judge; rather, he only draws out the consequences of human choices. Life is a time for making robust, decisive, eternal choices. Indeed, we become what we choose, for better or for worse. If we choose to steal, we become thieves. If we choose to hate, we become angry. If we choose to spend hours on a cell phone, we become addicted.
Therefore, the question is not who will be counted as sheep and goats at the end of the world, but on what occasions today do I behave as sheep and under what circumstances do I behave as goats? We are sheep when we love our brother or sister; we are goats when we neglect him or her.
Pope Francis gives us a piece of advice to train ourselves to choose well. He writes: Ask yourselves these questions daily: “What do I feel like doing?” and “What is best for me?” This interior discernment can result in silly choices or decisions that shape our lives – it depends on us.
How funny or strange it would have been if the people on the right answered thus: “Yeah, Lord, we knew it was you we were serving when we fed the hungry and clothed the naked!” It doesn’t fit the script! The remarkable thing is that these good souls had no idea they were serving Christ when they were engaging in these acts of mercy! Goodness is perfect when done unawares. How about you?