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Message of the Day
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Were you to simply remain in God’s presence, that would be a great help to you, supporting you in your troubles and helping you to bear them patiently. Be sure that God is more ready than ever to welcome you into his arms, and that as your distress increases so does his mercy towards you increase and abound.
- John Baptist de La Salle Remain in God's presence . . .
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Readings of the Day
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Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18
Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15 Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus said to
his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.
‘Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since
the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” And the King will answer, “I
tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”
‘Next he will say to those on his left hand, “Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited
me.” Then it will be their turn to ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?” Then he will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”
‘And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal
life.’
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“I assure you, as often as you did it for one of My least brothers, you did it for Me.” —Matthew 25:40 When we hear these words of Jesus, we usually focus on the word “least.” However, we should especially accent the
word “brothers,” that is, “brothers and sisters.” In this Scripture passage, Jesus taught that on Judgment Day He will judge us based on our love not for the poor in general but specifically for our Christian brothers and sisters in need. When the Lord teaches us about love, He makes the same point: “The way we came to understand love was that He laid down His life for us; we too must lay down our lives for our brothers” (1 Jn 3:16). St. Paul learned this from Jesus and
taught: “While we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people — but especially those of the household of the faith” (Gal 6:10). As Christians, we love all people, even our enemies, but the Lord wants us to reserve a special place in our hearts for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Because we are baptized brothers and sisters in Christ, we can have a depth of relationship with them impossible with those not baptized into brotherhood and sisterhood in Christ. We must
take our Christian brotherhood and sisterhood practically, seriously, and literally. Otherwise, why should we take our baptismal sonship and daughterhood seriously? If we are only figuratively but not literally God’s children, then Christianity is only a shadow of what the Lord has promised us. A lived baptismal brotherhood and sisterhood is essential for a fully real Christian life. Therefore, let us love all the “brethren,” including the least of them. Prayer: Father,
give me the mind of Christ (see 1 Cor 2:16) regarding my brothers and sisters in Christ. Promise: “I am the Lord. You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.” —Lv 19:16-17 Presentation Ministries
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Spiritual Reading
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Dilexi Te: On the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ, by Pope Francis (completed by Pope Leo XIII), 2025.
https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/20241024-enciclica-dilexit-nos.html
CHAPTER TWO
ACTIONS AND WORDS OF LOVE
32. The heart of Christ, as the symbol of the deepest and most personal source of his love for us, is the very core of the initial preaching of the Gospel. It stands at the origin of
our faith, as the wellspring that refreshes and enlivens our Christian beliefs. Jesus' Words 45. The Gospel makes no secret of Jesus’ love for Jerusalem: “As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it” (Lk 19:41). He then voiced the deepest desire of his heart: “If you had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace” (Lk 19:42). The evangelists, while at times showing him in his power and
glory, also portray his profound emotions in the face of death and the grief felt by his friends. Before recounting how Jesus, standing before the tomb of Lazarus, “began to weep” (Jn 11:35), the Gospel observes that, “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (Jn 11:5) and that, seeing Mary and those who were with her weeping, “he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved” (Jn 11:33). The Gospel account leaves no doubt that his tears were genuine, the sign of
inner turmoil. Nor do the Gospels attempt to conceal Jesus’ anguish over his impending violent death at the hands of those whom he had loved so greatly: he “began to be distressed and agitated” (Mk 14:33), even to the point of crying out, “I am deeply grieved, even to death” (Mk 14:34). This inner turmoil finds its most powerful expression in his cry from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mk
15:34). |
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