What is going to happen to me when I die? Am I going to heaven or hell? If I do no harm to other people, will I go to heaven? The answer is in this week's readings.*
Reading 1
Ez 34:11-12, 15-17
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
As a shepherd tends his flock
when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,
so will I tend my sheep.
I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered
when it was cloudy and dark.
I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.
The lost I will seek out,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal,
but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,
shepherding them rightly.
As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD,
I will judge between one sheep and another,
between rams and goats.
Help For the Lost and Scattered
The first reading tells us about God and about us. Have you ever felt like you were in a "cloudy, dark place? We've all been there. God says in this reading that he is well aware of our suffering. He knows that we are lost. He knows that we have strayed. All we have to do is look at our lives and we will be reminded that WE HAVE STRAYED. We are injured. We are sick! So, in this reading, we are reminded of our condition particularly in the spiritual sense.
And what to do we learn about God in this reading? I think the most powerful words here are "I MYSELF". "I MYSELF will look after...... I MYSELF will pasture... I MYSELF will give......" .
As Christians, we are so blessed to know what was meant by God in this reading by the prophet Ezekiel. God literally came "himself" and his name is Jesus, the only begotten Son. He is begotten, not made, one in being with the Father. This is what God meant in this reading by, "I myself". So we are reminded of our need for God in the first reading, and of how much God loves us. He came down to Earth to shepherd us.
Reading II
1 Cor 15:20-26, 28
Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
When everything is subjected to him,
then the Son himself will also be subjected
to the one who subjected everything to him,
so that God may be all in all.
More commentary after the Gospel.
Gospel
Mt 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."
A Shepherd Who is Also King And Judge
Both the 2nd reading and Gospel speak of Jesus as King, In the 2nd reading, Paul says that he reigns. We don't usually picture a shepherd who "sits upon his glorious throne" and "reigns". His title of shepherd tells us of his kindness and compassion towards us. His title of "King of the Jews" speaks of his power over all things. John 5:22 says the Father "has given all judgment to the Son". John 5:27 continues, "he [the Father] gave him the power to exercise judgment."
So Jesus is the compassionate shepherd and he is also the judge. Even in his judgment he is loving. Any loving parent warns his child not to touch the stove or to put their hands in electrical outlets. Just the same, Jesus wants us to go to heaven which is why he says, I myself will "seek you out" (1st reading).He seeks us out, and protects us.
Like a loving parent, Jesus warns us about judgment. Many of us think that if we don't hurt anybody, we will go to heaven. But in this Gospel, Jesus calls the act of ignoring our "least brothers" EVIL. He calls the ones who ignore the less fortunate, evildoers.
It's time for me to ask myself a couple of questions. When is the last time I gave money to the poor? When is the last time I visited someone who was suffering and alone?
These wretched conditions in the gospel (alone, hurt, in need) sound familiar don't they? Weren't we just reminded in the first reading of how WE suffer from these things and how God has come to help us? That's right, God asks us to do what he himself does to us.
Once again, God tells us the truth about heaven and hell not for the sake of being mean to us. He tells us because he is INVITING us to imitate him. He wants us to love like he does in the 1st reading. It is our job to seek out people in need. If we don't try to love as God has loved us, we willingly refuse the LOVE (the invitation) of God. In failing to love one another, we willingly refuse God himself and accept hell instead (CCC 679). God loves us too much to let us put our fingers in the electric outlet. He wants us to go to heaven. He tells us we cannot get into heaven without loving the least of our brothers.
God loves us.
*salvation comes from faith in Jesus Christ and baptism. (CCC 1987) After baptism we can lose the grace we receive by committing serious sin. This week's readings focus on life after baptism. After baptism, it is absolutely necessary to help those in need if we want to enter heaven.
Real Life
This video features a homeless man I met. He lives in Charlotte, NC. The video shows some people I filmed serving the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Posts
